Bach on the harpsichord, lute-harpsichord, clavichord

[milk]

I just realized the one that I have is for "The Bach Guild" - I believe circa 1953. I was surprised. Somehow I thought I was listening to a newer recording. I'm sorry, so...how do the three compare? I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts on what he does differently in the later ones...Hmm...I wonder if the 13 Goldberg recordings in my collection are enough...

[Mandryka]

Let me recommend this recording to the Bach freaks here.

It's a new transfer  of Landowska's live Bach recordings from 1935 and 1936. Most of the material will be familiar to you, except maybe the three preludes BWV BWV 936-938, which AFAIK have never been available previously.

The reason it's really of interest is the quality of the transfer. It reveals to me at least what a wonderful, gentle, refined , colouful instrument her Playel was. That's something which was not so apparent previously.

The CD comes with an extensive DVD archive of stills, with commentary by Skip Sempe  -- some evocative photos of WL, the ambiance of Saint-Leu-le-Foret is wonderfully captured, and her collection of instrumens and books well recorded. Paradiso, which publishes the CD, is Skip Sempe's company.

Landowska's stature in 20th century the recpetion history of baroque music is enormous. This important issue helps is to appreciate her contribution a little more clearly.

[milk]

Let me recommend this recording to the Bach freaks here.

It's a new transfer  of Landowska's live Bach recordings from 1935 and 1936. Most of the material will be familiar to you, except maybe the three preludes BWV BWV 936-938, which AFAIK have never been available previously.

The reason it's really of interest is the quality of the transfer. It reveals to me at least what a wonderful, gentle, refined , colouful instrument her Playel was. That's something which was not so apparent previously.

The CD comes with an extensive DVD archive of stills, with commentary by Skip Sempe  -- some evocative photos of WL, the ambiance of Saint-Leu-le-Foret is wonderfully captured, and her collection of instrumens and books well recorded. Paradiso, which publishes the CD, is Skip Sempe's company.

Landowska's stature in 20th century the recpetion history of baroque music is enormous. This important issue helps is to appreciate her contribution a little more clearly.

I can't locate this. It's not even on the Paradizo website (unless I'm looking in the wrong place). Guess I'll just have to be patient.

[Karl Henning]

Here:

[asin]B004LYIDLE[/asin]

[milk]

Here:

[asin]B004LYIDLE[/asin]

Thanks. I made a kind of dumb mental error. Somehow I convinced myself that this was her Goldberg Variations and that's what I was searching for. Sorry.

[Opus106]

Why on such an old instrument?

[prémont]

Why on such an old instrument?

She is probably using this instrument:

http://www.musee-unterlinden.com/ruckers-harpsichord.html

This is a famous instrument which often is used for Bach recordings. When you hear it, you will understand why, as it has got a rather dry but also very clear and transparent sound, ideal for the displaying of counterpoint.

[Antoine Marchand]

Why on such an old instrument?

Great news, Navneeth!

If it's the famous harpsichord at the Musée d'Unterlinden in Colmar, the reason is clear: it's just gorgeous. And it has a solid Bachian tradition with several recordings of Bach works; for instance, Blandine Rannou Verlet recorded her WTC there. 

P.S.: Ooops, Premont was faster than me. 

[Opus106]

She is probably using this instrument:

http://www.musee-unterlinden.com/ruckers-harpsichord.html

You are correct, as Ms. Schornsheim explains in this video.

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

This is a famous instrument which often is used for Bach recordings. When you hear it, you will understand why, as it has got a rather dry but also very clear and transparent sound, ideal for the displaying of counterpoint.

You are correct again, though I'm not surprised; I did notice those qualities you mention. I quite prefer that kind of sound from harpsichords in general.

[prémont]

If it's the famous harpsichord at the Musée d'Unterlinden in Colmar, the reason is clear: it's just gorgeous. And it has a solid Bachian tradition with several recordings of Bach works; for instance, Blandine Rannou recorded her WTC there. 

Great news. Did Blandine Rannou record the WTC at last?

P.S.: Ooops, Premont was faster than me. 

Yes, for once. 

[Antoine Marchand]

Great news. Did Blandine Rannou record the WTC at last?

You know what I meant...  ... the other Blandine, my favorite between them, Blandine Verlet.

I was slow and wrong at the same time. 

[prémont]

I was slow and wrong at the same time. 

Maybe you were too fast after all. 

[Antoine Marchand]

Schornsheim's recording sounds mandatory, isn't it? Is it available?

[prémont]

Schornsheim's recording sounds mandatory, isn't it? Is it available?

Mandatory inded.

JPC can deliver it from 16.1.2012.

[jlaurson]

She is probably using this instrument:

http://www.musee-unterlinden.com/ruckers-harpsichord.html

This is a famous instrument which often is used for Bach recordings. When you hear it, you will understand why, as it has got a rather dry but also very clear and transparent sound, ideal for the displaying of counterpoint.

