Bach Six Partitas

Started by mc ukrneal, January 25, 2010, 05:35:03 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

premont

Quote from: Mandryka on April 07, 2018, 09:22:47 AM
I can't bear the harpsichord, I mean I can imagine it as continuo but either Kraus doesn't play it well or it's just not a very refined instrument.

But he uses the same harpsichord for both chaconne's.
γνῶθι σεαυτόν

milk

Quote from: milk on May 05, 2017, 12:32:50 AM
This is worth a listen. Takeshika gets the most out of his Silbermann fortepiano by way attentive rubato/articulation. Seems this chap never studied with anyone of note. He's kind of a mystery.
It's my mission to get one more person to listen to this. I find the partitas, unlike other keyboard works of Bach, don't translate as well to instruments other than the harpsichord. However, employing flexibility and imagination, Takehisu creates an enjoyable version on the fortepiano. I wouldn't recommend it as one's only recording, or even as a second or third one. But for lovers of the partitas I think it's worth acquiring. 

SergeCpp

#182
Here I post my preferences in Partitas. These preferences are rather old (~2012-14) but I think they are worth to publish here. From that time I've discovered many of new interpretations (some of them are new only for me and recorded before that noted timemark). But they are not so carefully and inspectfully listened as those in this good old list. Later I'll try to post some of new findings (of them are real beauties as I seen at first quick and partial listening).

Lists are ordered (top is more suitable for me).

Harpsichord

Masaaki Suzuki (2001)
Edward Parmentier (1991)
Nicholas Parle (2002)
Trevor Pinnock (1998-99)
Scott Ross (1988)
Christophe Rousset (1992)
Kenneth Gilbert (1984-85)
Pascal Dubreuil (2007)

Piano

Gianluca Luisi (2005-07)
Andras Schiff (1983)
Craig Sheppard (2005)
Sergey Schepkin (1995)
Angela Hewitt (1996-97)
Wolfgang Rubsam (1992)
Ramin Bahrami (2005)
Andras Schiff (2007)
Vladimir Ashkenazy (2009)
Irma Issakadze (2010)
Zhu Xiao-Mei (1999)

//
There is a strangeness in simple things.

milk

Quote from: SergeCpp on May 07, 2020, 04:55:08 AM
Here I post my preferences in Partitas. These preferences are rather old (~2012-14) but I think they are worth to publish here. From that time I've discovered many of new interpretations (some of them are new only for me and recorded before that noted timemark). But they are not so carefully and inspectfully listened as those in this good old list. Later I'll try to post some of new findings (of them are real beauties as I seen at first quick and partial listening).

Lists are ordered (top is more suitable for me).

Harpsichord

Masaaki Suzuki (2001)
Edward Parmentier (1991)
Nicholas Parle (2002)
Trevor Pinnock (1998-99)
Scott Ross (1988)
Christophe Rousset (1992)
Kenneth Gilbert (1984-85)
Pascal Dubreuil (2007)

Piano

Gianluca Luisi (2005-07)
Andras Schiff (1983)
Craig Sheppard (2005)
Sergey Schepkin (1995)
Angela Hewitt (1996-97)
Wolfgang Rubsam (1992)
Ramin Bahrami (2005)
Andras Schiff (2007)
Vladimir Ashkenazy (2009)
Irma Issakadze (2010)
Zhu Xiao-Mei (1999)

//
I think Mortenson is great too, as is Leonhardt.

Mandryka

#184
It's true that Suzuki, when he's on form, he's very very good - and he was on form in that recording of partitas. Colourful and refined instrument too, polished studio sound.

I've just picked up a recording of Schiff playing this music in Berlin a couple of years ago, if anyone wants it they can PM me, I think the sound is good.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

SergeCpp

Quote from: milk on May 07, 2020, 06:31:30 AMI think Mortensen is great too, as is Leonhardt.
Leonhardt (1990) recording is too energetic for me. And I listened to it many times in ~2008 before knowing of other interpretations (Pinnock 1998-99 as I recall) and made my choice then. The same situation (as I can remember) with his English Suites, I really like his 1973 recording but his 1984 recoring is not suitable for me.

I not heard Partitas recording of Mortensen (absent on YouTube), but listened to his Goldberg Variations (1989). I not remember why but his GV are in my not suitable list. But I remember good words about Mortensen Partitas said in ~2007 on Russian Classical Forum (ForumKlassika). So, I twice interested now. Thank you! It is strange for me to remember such old mention but I immediately recalled it while reading your note.
There is a strangeness in simple things.

