Bach on the harpsichord, lute-harpsichord, clavichord

[milk]

Yes, I like it as much as Thurston Dart and less than Julian Perkins.

I should give Perkins another chance. I see I already have the first suite from Perkins. With Leonhardt's second and a little Tilney and Dart I shall have a clavichord compilation of the French.

[milk]

Yes, I like it as much as Thurston Dart and less than Julian Perkins.

For some reason I find Tilney more pleasurable. I'm listening to the fourth and fifth suites. Something about Perkins just doesn't get through to me. Tilney is subtle but sensitive. What is this style? It sings. I am feeling as I listen to Tilney that it's special.

[Mandryka]

For some reason I find Tilney more pleasurable. I'm listening to the fourth suite. Something about Perkins just doesn't get through to me. Tilney is subtle but sensitive. His air for instance. What is this style? It sings.

There's a recording of 818a, which is like a French Suite, on clavichord by Ilton Wjunisky.

Does anyone know about Hogwood's clavichord recording of the second violin partita, BWV 1004? Is it Bach's transcription? On The Secret Bach. The chaconne is good.

[prémont]

There's a recording of 818a, which is like a French Suite, on clavichord by Ilton Wjunisky.

And 819 and 823. Though not the most subtle clavichordplaying I have heard.

Does anyone know about Hogwood's clavichord recording of the second violin partita, BWV 1004? Is it Bach's transcription? On The Secret Bach. The chaconne is good.

Arranged by Mortensen, probably Lars Ulrik Mortensen, see below:

I have heard Mortensen play his own arrangement of the chaconne, very impressive.


http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/Metronome/METCD1056

[Jo498]

I recently got the cheap reissue with Walcha's ca. 1958-61 (EMI, now Warner) recordings. The sound is not as bad as I had expected although the non-authentic instrument is fairly closely recorded. I find it perfectly listenable and only occasionally unpleasant and a little tiring when going for a whole disc. (Although the two Vanguard discs (Couperin/Rameau) with Heiller from about the same time ar fare superior in sound, probably not only because of the instrument but also mic placement and recording tech.)
Premont and others have characterised Walcha's style elsewhere. Severe, not playful, sometimes stiff. Generally fast, especially no lingering in sarabandes or some of the fugues that are often played very slowly (like b minor WTC I). Superlative clarity of voices.
His approach works very well in most of the WTC and the more severe suites (like English 5+6 or Partita 6). It can seem too strict and stiff in the more playful music of the French suites or the Italian concerto.

For the current price of less than 30 EUR for 13 discs comprising WTC I+II, Inventions/Sinfonias, French and English Suites, Partitas, GBV, Italian concerto, French Ouverture and Chromatic Fantasy+Fugue this is a steal, even if one likes only half of it.

[kishnevi]

I recently got the cheap reissue with Walcha's ca. 1958-61 (EMI, now Warner) recordings. The sound is not as bad as I had expected although the non-authentic instrument is fairly closely recorded. I find it perfectly listenable and only occasionally unpleasant and a little tiring when going for a whole disc. (Although the two Vanguard discs (Couperin/Rameau) with Heiller from about the same time ar fare superior in sound, probably not only because of the instrument but also mic placement and recording tech.)
Premont and others have characterised Walcha's style elsewhere. Severe, not playful, sometimes stiff. Generally fast, especially no lingering in sarabandes or some of the fugues that are often played very slowly (like b minor WTC I). Superlative clarity of voices.
His approach works very well in most of the WTC and the more severe suites (like English 5+6 or Partita 6). It can seem too strict and stiff in the more playful music of the French suites or the Italian concerto.

For the current price of less than 30 EUR for 13 discs comprising WTC I+II, Inventions/Sinfonias, French and English Suites, Partitas, GBV, Italian concerto, French Ouverture and Chromatic Fantasy+Fugue this is a steal, even if one likes only half of it.

Agree with 99% of that.  My only disagreement is that I found none of the discs "tiring" to my ears.

[Jo498]

The "tiring" referred mostly to the sound of the harpsichord and the recording quality, none of which is Walcha's fault and as I said it is not all that bad and even better than I expected from the vintage.
Still, if one usually listens to more authentic instruments recorded with more space around them, the difference is obviously there and the sound experience of the old recording can be tiring for me.
The relentlessness and occasional stiffness of the playing might also be a factor but neither should distract anyone.

