Bach on the harpsichord, lute-harpsichord, clavichord

[Antoine Marchand]

Thanks, Premont and Don. Although your final impressions are a bit different, the conclusion seems clear:

Pros: Singing approach, rhythmic hesitations, soft sound (Lehmann tuning)

Cons: "Underarticulated" (lack of "sharpness of contours")

... interesting.

[Franco]

I've got Bach: The Art Of Fugue, Etc / Richard Troeger on my wish List.  Anyone offer any impressions? 

The clavichord is the instrument used.

[Bulldog]

I've got Bach: The Art Of Fugue, Etc / Richard Troeger on my wish List.  Anyone offer any impressions? 

The clavichord is the instrument used.

I like it very much - intimate but with plenty of tension when needed.

[prémont]

I've got Bach: The Art Of Fugue, Etc / Richard Troeger on my wish List.  Anyone offer any impressions?  
The clavichord is the instrument used.

It is in my listening queue. Don´s post just above makes me consider a "forwarding".

[Antoine Marchand]

As a Bach keyboard artist, Egarr is always searching for "cantabile heaven", and I think he succeeds.  

Good line, Don. I forgot to say it yesterday, but it is an interesting (and problematic) theme to consider the "cantabile" aspects of some Bach's keyboard works. It recalls me a previous conversation with Premont. There he said some central things about the Baroque as a musical language:

Baroque music regarded (and Bach certainly the most) as speech, not only as to phrasing and articulation, but also as to conversation. I do not think Harnoncourt invented this point of view, but I always agreed with him. I have had some discussion in another forum concerning the distinction between speech and song, but in my opinion speech is the most adequate description, especially regarding the articulation.

[Antoine Marchand]

Egarr is always searching for "cantabile heaven"

Good line, Don.

My apologies, Don. Just today I understood the reference to the Egarr's essay. I will read it tonight.

BTW, do you see any similarity between Egarr and Ketil Haugsand? (in the style, not in this work obviously)

[Bulldog]

BTW, do you see any similarity between Egarr and Ketil Haugsand? (in the style, not in this work obviously)

Not really.  Egarr sings and uses much more legato.  Haugsand converses and prefers rather sharp phrasing.  My preference is with Haugsand.

[Antoine Marchand]

My preference is with Haugsand.

That's good to know because I'm considering his Six Partitas BWV 825-830 (Simax).

[prémont]

That's good to know because I'm considering his Six Partitas BWV 825-830 (Simax).

Well, Haugsands Bach Partitas is a friendly and nice interpretation, relatively well articulated and with natural agogics. Some may find some of his tempi too much on the slow side though, and I would prefer the Toccata of the e-minor Partita and some of the Gigues played more vivid and with more bite. There is a gereral air of ataraxia throughout.

[prémont]

I've got Bach: The Art Of Fugue, Etc / Richard Troeger on my wish List.  Anyone offer any impressions? 

Very recommendable. Well articulated playing with ideal transparency. Tempi rather fast and style a little robust and passionate.

[Que]

1. Concerto in C major, BWV 976 (after vln conc. RV 265) 2. Concerto in F major, BWV 978 (after vln conc. RV 310) 3. Concerto in D major, BWV 972 (after vln conc. RV 230) 4. Concerto in G major, BWV 980 (after vln conc. RV 383a) 5. Concerto in G minor, BWV 975 (after vln conc. RV 316a) 6. Concerto in G major, BWV 973 (after vln conc. RV 332) 7. Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971 Harpsichord not indicated, but it sounds the same as the one on the other disc.

1. Suite in A minor, BWV 818a 2. Prelude in C major, BWV 846a* 3. Prelude in E minor, BWV 855a* 4. Suite in A major, BWV 832 5. Three Minuets (Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach)* 6. Suite in E flat major, BWV 819a 7. Prelude in C minor, BWV 847* 8. Prelude in D minor, BWV 851* 9. Suite in F minor, BWV 823 10. Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten, BWV 691* Harpsichord: copy after an anonymous instrument of 1735 from the Silbermann School, made by Anthony Sidey & Frédéric Ball, Paris, 1995. Clavichord*: double strung clavichord, made by Anthony Sidey, Paris, 1995.

