Your Preferred Bach Pianist

[Brian]

You keep a listening log?  That sounds so unusual to me.  On the other hand, I keep a love-making log.

Just today, I've listened to Bach more than four times.  He gets at least 50% of my music time.

I got the idea from Ray/Brahmsian/ChamberNut, I think.

I'm sure someday I will appreciate Bach more. It will just take time and patience.

[Scarpia]

I did consider including Pogorelich, but to my mind the recording of two Suites didn't cut it.  By the way, I bought the original Bach/Pogorelich disc way back when - it's quite good.

Huh?  That is a re-issue of the original Bach Pogorelich disc.  The first Pogorelich disc I had was this one, which is superb.

[Bulldog]

Huh?  That is a re-issue of the original Bach Pogorelich disc.  The first Pogorelich disc I had was this one, which is superb.

I have no idea what you're talking about.  Help me on this one.

The disc I own has Suites 2 and 3 recorded in 1986; it's DG 415480.

[Scarpia]

I have no idea what you're talking about.  Help me on this one.

The disc I own has Suites 2 and 3 recorded in 1986; it's DG 415480.

Now I'm confused.  I posted this:



And you said it "didn't cut it" but that the original Bach Pogolerlich disc was "quite good."  The release I posted is a re-release of 415480, it is the same 1986 recording that you described as "quite good." 

The Chopin disc is Pogorelich's first DG recording, which I also had on vinyl, which I thought might be of interest because you referred to the "original" Pogorelich recording.

[Bulldog]

Now I'm confused.  I posted this:



And you said it "didn't cut it" but that the original Bach Pogolerlich disc was "quite good."  The release I posted is a re-release of 415480, it is the same 1986 recording that you described as "quite good." 

My "didn't cut it" referred to the quantity of his Bach, not the quality.  We are now at peace.

[springrite]

Evgeny Koroliov  6 (6%)

Rosalyn Tureck  7 (7%)

Glenn Gould  12 (12%)

Samuel Feinberg  6 (6%)

Joao Carlos Martins  1 (1%)

Mieczyslaw Horszowski  2 (2%)

Sergey Schepkin  1 (1%)

Andrei Gavrilov  3 (3%)

Tatiana Nikolayeva  2 (2%)

[Saul]

Martha Argerich,

Perfection, her playing of Scarlatti is also stunning.

[Air]

Fellner
Feinberg
Fischer
Yudina
Tureck
Gieseking
Gould
Hewitt
Horszowski
Perahia

[Holden]

I pulled Schepkin out of my ten in order to include Vieru.  Both recorded exceptional WTC's, but I much prefer Vieru's Goldbergs to Schepkin's.

Dinnerstein's Goldbergs appeals to me greatly - superb use of rhythmic hesitations and wonderful virtuosity.

Yes, I agree but it was Schepkin's Partitas that kept him in the list for me.

[prémont]

Only occationally do I listen to Bach on the piano. Like Marc I can say, that the piano does not work for me in this repertoire. Of course it is not wrong to use the piano, since Bach can be played on everything - even mouth organ or marimba, but what annoys me is the tendency every pianist has got to romanticise the music, and it seems unfortunately to be an irresistible part of piano playing to play much legato and to manipulate with the dynamics. So I have no favorite Bach pianist.

[Sergeant Rock]

I really have no business voting since I have so little performer variety in my collection: most everything that Gould recorded plus a little Schiff, Feinberg, Kempff, Tipo...and Pogo and Grimaud's discs. The reason I voted is because I really do like Barenboim's WTC and I figured if I didn't vote for him, no one would. I was mistaken though! I wonder who his secret admirer is? 

Sarge

[Sergeant Rock]

....the tendency every pianist has got to romanticise the music...to play much legato and to manipulate with the dynamics.

Which is the very reason I prefer Bach on the piano. It's not just the sound of the harpsichord (which I find very disagreeable after a few moments listening) but the monotony of the sound. It's too machine-like, doesn't have the warmth, the humanity even, of the piano.

Sarge

[Marc]

Which is the very reason I prefer Bach on the piano. It's not just the sound of the harpsichord (which I find very disagreeable after a few moments listening) but the monotony of the sound. It's too machine-like, doesn't have the warmth, the humanity even, of the piano.

I must admit that I do not know exactly what the sound of humanity is.
Is it the opposite of the sound of inhumanity or the opposite of the sound of divinity?

If the latter is the case, then I would like to add this:

The sound of a harpsichord is like an angel tickling my eardrum.
If you want to know more about it .... this is how it sounds like:


Btw, if I suggested that the piano absolutely does not work for me in this repertoire, then I have to withdraw that (just a little).
I sometimes listen with pleasure to Ivo Janssen, Angela Hewitt and Murray Perahia. I'm not particularly fond of Glenn Gould and I do not enjoy his continuous humming.

But, as I mentioned before, to me it's useless to compare these two instruments. I can see the resemblance, but I can't hear it. To me, the harpsichord has the pizzicato sound of a stringed instrument, whilst the piano is far more sounding like a delicate (or less delicate) percussion instrument.

[DarkAngel]

Bulldog
We have not done our job well if we can muster only two votes (yours and mine) from 19 voters for Craig Sheppard and his excellent set of piano partitas (best I have heard), seems he will remain a well kept secret......

especially since you allow a generous 10 votes per person.......

[Sergeant Rock]

I must admit that I do not know exactly what the sound of humanity is.

The sound of a piano playing Bach, of course 

Sarge

[MN Dave]

Bulldog
We have not done our job well if we can muster only two votes (yours and mine) from 19 voters for Craig Sheppard and his excellent set of piano partitas (best I have heard), seems he will remain a well kept secret......

especially since you allow a generous 20 votes per person.......

Is it out of print?

[DarkAngel]

Is it out of print?

No easy to get.....
Available at Amazon sellers USA $16, plus I think Romeo Records sells from its website......

[MN Dave]

No easy to get.....
Available at Amazon sellers USA $16, plus I think Romeo Records sells from its website......

Much appreciated.

[DarkAngel]

On the plus side.....
I am pleasantly surprised to see Samuel Feinberg get 8 votes so far, truely great piano WTC set
I thought he would be less well known, a secret find........

[Bulldog]

Which is the very reason I prefer Bach on the piano. It's not just the sound of the harpsichord (which I find very disagreeable after a few moments listening) but the monotony of the sound. It's too machine-like, doesn't have the warmth, the humanity even, of the piano.

Sarge

I can't agree.  For me, characteristics such as monotony and degree of warmth/humanity rest with the performer, not the type of instrument.