Your Three Favorite Bach Pianists

[zamyrabyrd]

Yes, it was back in the 1990s when he could not perform he began to study the scores in earnest.  But he had played Bach of course, just not recording the music or programming it on his concerts.  Since then his recitals will always include Bach and usually Mozart, Beethoven and one or two of the 19th century masters.  He has now recorded plenty of Bach.

It is precisely his refined, nuanced and perfectly balanced (imo) playing that I find very moving with Bach.  He is the antidote to those pianists (and there are a lot of them playing Bach) I consider indulgent.

I like Perahia's playing for the same reasons you mentioned. I don't really have a favorite player of Bach. But I do find despite all the hype, Tureck, hopelessly romantic and downright weird at times. One of her last, much touted CD's plus interview had the most bizarre ornamentation. She was also mimicking a European accent although she was born in Chicago, pretentiously saying "piahhno" and repeating unscholarly hearsay about the keyboard craftsman of JS Bach, Silberman, that she pronounced with an S but not the German Z sound (that is, if she were trying to be professor-like).  I do like Gould but not all of his output in Bach.
ZB

[Leon]

I like Perahia's playing for the same reasons you mentioned. I don't really have a favorite player of Bach. But I do find despite all the hype, Tureck, hopelessly romantic and downright weird at times. One of her last, much touted CD's plus interview had the most bizarre ornamentation. She was also mimicking a European accent although she was born in Chicago, pretentiously saying "piahhno" and repeating unscholarly hearsay about the keyboard craftsman of JS Bach, Silberman, that she pronounced with an S but not the German Z sound (that is, if she were trying to be professor-like).  I do like Gould but not all of his output in Bach.
ZB

Tureck is my favorite Bach interpreter on piano. 

[Leon]

Well, he's actually recorded quite a lot of Bach:  Partitas, French Suites, Italian Concerto, Chromatic Fantasia & Fugue, French Overture, etc.

I lost interest after hearing his WTC.1.

[cliftwood]

I find picking only three nearly impossible, so forgive me for expanding the question a bit, please.

Schepkin
Koroliov

Tied for third..

Schiff, Perahia, Feltsman, Hewitt

Pogorelch's English Suites are extraordinary, but it's his only Bach recording.