Bach on the harpsichord, lute-harpsichord, clavichord

[prémont]

There's this set on Brilliant. I don't know the recordings myself. How much of the repertoire do you have on disc now, Conor?

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This set contains Leon Berben's WTC which is utterly forgettable.
And Joseph Paynes French suites which are so-so.
The rest of the content ranges from good to excellent.
Particularly fine are Pieter-Jan Belders Partitas, Clavierübung II and Menno van Delft's Art of Fugue.

[Autumn Leaves]

There's this set on Brilliant. I don't know the recordings myself. How much of the repertoire do you have on disc now, Conor?

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Wow thanks I seem to have missed this set - its not too expensive either.
As far as Bach's keyboard works go I am approaching completion on Piano and just missing the French Suites for Harpsichord.
I don't really need a box to fill in the gaps I guess but I would like to have some alternative performances.
So maybe I will pick up this box...

This set contains Leon Berben's WTC which is utterly forgettable.
And Joseph Paynes French suites which are so-so.
The rest of the content ranges from good to excellent.
Particularly fine are Pieter-Jan Belders Partitas, Clavierübung II and Menno van Delft's Art of Fugue.

Thanks again for your input Premont - Ive got a few good performances of the WTC so a bad one in the box shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Good to know most of it is worthwhile though.

[Jo498]

Maybe it is possible to find some of the Brilliant volumes separately (I have Inventions/Sinfonias+fillers with Belder but got rid of his Goldbergs I found decent but a little staid and not that special in a crowded field). I'd also say that all those "Kleine Präludien" etc. are probably not really essential, except for completists.

There should be plenty of good recordings to chose from for Inventions/Sinfonias, Clavierübung, French and English Suites, Toccatas, WTC, Art of Fuge etc.

The Hänssler Bach edition also has very good recordings of some earlier/lesser works like the concerto arrangements (I think Robert Hill playing)

Christiane Jaccottet also recorded (almost) everything and some of it is/was cheaply available in several guises but probably hard to find.

[Autumn Leaves]

Buying the parts of the Bach Edition separately is certainly an option - I was able to find these 2 boxes on Amazon and a second hand copy of both would not set me back too much:



Its certainly something to think about - I guess I will see how far I go with my latest interest in Bach: I could burn out after just a few days or a week so maybe the best option might just be to pick up a copy of the French Suites as that's all I really need if pushed.

[Jo498]

I'd trust premont (who is very knowledgeable here and does not have too narrow tastes) when he dis-recommends the French suites with Payne.
I only have one complete harpsichord recording of those suites, Koopman/Erato, but it is beautiful and on a single disc. You'd have to get it on the used market, like Amazon marketplace, though.

[Que]

I'd trust premont (who is very knowledgeable here and does not have too narrow tastes) when he dis-recommends the French suites with Payne.
I only have one complete harpsichord recording of those suites, Koopman/Erato, but it is beautiful and on a single disc. You'd have to get it on the used market, like Amazon marketplace, though.

Though i'm a bit behind on the latest developments, superb performances of the French Suites are by Alan Curtis  (Warner/Teldec) and Olivier Baumont (Warner/Erato).

Q

[jlaurson]

Though i'm a bit behind on the latest developments, superb performances of the French Suites are by Alan Curtis  (Warner/Teldec) and Olivier Baumont (Warner/Erato).

Q

The most amazing French Suties I know are those of Rousset on Ambroise (see: Harpsichord Like Rarely Ever and Best Recordings of 2010, where the re-issue of the three Rousset recordings: English Suites, French Suites, and his stunning Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach are combined. But one has to be able to love the blooming, huge sound. I also like Bob von Asperen II (Aeolus, oop?) and Olivier Baumont, but my next-favorites would be Blandine Rannou (also re-issued in a box of the English and French Suites and Toccatas... which is particularly good, because I like her English Suites and Toccatas perhaps still better, even.) It might be reasonably to hope for a re-issue of each of those, since Alpha is keen on getting all the good Zig-Zag stuff out under the new label/brand. I've not quite clicked with Richard Eggarr's new recording... but I think that's my fault, so far.

[Que]

The most amazing French Suties I know are those of Rousset on Ambroise (see: Harpsichord Like Rarely Ever and Best Recordings of 2010, where the re-issue of the three Rousset recordings: English Suites, French Suites, and his stunning Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach are combined. But one has to be able to love the blooming, huge sound. I also like Bob von Asperen II (Aeolus, oop?) and Olivier Baumont, but my next-favorites would be Blandine Rannou (also re-issued in a box of the English and French Suites and Toccatas... which is particularly good, because I like her English Suites and Toccatas perhaps still better, even.) It might be reasonably to hope for a re-issue of each of those, since Alpha is keen on getting all the good Zig-Zag stuff out under the new label/brand. I've not quite clicked with Richard Eggarr's new recording... but I think that's my fault, so far.

I hesitated to include  Rousset, which I have and like very much.
But I think ultimately it is an acquired taste on account of the incredible speed Rousset is playing.
A performance where the virtuosic element is very prominent and is very personal to Rousset - you either love or hate it. 