If you're a Fanfare subscriber, you can read the interview with Schornsheim about the instrument used. (It's the "Nightingale" referred to in the title... so titled by Schornsheim because said harpsichord is very simple... black, no frills... just with simple golden racing stripes.

http://www.fanfarearchive.com/articles/atop/34_1/3410040.aa_Schornsheim_Nightingale.html

Harpsichordist, fortepianist, continuo player Christine Schornsheim meets me in her practice room at the Gasteig, one of the last municipal socialist fantasies built in Europe (France apart)-a building that also hosts the philharmonic hall, a community college, the largest branch of the city library system, and rooms used by the Munich conservatory. She's ready to get the interview over with, after having to reschedule it about a dozen times, the last time due to a delay of her flight, the others largely because of scheduling difficulties on my part.

The atmosphere is Germanic-proper, cordial, but cool. Schornsheim, sitting amid the instruments she teaches on-an original 1840 ...


... I do like the music, and it does pop up in my recitals every once in a while, but I suppose it really isn't my heart's desire. It's fun enough, but I'd never get the idea to start a project like the one I did with Haydn, recording all the sonatas, or Bach, where I am beginning to record the Well-Tempered Clavier. I'd never say, 'Now I want to record all the Scarlatti sonatas.' If I did, I think I'd go bonkers. Maybe one CD of a few sonatas, someday. But there are so many other things ahead of Scarlatti that interest me, including lots of unknown repertoire."...

..."I don't think my Goldberg Variations were all that bad, either, but they were recorded a long time ago and of course Goldbergs exist a dime a dozen so that everything, including promotion, would have to be just right in order to make any splash at all. For the Haydn it worked ... surprisingly." Considerable enthusiasm finally breaks through when she talks about the instrument with which she is now recording the Well-Tempered Clavier. "On the harpsichord?" I ask. "Yes—all on one instrument, although there would have been a lot of possibilities to mix and match, too. Several preludes, I think, would fit the clavichord very nicely, some very nicely the organ. And some could even be played on a very early fortepiano. So in theory one could have used four instruments for that project, too. But it wouldn't do justice to the reality of listening habits. With Haydn I was able to arrange them in such a way as to have any one CD contain only sonatas performed on one particular instrument. That wouldn't have been possible here and I think it's problematic to have more than one instrument on one CD. The different levels of loudness and dynamics would have meant that you either have to manipulate on the technical side or else be thrown about constantly, neither of which I think is a good solution. And that's not even considering whether the pitch is exactly identical ... nah. Aside, the instrument I got to use is every harpsichordist's dream: an original, exceptionally well restored, rightly very popular Ruckers in Colmar. Black, almost nondescript looking, but with an unbelievably singing tone that has you addicted as soon as you touch it. I liken it to a nightingale. Not the prettiest bird around, but the prettiest sounding."...

[stingo]

Hmm looks like another purchase is imminent as Schornsheim is a favorite of mine. Thanks for the heads up.

[PaulSC]

I don't think my Goldberg Variations were all that bad

+1 (after adjusting for the artist's modesty)

I'd place Schornsheim's recording of the GVs confidently in my top 15 — her tempos are mainly on the fast side but never feel rushed or like showing off, just a compelling sense of momentum. The ornamentation feels equally "right". And she plays a good sounding, well recorded harpsichord. I don't have details about it (the downside of purchasing digital downloads), but I assume it's a different instrument than the "Nightingale" she's using for the WTC.

Anyway, I'm with stingo — the new recording goes on my wish list...

[milk]

+1 (after adjusting for the artist's modesty)

I'd place Schornsheim's recording of the GVs confidently in my top 15 — her tempos are mainly on the fast side but never feel rushed or like showing off, just a compelling sense of momentum. The ornamentation feels equally "right". And she plays a good sounding, well recorded harpsichord. I don't have details about it (the downside of purchasing digital downloads), but I assume it's a different instrument than the "Nightingale" she's using for the WTC.

Anyway, I'm with stingo — the new recording goes on my wish list...

When is this WTC going to be available? I'm up for it! But I don't see it on the new releases.
Anyone check out the new Rannou Goldberg? I was really confounded by it. I just don't get what she's doing. But maybe I'll need to come back to it
some day. It made me want another version so I downloaded the DHM Leonhardt Goldberg. Now that is awesome!
How about Watchorn's French? Anybody?

[PaulSC]

When is this WTC going to be available? I'm up for it! But I don't see it on the new releases.
Anyone check out the new Rannou Goldberg? I was really confounded by it. I just don't get what she's doing. But maybe I'll need to come back to it some day.

It's not available yet, I guess we have to be patient.

I love the new Rannou Goldberg Variations. Sure, they're outrageous in the degree of ornamentation/improvisation she brings to them. But I think she has the vision and the technique to pull it off. The rhythmic feel is very "French", but that's true of other recordings I enjoy, including Van Asperen and Booth. At this point, I own enough "middle-of-the-road" recordings that I'm happy to find performers who can balance a respect for the text with a sense of adventure and spontaneity.

[Que]

It's not available yet, I guess we have to be patient.

I love the new Rannou Goldberg Variations. Sure, they're outrageous in the degree of ornamentation/improvisation she brings to them. But I think she has the vision and the technique to pull it off. The rhythmic feel is very "French", but that's true of other recordings I enjoy, including Van Asperen and Booth. At this point, I own enough "middle-of-the-road" recordings that I'm happy to find performers who can balance a respect for the text with a sense of adventure and spontaneity.

In the Goldbergs, I particularly enjoy Ottavio Dantone's Italian take.
Caveat: issued on Decca Italy, would be very hard to find - but it is an awesome interpretation IMO.



Q