Mandryka

#186
There's something about Mortensen's harpsichord playing which I'm not keen on and I find it quite hard to put into words, it's to do with the textures. I find that the textures he makes are somehow dense with notes, airless even, which I'm not so keen on myself. It may be the instrument (uniform colours?)  and the room (slightly resonant?) or the engineering (?) as much as anything else. I don't know.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

premont

Quote from: Mandryka on May 08, 2020, 10:56:09 AM
There's something about Mortensen's harpsichord playing which I'm not keen on and I find it quite hard to put into words, it's to do with the textures. I find that the textures he makes are somehow dense with notes, airless even, which I'm not so keen on myself. It may be the instrument (uniform colours?)  and the room (slightly resonant?) or the engineering (?) as much as anything else. I don't know.

I always thought the sound of Mortensen's partitas reminded of the sound of Walcha's - despite the two different instruments. I wonder whether too close miking might be the common denominator. The way the music comes "right up in your face" makes it sound denser than it probably was at the venue.
γνῶθι σεαυτόν

SergeCpp

Quote from: Mandryka on May 08, 2020, 10:56:09 AMThere's something about Mortensen's harpsichord playing which I'm not keen on and I find it quite hard to put into words, it's to do with the textures. I find that the textures he makes are somehow dense with notes...
It is possibly exactly the reason why Mortensen's recording of GV is in my not suitable list.

I also see quite frequently that performers (both harpsichordists and pianists) swap Aria with Sarabande in 4th Partita and Air with Sarabande in 6th Partita. Even Gianluca Luisi swaps! With Luisi recording there is even more strange situation — there was also movement names swapped (so they are were incorrectly marked then). I read in Schulenberg book (The Keyboard Music of J.S.Bach) about these short movements (Aria and Air) but don't remember any statement about swapping. For me ordering Aria and Air before Sarabande is preferable and I'm accustomed to it (and I do re-swap in my playlists).

* * *

Several of my recent discoveries for harpsichord, they are quite good at first glance. Two completely new names (for me) and Lucy Carolan (I heard of her long ago and remembered). Allemande timings (of 4th Partita) are 11:32, 10:16 and 11:48.



Bach Partitas — Mireille Lagace (Harpsichord)




Bach Partitas — Lucy Carolan (Harpsichord)




Bach Partitas — Peter Sykes (Harpsichord)

//
There is a strangeness in simple things.

Mandryka

#189
Quote from: SergeCpp on May 07, 2020, 04:55:08 AM
Here I post my preferences in Partitas.

Have you heard Menno Van Delft? Or Blandine Verlet (Philips)? Or Genzoh Takehisa? Or Rosalyn Tureck (the Great Pianists of the c20 performance.)

Not necessarily recommend, but I do think they're all challenging in different and interesting ways.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

SergeCpp

Quote from: Mandryka on May 09, 2020, 12:05:46 AMHave you heard Menno Van Delft? Or Blandine Verlet (Philips)? Or Genzoh Takehisa? Or Rosalyn Tureck...

Menno van Delft's recording of AOF (1999) is high in my preference list. Several weeks ago I've checked his YouTube channel and found Partitas on Clavichord. I tried (from ~2007) to listen to Clavichord but it is too hardly understandeable instrument (its sound) for me. I'd checked then this recording and switched off after minute or so. But recently I've encountered Wim Winters performance and liked it (but anyway cannot listen the whole set at once). I'm definitely not ready for Clavichord sound. Yet.

Blandine Verlet — yes, many times (and awaiting of Blandine Rannou Partitas, not know whether she recorded them). But now both Verlet's recordings (1977 and 2001) are in my not suitable list. Cannot remember the reason. But remember that listened to both of them many times (around ~2010s).

Genzoh Takehisa — no. I noted his name above but cannot find his Partitas set on YouTube. Will wait (hope eventually will be there). Thank you for pointing!

Rosalyn Tureck — yes, many times. But for now her recording (1956-58) is in my not suitable list. And this is not matter of tempos (I highly like Wolfgang Rubsam's slow recordings). Maybe it is matter of old sound quality.

Even Murray Perahia's recording of Partitas (2007-09) is in my not suitable list. Too soft as I remember; maybe there also another factors because soft Vladimir Ashkenazy's recording (2009) is in my preference list (though not high there).