Got these a while ago - both have been reissued a few times before.
I did not hear Olivier Baumont in Bach before, and it is an unqualified pleasure - he should definitely do more! Interestingly, I cannot notice any French characteristics in his approach and style. His Bach here is bright and flowing, outward looking. He plays swift but not speedy, never laborious. This reminds me most of Alan Curtis' playing (in the French & English Suites) - no minor compliment. Sheer delight.

On the separate issues:
When I heard the Vivaldi adaptations disc, I thought that it easily surpassed the issue by Peter Watchorn on Hänssler, that I have. But on re-listening that, I (luckily) found it is not that simple. Watchorn plays more stately and measured, more probing, if you will. But he has a keen sense of proportion and accentuation, plays a beautiful instrument which is very well recorded. So for a for more comprehensive (complete) recording, Watchorn remains a firm recommendation. But the Baumont is gorgeous.



BTW if you've ever read that this is "inferior" Bach, either because these are adaptations, or because these are adaptations of the music of an "inferior" composer - forget all about it. Besides the fact that Vivaldi composed valuable music (Bach did think so...) this is just wonderfull music, and Bach made any music thouroughly his own when he laid his hands on it.
The disc concludes with a very fine performance of the Italian concerto, in fact one of the best I've heard. Bright, sparkling and upbeat, juicy - avoiding the stiffness occasionally found in other performances.

The second disc contains some of Bach earlier suites, combined with pieces from the Klavierbüchlein (the Preludes also featuring in the WTC), all played on clavichord. All of the above about Baumont's style apply here as well. I liked the performances on the clavichord very much, though a leap to stereo for cranking up the volume is called for. Wonderfull performances, wonderfull disc. For those seeking a more comprehensive survey of Bach earlier keyboard works, I repeat my warm recommendation of the recordings in the Hänssler Bach edition, which include a fair amount of recordings on the lute-harpsichord! And of course Rousset's recording of the Klavierbüchlein.



Q

[jlaurson]

Q

in case the case for the Klavierbuechlein hasn't been made forcefully enough (Thanks, Q, for bringing it up again):

The Best Recordings of 2005
#9 (New)
...Alas, all these recordings will have to get their individual reviews in the New Year - and I will pick Christophe Rousset's new Bach recording on the Ambroise label (previously reviewed on Ionarts). Not the best of Bach's keyboard works (and admittedly by a good margin), these little practise works (a few were included by Bach but actually come from the pen of other composers) for his kid to learn the harpsichord are played with panache, speed, and passion in such ample supply that they transcend their lesser status easily. Absolute purists may be turned off by Rousset's use of what is essentially rubato... but those with a musical, not ideological, soul should be hard pressed not to be moved. Best of all is the sound of the instrument and the recording. It's simply the richest, most blooming harpsichord sound I have heard on any recording. Stunning and too good to resist, even at a high price. Forty-plus dollars is a word for a bit more than one hundred minutes of music, but if the luxury packaging (the booklet could have been more extensive, still) doesn't lure you, the performance ought to. I myself can't wait to get my hands on Rousset's other two Bach recordings for Ambroise, the English Suites and the French Suites.


Harpsichord Like Rarely Ever
http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2005/11/harpsichord-like-rarely-ever.html

[Que]

Thanks Jens, and a very nice review BTW.

Q

[karlhenning]

Have they finished casting Bach in Love yet?

[Opus106]

Thanks, Que, for your views on the Baumont discs. Also, given their relatively inexpensive cost per disc, it now stays fairly high on my wish-pile.

[Antoine Marchand]

Any opinion about Helmut Walcha as a harpsichordist?

[prémont]

Any opinion about Helmut Walcha as a harpsichordist?

Hi Antoine


Helmut Walcha the harpsichordist is (was) not that different from Helmut Walcha the organist.