Q

[HIPster]

I'll offer up Brookshire's French Suites~

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Somewhat under the radar; I find it to be excellent.

I also like the Curtis recording.

[prémont]

I'd trust premont (who is very knowledgeable here and does not have too narrow tastes) when he dis-recommends the French suites with Payne.
I only have one complete harpsichord recording of those suites, Koopman/Erato, but it is beautiful and on a single disc. You'd have to get it on the used market, like Amazon marketplace, though.

Actually Koopman's French suites is my favorite recording of these works, played in the very spirit of the suites and with decent additions in the repeats without his usual "naughty" tendencies. I also favour the very "French" interpretation of Alan Curtis. There are a lot of other fine recordings, Gilbert, Rannou, Mortensen, van Asperen and Beaumont to name a few.

Colin Tilney on clavichord and Wolfgang Rübsam on piano are well worth exploring in an early phase of acquaintance with these works.

On the other hand Rousset, Brookshire, Cates and even Cera are hit or miss and should not (IMO) be first choices.

[Mandryka]

Actually Koopman's French suites is my favorite recording of these works, played in the very spirit of the suites and with decent additions in the repeats without his usual "naughty" tendencies. I also favour the very "French" interpretation of Alan Curtis. There are a lot of other fine recordings, Gilbert, Rannou, Mortensen, van Asperen and Beaumont to name a few.

Colin Tilney on clavichord and Wolfgang Rübsam on piano are well worth exploring in an early phase of acquaintance with these works.

On the other hand Rousset, Brookshire, Cates and even Cera are hit or miss and should not (IMO) be first choices.

I think you may well enjoy Julian Perkins.

[prémont]

I think you may well enjoy Julian Perkins.

He is on my coming purchase list.

[Wakefield]

Not usually mentioned, but I consider Masaaki Suzuki did a very good job on the French Suites. 

[jlaurson]

Not usually mentioned, but I consider Masaaki Suzuki did a very good job on the French Suites.

Seconded, come to think of it. A lot more subtlety than his (admittedly exciting) GVs, which do have an element of sewing machine to them.

Cross-posting from "Listenign Now"

BTW:

This is AMAZING!!! The best Buxtehude Capricciosa I've heard and a sound in both works that rivals Rousset on Ambroise, without being so ludicrous over-the-top.

#morninglistening to #Bach's #GoldbergVariations w/Christine Schornsheim then & now. On @S... http://ift.tt/2cpNt7r

[hpowders]

I don't care for Bach played on piano. I DO love Bach performed on harpsichord. 

As for clavichord, one can hardly hear it!! 

Specifically for the keyboard partitas, I prefer Trevor Pinnock, Christophe Rousset, Benjamin Alard and Kenneth Weiss, all on harpsichord.

[Autumn Leaves]

I'll offer up Brookshire's French Suites~

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Somewhat under the radar; I find it to be excellent.

I also like the Curtis recording.

Thanks for your posting - this one looks very nice and not too expensive either.
I will pick up a copy soon - thanks for the tip!

[HIPster]

Thanks for your posting - this one looks very nice and not too expensive either.
I will pick up a copy soon - thanks for the tip!

Right on Conor! 

[Jo498]

I grabbed a used (but apparently well-preserved) copy of Vol.9 of Teldec's BACH 2000 edition for less than EUR 10 (11 discs)... I had been looking for this a while ago but as the item I wanted most of all was only Ross' partitas I was not willing to pay typical prices of ca. 30 EUR although this would have been a fair deal for 11 discs...

It has Ruzickova in the inventions/sinfonias and a bunch of odd suites not belonging to any set, Ross' Partitas, Wilson's WTK and Curtis' French/English suites... I guess this is enough for a while!

(And while I was at it I got the Koopman complete organ set (16 discs) for about 6 EUR from the same source... only disadvantage are the huge cubic boxes.)

[Mandryka]

I grabbed a used (but apparently well-preserved) copy of Vol.9 of Teldec's BACH 2000 edition for less than EUR 10 (11 discs)... I had been looking for this a while ago but as the item I wanted most of all was only Ross' partitas I was not willing to pay typical prices of ca. 30 EUR although this would have been a fair deal for 11 discs...

It has Ruzickova in the inventions/sinfonias and a bunch of odd suites not belonging to any set, Ross' Partitas, Wilson's WTK and Curtis' French/English suites... I guess this is enough for a while!

(And while I was at it I got the Koopman complete organ set (16 discs) for about 6 EUR from the same source... only disadvantage are the huge cubic boxes.)

You have some very good things there I think: the Koopman and Wilson and I certainly enjoy the Curtits too. I bet you will enjoy Koopman's Leipzig Chorales.

[Jo498]

Comments on the Koopman have been mixed, some people don't seem to be so fond of this set. I did not have this on my list, mainly because I already had the incomplete 6 Novalis/Brilliant discs so more Koopman was not a priority. But as Curtis English/French were mentioned recently here, I searched again for several issues of these recordings and then for the volumes of the Bach 2000 edition because I remembered that the Ross and Wilson were also in that volume 9 (and they are much harder to find separately) and accidentally found the irrestible deal on the Koopman..