Bach on the harpsichord, lute-harpsichord, clavichord

[milk]

Have you heard this one?



Pretty nice.

Yes. I like it all. I would say his playing by is gentle and maybe a bit sleepy (at worst). But he's not polarizing or extreme or academic. I like how clear the counterpoint is - the lines. It's too bad that he didn't quite finish the set. There's something missing. Maybe it's Art of the Fugue. I have to check what he didn't finish. It looks like he lost funding right near the end.

[bioluminescentsquid]

https://www.artistcamp.com/lydia-maria-blank/bach-die-kunst-der-fuge/9008798375042/index.html#
A very beautiful, elaborately ornameted yet sober and noble Art of Fugue from Lydia Maria Blank. Played on what sounds like an Italian harpsichord, the lean and spare sound fits the playing style well. Actually the word that comes to mind is iki, as Toyohiko Satoh means it.

[Mandryka]

https://www.artistcamp.com/lydia-maria-blank/bach-die-kunst-der-fuge/9008798375042/index.html#
A very beautiful, elaborately ornameted yet sober and noble Art of Fugue from Lydia Maria Blank. Played on what sounds like an Italian harpsichord, the lean and spare sound fits the playing style well. Actually the word that comes to mind is iki, as Toyohiko Satoh means it.

I've been playing her Byrd this week -- very slow pavans!  I need to give the AoF some more attention.

[prémont]

A very beautiful, elaborately ornameted yet sober and noble Art of Fugue from Lydia Maria Blank. Played on what sounds like an Italian harpsichord, the lean and spare sound fits the playing style well.

Yes, the Italian baroque style harpsichord (one manual, two stops 8' and 8') which she uses for all her recordings. I appreciate the lack of a 4' stop. She hasn't published the tunings she uses, but this is presumably meantone for the Byrd and the Italian and Spanish music, but not - I think - for the AoF, where the tuning sounds a tad more "modern". She plays the version for two harpsichords of the three part mirror fugue and no assistent is mentioned, so I suppose she used playback here and probably also for the four part mirror fugue. All in all I find her version marked by simplicity and beauty - and a tangible degree of poetry.

[CelluloidBiker]

Has anyone heard András Schiff's JS Bach: Clavichord on ECM?

https://ecmrecords.com/product/j-s-bach-clavichord-andras-schiff/

It came out in January of this year, but I only just found out about it today. I generally prefer Bach on period instruments, and I love the oft-neglected clavichord (Ralph Kirkpatrick's WTC II on clavichord is my all-time favorite version), so I was stoked to find out about this release. I also admire Schiff a lot, especially his recent WTC piano performances on ECM and live at the BBC Proms.

I'm currently streaming it on Spotify, about halfway through disc one and really enjoying it. The instrument used (a replica of a 1743 Specken clavichord) has the shimmering, lute-like quality I love about the clavichord, and the recording is immaculate as one would expect from ECM. The Inventions and Sinfonias are a  perfect fit for the quiet, intimate nature of the clavichord, intended as they were for private individual study. Schiff's performances so far seem thoughtful and gracefully unadorned.

Any thoughts from those who have heard it?

[Mandryka]

Has anyone heard András Schiff's JS Bach: Clavichord on ECM?

https://ecmrecords.com/product/j-s-bach-clavichord-andras-schiff/

It came out in January of this year, but I only just found out about it today. I generally prefer Bach on period instruments, and I love the oft-neglected clavichord (Ralph Kirkpatrick's WTC II on clavichord is my all-time favorite version), so I was stoked to find out about this release. I also admire Schiff a lot, especially his recent WTC piano performances on ECM and live at the BBC Proms.

I'm currently streaming it on Spotify, about halfway through disc one and really enjoying it. The instrument used (a replica of a 1743 Specken clavichord) has the shimmering, lute-like quality I love about the clavichord, and the recording is immaculate as one would expect from ECM. The Inventions and Sinfonias are a  perfect fit for the quiet, intimate nature of the clavichord, intended as they were for private individual study. Schiff's performances so far seem thoughtful and gracefully unadorned.

Any thoughts from those who have heard it?

Hello biker. Good to find another clavichord lover!