[San Antone]

Currently I have been listening to and enjoying Kenneth Weiss play Bach (and Scarlatti):

 

[Jo498]

One strange thing or maybe a transfer/editing error? is that in the first English suite Walcha apparently skips the first courante, the second courante and the first double and plays only the second double (with the permanent runs of quavers in the bass) of these four courante variants.
Can anybody check this with an LP or older/alternative CD version of the Walch/EMI English suites?

In the saraband of the 3rd suite he more plausibly plays the "agréments de la même sarabande" instead of repeats, i.e. he plays the plain version and instead of a repeat the ornamented version.

[bioluminescentsquid]

I recently got the cheap reissue with Walcha's ca. 1958-61 (EMI, now Warner) recordings. The sound is not as bad as I had expected although the non-authentic instrument is fairly closely recorded. I find it perfectly listenable and only occasionally unpleasant and a little tiring when going for a whole disc. (Although the two Vanguard discs (Couperin/Rameau) with Heiller from about the same time ar fare superior in sound, probably not only because of the instrument but also mic placement and recording tech.)
Premont and others have characterised Walcha's style elsewhere. Severe, not playful, sometimes stiff. Generally fast, especially no lingering in sarabandes or some of the fugues that are often played very slowly (like b minor WTC I). Superlative clarity of voices.
His approach works very well in most of the WTC and the more severe suites (like English 5+6 or Partita 6). It can seem too strict and stiff in the more playful music of the French suites or the Italian concerto.

For the current price of less than 30 EUR for 13 discs comprising WTC I+II, Inventions/Sinfonias, French and English Suites, Partitas, GBV, Italian concerto, French Ouverture and Chromatic Fantasy+Fugue this is a steal, even if one likes only half of it.

Isn't the WTC recorded on the Ahaus Ruckers?

[Jo498]

This is probably the later Archiv recording; the EMI are all on the same "modern" instrument, I believe.

[prémont]

One strange thing or maybe a transfer/editing error? is that in the first English suite Walcha apparently skips the first courante, the second courant and the first double and only plays only the second double (with the permanent runs of quavers in the bass) of these four courante variants.
Can anybody check this with an LP or older/alternative CD version of the Walch/EMI English suites?.

On the first release (German Odeon / Electrola  LP about 1960), which I purchased 1964, these courantes were also missing. I am quite sure, that he omitted them deliberately. Perhaps he thought that the doubles contained too much unvaried repetition.

The way of playing the sarabande of the third suite (and also the second suite) is rather common, also to day.

[prémont]

This is probably the later Archiv recording; the EMI are all on the same "modern" instrument, I believe.

Yes, all the EMI recordings were made on a revival two manual Ammer instrument (16' , 8' , 8', 4' ).
In the later recording for Archiv Book I was recorded on a Ruckers and Book II on a Hemsch. But still it was not truly authentic, because these two instruments were equally tuned for these particular recordings.

[Jo498]

Thanks! Good to know that it is not a fault of the most recent CD box.
The procedure to use the "agréments" in the repeats of the sarabandes seems very sensible especially if one does not add spontaneous/additional ornaments in the repeats anyway.
That courante with two doubles in the first suite can get tiring but I think skipping most of it is going a little too far...

[Mandryka]

I have heard Mortensen play his own arrangement of the chaconne, very impressive.

And now we can all hear it. Judging by the comments on YouTube, Pierre Hantai agrees with you.

https://youtube.com/v/P7E_nfGTBU8

[aukhawk]

Rubsam has added a set of Violin Sonatas and Partitas transcribed for his lute-harpsichord.
https://www.wolfgangrubsam.com/violin-transcriptions

For what it's worth, I don't enjoy his Cello Suite transcriptions at all, but I do quite value his take on the WTC.

[milk]

Does everyone/anyone think the keyboard partitas would work well for Rubsam on the Lautenwerk? And the French suites? Why WOULDN'T he do these?

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Time for a new WTC for my collection: After sampling a few different artists, I just ordered Pierre Hantai - WTC Book I (I guess he didn't record Bk II??) I listened to Egarr and Van Asperen, but both left me cold, and seemed very dry and lacking in any enthusiasm for the music. This is my eighth (or ninth) WTC recording.

[Mandryka]

Why WOULDN'T he do these?

Well ask him!

[Mandryka]

Time for a new WTC for my collection: After sampling a few different artists, I just ordered Pierre Hantai - WTC Book I (I guess he didn't record Bk II??) I listened to Egarr and Van Asperen, but both left me cold, and seemed very dry and lacking in any enthusiasm for the music. This is my eighth (or ninth) WTC recording.

For a hot WTC2 try Frederick Haas, I've never heard the Hantai WTC 1.