Your Three Favorite Bach Pianists

[prémont]

Ivo Janssen
Wolfgang Rübsam
Sviatoslav Richter

[KeithW]

This is really tough - I feel like I'm selling a family member by cutting the short list down to three.  Here goes <gulp>

Gould (no question here)
Perahia
Richter

[Lisztianwagner]

Sviatoslav Richter
Vladimir Ashkenazy
Glenn Gould

[Marc]

Not particularly informed opinion but here anyhow:

Rübsam
Pogorelich
Koroliov

I can say almost exactly the same .... mentioning these 3 names:

Ivo Janssen
Tatiana Nikolayeva
Maria Tipo

[Leon]

Ivo Janssen
Wolfgang Rübsam
Sviatoslav Richter

Did Wolfgang Rübsam perform Bach on a piano?

Nevermind, I found the Naxos recordings.  New to me.

[Brahmsian]

Gould
Hewitt
Schiff

[springrite]

P.S. Feinberg almost made the list based solely on his Bach organ works arranged for piano.

Sarge

He only "almost" made the list because you did not hear enough of his Bach. A few more discs and he will make it and stay there.

[Verena]

Richter
Gould
Fischer

[Sammy]

Current Tally:

Gould        9
Schiff         6
Perahia     6
Koroliov    5
Hewitt      5
Richter      5
Tureck      4
Tipo          3
E. Fischer 2
Pogorelich 2
Nikolayeva 2
Schepkin   2
Rubsam    2
Janssen    2
Anderszewski  1
Fellner      1
Feinberg   1
de la Salle 1
Barenboim 1
Ashkenazy 1

[Sammy]

Christian, Wilhelm Friedrich, and Manny

3 losers - no points.

[Sammy]

Hmm. Interesting question. I love Perahia, Tureck, and Gould. I have thought Schepkin tremendous in the Partitas - but I haven't listened to the rest of his Bach. I have several Hewitt recordings, and think her excellent (for the most part), though not sure I'd put her in my top three. And I have enjoyed Richter's WTC as much as any other version.

So here are the three that excite me the most at the moment:
Perahia
Richter
Schepkin

Schepkin doesn't get much ink, but I consider his WTC mighty fine.

[Karl Henning]

Gulda was close to being in my top three.  I hadn't thought of Nikolayeva, likely because I connect her closely with Shostakovich.

But of course, he heard her in action at a Bach commemoration.

[Marc]

Christian, Wilhelm Friedrich, and Manny

3 losers - no points.

And personally, I prefer Wilhelm Friedemann to that second mentioned bloke. His lost recordings for Deutsche Ohrophon prove I'm right.

Besides that .... no mentioning of Charles Rosen yet, not even by yours truly.
I'll stick to my choices though!

http://www.youtube.com/v/N2c6AFlb4x4

http://www.youtube.com/v/SxEOvB1b9aQ

[Sergeant Rock]

He only "almost" made the list because you did not hear enough of his Bach. A few more discs and he will make it and stay there.

Any suggestion? I'm trying to hear more but his oop WTC is really expensive at the moment.

Sarge

[KeithW]

Any suggestion? I'm trying to hear more but his oop WTC is really expensive at the moment.

Sarge

It is not the best substitute, but all four volumes are on YouTube - a search for Feinberg WTC will get you there.

[Sergeant Rock]

It is not the best substitute, but all four volumes are on YouTube - a search for Feinberg WTC will get you there.

Thanks 

Sarge

[Sammy]

Current Tally:

Gould        9
Schiff         6
Perahia     6
Koroliov    5
Hewitt      5
Richter      5
Tureck      4
Tipo          3
E. Fischer 2
Pogorelich 2
Nikolayeva 2
Schepkin   2
Rubsam    2
Janssen    2
Anderszewski  1
Fellner      1
Feinberg   1
de la Salle 1
Barenboim 1
Ashkenazy 1

There haven't been any entries for over 24 hours, so the above tally represents the final results.  Gould rules!!  I don't know what Perahia is doing tied for 2nd; some of you folks have odd preferences.

Since I started this thread, here's my top 15 Bach pianists in preferred order:

1.     Tureck
2.     Gould
3.     Koroliov
4.     Sheppard
5.     Woodward
6.     Feinberg
7.     Rubsam
8.     Richter
9.     Gulda
10.   Crossland
11.   Schepkin
12.   Rosen
13.   Fellner
14.   Janssen
15.   Friskin 

[The Raven]

what's a "gould"

[springrite]

what's a "gould"

A Gould is a Gold taken by subjective criteria (like Diving as opposed to 100 meters).

[Leon]

There haven't been any entries for over 24 hours, so the above tally represents the final results.  Gould rules!!  I don't know what Perahia is doing tied for 2nd; some of you folks have odd preferences.

Since I started this thread, here's my top 15 Bach pianists in preferred order:

1.     Tureck
2.     Gould
3.     Koroliov
4.     Sheppard
5.     Woodward
6.     Feinberg
7.     Rubsam
8.     Richter
9.     Gulda
10.   Crossland
11.   Schepkin
12.   Rosen
13.   Fellner
14.   Janssen
15.   Friskin

I find it odd that you don't like Perahia enough to fit him in your top 15.

But that's just me.