Past Purchases (CLOSED)

[prémont]

Ordered today:

Your thoughts about this (controversial?) interpretation would interest me.

[kishnevi]

Your thoughts about this (controversial?) interpretation would interest me.

I will probably have little to add.  It hit me yesterday that I have no recordings of the Toccatas, and the Naxos pricing allows this to fill the gap while not making the overall order too expensive.  So I will have nothing to compare it to.   I have his recording of the English Suites 4-6 from the same series--it never got me enthused, which is why I've never gotten around to getting the other Suites, or indeed anything else of his.

I'll probably be getting other recordings in the near future--I have my eye on Gould and Hewitt.  Are there any you would suggest?

[Scarpia]

I'll probably be getting other recordings in the near future--I have my eye on Gould and Hewitt.  Are there any you would suggest?

I found Hewitt outstanding.  An added  benefit is all of her Bach discs come with essays written by Hewitt herself explaining her view of the music describing her interpretation.

[MN Dave]

[mc ukrneal]

I don't have this particular recording, but I do love his music. Hope it's a good one...

[Harry]

Some movies. 

Excellent choices, and I think the secret of the grain one of the best I saw in years.

[jlaurson]

I'll probably be getting other recordings in the near future--I have my eye on Gould and Hewitt.  Are there any you would suggest?

Definitely not Gould. Even the most rabid Gould-fans (except for one or two prowling these waters) will agree that his Toccatas are the least successful of his (Bach) recordings. Apparently one of those cases where he didn't care particularly for some pieces and took it out on them. Hewitt is a good alternative, for the fact alone that there are so few alternatives on the piano (which I assume is what you are looking for). Andrea Bacchetti's recording on Dynamic is very good, also, but if you regularly listen with headphones, your enjoyment might be  impeded by a slightly squeaky sustain pedal.

[jhar26]

[MN Dave]

I don't have this particular recording, but I do love his music. Hope it's a good one...

Thanks. Sort of a random choice for me. Haven't listened yet.

[Sergeant Rock]

Definitely not Gould. Even the most rabid Gould-fans (except for one or two prowling these waters) will agree that his Toccatas are the least successful of his (Bach) recordings.

You talkin' to ME?


A rabid Gould fan, I am, so I acknowledge that fact might be clouding my judgment about the Toccatas. So I went looking for reinforcements and found this at Gramophone: "I personally consider the set of Toccatas to be the best of all Gould's Bach discs. J.M-C."

So there you have it: one professional critc, our own Jens, considers Gould's Toccatas his worst Bach recording; another critic claiming it's his best. This is why I love classical music 

Sarge

[jlaurson]

A rabid Gould fan, I am, so I acknowledge that fact might be clouding my judgment about the Toccatas. So I went looking for reinforcements and found this at Gramophone: "I personally consider the set of Toccatas to be the best of all Gould's Bach discs. J.M-C."
So there you have it: one professional critc, our own Jens, considers Gould's Toccatas his worst Bach recording; another critic claiming it's his best. This is why I love classical music 
Sarge

No, I wasn't talking to you, actually. I just always assume you know better than be wrong. 

Exceptions to my unbridled wisdom are OK... but usually the more sweeping among my judgments are based on more than just personal opinion. I can cite at least four, five professional critics (including one that worked closely with Gould) off the top of my head who don't think highly of his Toccatas; heck, I can cite Gould himself. :-) (Although only by one degree of separation.)

[Que]

Definitely not Gould. Even the most rabid Gould-fans (except for one or two prowling these waters) will agree that his Toccatas are the least successful of his (Bach) recordings.

I agree with Jens - Gould's Toccatas are also IMO least successful, while the Partitas and the WTC are to me his most successful Bach.

Q

[karlhenning]

Exceptions to my unbridled wisdom are OK... but usually the more sweeping among my judgments are based on more than just personal opinion.

That's all right, Jens.  The fact that 2 (or 5 or 20) people agree in an opinion doesn't convert the opinion into a fact ; )

[George]

That's all right, Jens.  The fact that 2 (or 5 or 20) people agree in an opinion doesn't convert the opinion into a fact ; )

Truer words have never been spoken.

[jlaurson]

That's all right, Jens.  The fact that 2 (or 5 or 20) people agree in an opinion doesn't convert the opinion into a fact ; )

I'm not suggesting that I can turn a logical fallacy ("argumentum ad verecundiam") into fact. I'm just suggesting that my more sweeping suggestions are covered by multiple subjective perceptions. Hearing from twenty people the direction doesn't make (or not make) that road go to Rome, but if you get the same answer from 18 out of those twenty (and if advice is what you wanted, rather than the encouragement to explore on your own), then I know which way I'm going.

[jlaurson]

Truer words have never been spoken.

Incidentally, that's true of most truisms. 

[Sergeant Rock]

No, I wasn't talking to you, actually. I just always assume you know better than be wrong. 

I can undestand why you'd think that. My opinions are almost infallible. I seldom disagree with myself.

I'm playing BWV 910 now. Yep, still marvelous.

Sarge

[George]

Incidentally, that's true of most truisms. 

That's your opinion. 

[Sergeant Rock]

That's all right, Jens.  The fact that 2 (or 5 or 20) people agree in an opinion doesn't convert the opinion into a fact ; )

In my case I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with anyone about Gould's Toccatas. I love 'em--that's all that matters to me. But I was curious if I were alone in this and so went looking for other opinions. Whether they are his best Bach (I don't think so) or his least successful (I don't think that's the case either) is quite irrelevant to my enjoyment. I just find it amusing that music lovers can have such radically different takes on these performances.

Hearing from twenty people the direction doesn't make (or not make) that road go to Rome, but if you get the same answer from 18 out of those twenty (and if advice is what you wanted, rather than the encouragement to explore on your own), then I know which way I'm going.

Logical. In the case of Gould's Toccatas, though, I don't think there is such an overwhelming opinion against the performances. I've continued to hunt for reviews and have found several more that give it a thumbs up. Critical opinion seems to be divided about equally. My conclusion: there are two roads, and both lead to Rome 

Sarge

[DavidRoss]

All I need:



Intimate and inviting, rather than stern and imposing.