//
There is a strangeness in simple things.

premont

Quote from: Mandryka on May 09, 2020, 12:05:46 AM
Have you heard Menno Van Delft? Or Blandine Verlet (Philips)? Or Genzoh Takehisa? Or Rosalyn Tureck (the Great Pianists of the c20 performance.)

Not necessarily recommend, but I do think they're all challenging in different and interesting ways.

I am tempted to add

Pieter-Jan Belder and
Martin Gester on harpsichord and

Virginia Black on piano.
γνῶθι σεαυτόν

Mandryka

Quote from: SergeCpp on May 09, 2020, 01:22:37 AM
Menno van Delft's recording of AOF (1999) is high in my preference list. Several weeks ago I've checked his YouTube channel and found Partitas on Clavichord. I tried (from ~2007) to listen to Clavichord but it is too hardly understandeable instrument (its sound) for me. I'd checked then this recording and switched off after minute or so. But recently I've encountered Wim Winters performance and liked it (but anyway cannot listen the whole set at once). I'm definitely not ready for Clavichord sound. Yet.

Blandine Verlet — yes, many times (and awaiting of Blandine Rannou Partitas, not know whether she recorded them). But now both Verlet's recordings (1977 and 2001) are in my not suitable list. Cannot remember the reason. But remember that listened to both of them many times (around ~2010s).

Genzoh Takehisa — no. I noted his name above but cannot find his Partitas set on YouTube. Will wait (hope eventually will be there). Thank you for pointing!

Rosalyn Tureck — yes, many times. But for now her recording (1956-58) is in my not suitable list. And this is not matter of tempos (I highly like Wolfgang Rubsam's slow recordings). Maybe it is matter of old sound quality.

Even Murray Perahia's recording of Partitas (2007-09) is in my not suitable list. Too soft as I remember; maybe there also another factors because soft Vladimir Ashkenazy's recording (2009) is in my preference list (though not high there).

//

I think the only way to get Takehisa is Itunes, at least if you're not in Japan. The Tureck I have a great soft spot for, it was my introduction to this music I guess. The Verlet (both of them) seem to me interesting failures -- I mean, the high points are high, the low points are low. I don't like Van Delft either.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

Quote from: (: premont :) on May 09, 2020, 02:01:46 AM
I am tempted to add

Pieter-Jan Belder and
Martin Gester on harpsichord and

Virginia Black on piano.

And I will add Rampe and Egarr and . . . enough already.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

milk

Quote from: Mandryka on May 09, 2020, 12:05:46 AM
Have you heard Menno Van Delft? Or Blandine Verlet (Philips)? Or Genzoh Takehisa? Or Rosalyn Tureck (the Great Pianists of the c20 performance.)

Not necessarily recommend, but I do think they're all challenging in different and interesting ways.
I thought I had that Tureck but I don't. Hmm...It's not that easy to find.
I think Tureck is a unique performer. I can't say she's much like anyone else. I don't listen to her often but she always makes a strong impression.

SergeCpp

Quote from: Mandryka on May 09, 2020, 03:17:46 AMThe Tureck I have a great soft spot for, it was my introduction to this music I guess.
And mine. Together with Gould. I listened to them both infinitely and cannot understand why the Partitas are work of genius. I suppose some switch in me not triggered. And it was earlier recording of Schiff that trigger switch inside me.
There is a strangeness in simple things.

aukhawk

Quote from: Mandryka on May 09, 2020, 03:19:46 AM
And I will add Rampe and Egarr and . . . enough already.

Well I will add one on piano - Igor Levit
even-handed and steady (ie, a bit slower than average)

SergeCpp

There is a strangeness in simple things.

milk

I tried listening to a bit of Tureck's partitas. The ones from 49/50. Tough going for me. She's very staccato. Maybe I need more patience. I don't know what it is with her, I used to like Tureck. It just feels very dated but not in an interesting way like Feinberg. She's certainly more listenable than Gould.

On the other hand, both Carolan and Legace have something to offer. Lagace's harpsichord is particularly nice sounding and well-suited to the partitas with its strong bass. I also like the drama Legace achieves in her Sarabandes.

bioluminescentsquid

Quote from: SergeCpp on May 07, 2020, 04:55:08 AM
Harpsichord

Masaaki Suzuki (2001)
Edward Parmentier (1991)
Nicholas Parle (2002)
Trevor Pinnock (1998-99)
Scott Ross (1988)
Christophe Rousset (1992)
Kenneth Gilbert (1984-85)
Pascal Dubreuil (2007)

What's so terribly wrong with Pascal Dubreuil?