The EMI recordings (originally Odeon, Germany) were made in the years 1958 – 62 (he later rerecorded the WTC for Archiv on period instruments) and  include

Clavierübung I, II  and IV.
Wohltemperierte Clavier I & II
English and French suites
Inventions & Symphonies
Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue

The complete recordings were rereleased by Japanese HMV on CD more then ten years ago, and it was difficult to get hold of and very expensive. Since long OOP. The only European CD rerelease is the French 5CD HMV box displayed in you post above.

The used instrument is a two manual Ammer modern harpsichord (16´ , 8´, 8´, 4´, and lute stop), built - as it was common in the 1950es - with pianistic ideals in mind and not taking surviving period instruments into account. The sound is not crisp at all but rather harsh and metallic.

The recording was engineered by Eric Thienhaus, who preferred a very close miking. This resulted in a more harsh sound than necessary, but on the other hand added quite a lot of intensity to the sound. A more recent parallel as to effect might be Kovacevic´s EMI Bethoven Sonata recordings.

Stylistically Walcha was entirely his own. He grew up in the time of the organ movement, which – as you know - constituted a reaction towards romanticism -  and had intruduced an ascetic, platonic view upon Bach´s works. Only what was written in the original score should be played (Werktreue). In my opinion they actually confused the score with the work. So Walcha on his own hand (while he was retired to the countryside – in Bruchköbel - during the war) worked out his interpretation of the harpsichord works based upon the naked score and which for the same reason was bound to stress the elementary elements which are notated in the score (rhythm and counterpoint).

In practice his tempi are often fast. His playing is insistent rhythmically but also stiff and mechanical, including the metrical execution of ornamentation. And he never adds ornamentation, even when the music cries out for this. On the other hand his part playing is outstanding and very clear, - this may be the greatest force of his music making. He uses rather much 16´ in his registrations, and this is probably justified, as Bach had access to such instruments and was known to prefer Gravitas at least in organ-registration. Walcha built up his own system of articulation, which implies more legato, than now is considered decent. What e.g. annoys me very much, is his preference for overtied upbeats creating rhythmically odd syncopated effects. His touch is rather forceful  (the effect stressed by the close miking) as if he was playing on a mechanical tracker organ with a heavy action.

What stands out as being the hallmarks of his playing, is his ability to display the intellectual structure (the counterpoint at most) of Bach´s music by means of his extraordinary clear part playing. At the same time his insistent rhythm and forceful touch endows the music with very much intensity, often bordering a kind of extasy. So in addition to his intellectual approach, his music making also has got a strong physical effect. This reflects in my opinion the intrinsic nature of Bach´s music, and it is in this synthesis where Walcha may be considered unsurpassable, even if he - from a HIP point of view - got some of the details wrong. Personally I consider his EMI harpsichord recordings mandatory for every Bach-lover.

[SonicMan46]

Just checking Peter Watchorn's website Musica Omnia - appears that he's about to release the WTC, Book 2 on the pedal harpsichord - own the first book w/ him which came on 2 discs; this one is listed as 3 discs but not sure why w/o seeing the contents?   

[Antoine Marchand]

Hi Antoine


Helmut Walcha the harpsichordist is (was) not that different from Helmut Walcha the organist.

...

Thanks for your reply, Premont. I have read with attention and pleasure your thoughtful insides. Additionally, your reply has a lot of valuable information, not always easy to search. I can almost imagine those ascetic, essentialist performances brought from the organ, "often bordering a kind of extasy". As I have seen that set on Amazon France, I will order it the next week with the Foccroulle's set.

[Antoine Marchand]

Just checking Peter Watchorn's website Musica Omnia - appears that he's about to release the WTC, Book 2 on the pedal harpsichord - own the first book w/ him which came on 2 discs; this one is listed as 3 discs but not sure why w/o seeing the contents?   

Excellent news, Dave! That label usually adds an extra CD for "conversations with the performers, instrument builders and restorers, and noted scholars" ("Beyond the Notes").