I've only listened to Schiff's inventions. He plays the clavichord with the same touch as a conservatory trained pianist plays a piano, the same liaison between notes, and with long phrasing too - like in 19th century piano music. To see what I mean, have a listen to Jaroslav Tuma's recording of the music on clavichord - the recording's on YouTube. You may prefer Schiff to Tuma, of course - my point was purporting to be fact not value.

[atardecer]

Hello biker. Good to find another clavichord lover!

I've only listened to Schiff's inventions. He plays the clavichord with the same touch as a conservatory trained pianist plays a piano, the same liaison between notes, and with long phrasing too - like in 19th century piano music. To see what I mean, have a listen to Jaroslav Tuma's recording of the music on clavichord - the recording's on YouTube. You may prefer Schiff to Tuma, of course - my point was purporting to be fact not value.

Perhaps you are right that Schiff is closer to a conservatory approach and how 19th century piano music is often performed today, (which if one listens to older recordings is quite different than how 19th century piano music was generally played back then). I suspect that if we heard recordings of 18th century music it may also be very different from what we hear today for example among HIP performers. What tends to happen is people just imagine how they think music may have been played at a certain time and do it in that way. What also happens is performers in an era tend to influence each other substantially so we get a lot of performers from the same epoch with similar approaches.

I listened to Schiff's Ricercar a 3 from BWV 1079 on clavichord on youtube, and I think it sounds not bad. But I think his style works better on piano, (I quite like Schiff's Bach on piano).

I'm listening to Jaroslav Tůma's Bach on clavichord right now, and personally I prefer the sound of this clavichord Bach to Schiff's.

[prémont]

Any thoughts from those who have heard it [Schiff's clavichord twofer]?

I don't think his articulation is as bad as Mandryka writes. In a number of pieces there is at least attempts at a more pointed articulation. His tempi however are relatively steady (whether fast or slow) and there is very little agogic  expressive rubato. He plays like a skilled student but not as a mature master.

[Mandryka]

Marie Nishiyama's English Suites really rock.

[prémont]

Marie Nishiyama's English Suites really rock.

Purchased it half a year ago. There is so much to listen to, so I haven't listened to it yet. Maybe time to change this.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Marie Nishiyama's English Suites really rock.

A gentle playing with a spacious timing. Some people will like it and some people won't.

[Mandryka]

A gentle playing with a spacious timing. Some people will like it and some people won't.

Yes it's the timing which appealed to me - try here gigue in the 6th.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Yes it's the timing which appealed to me - try here gigue in the 6th.

Yes, the Gigue and others sound colorful and expressive. For uptempo pieces, I need to get more familiar with her approach.

[Mandryka]

A Rubsam masterclass on the French suites

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8NgqsSiigo

[Que]

Cross posting from the WAYLT thread:



When it rains, it pours.... Right after Enrico Baiano excellent recording of Bach's Toccatas follows Christophe Rousset. As I have established a while ago, Rousset has outgrown his crazy streaks from his middle period. Which bodes well for the creative production of his later years (he is now 63).

MY favourites sofar are Menno van Delft (Brilliant), Léon Berben (Ramée, coupled with the organ toccatas) and Enrico Baiano (an indispensable Italianate interpretation on Da Vinci).

It's early days for comparisons. But definitely a notable interpretation, not heavy but swift (Rousset doesn't show much tendency of slowing down despite his advancing years) and quite mercurial, sparkly. Rousset is brilliant as ever, but does it stick? Time will tell. 

[ChamberNut]

A completely random choice streaming last night led me to a relatively unknown world for me: Bach on solo harpsichord, rather than the piano. I enjoyed it! It was this disc via Martin Galling. The VOX reissue is from his recordings in the early/mid 1960s. The Toccatas, Vol. XV

Am I good to continue on exploring Galling's Bach solo harpsichord?

NB - I'll probably regret asking, knowing I'll recent a billion alternative recommendations. 

[prémont]

A completely random choice streaming last night led me to a relatively unknown world for me: Bach on solo harpsichord, rather than the piano. I enjoyed it! It was this disc via Martin Galling. The VOX reissue is from his recordings in the early/mid 1960s. The Toccatas, Vol. XV

Am I good to continue on exploring Galling's Bach solo harpsichord?

NB - I'll probably regret asking, knowing I'll recent a billion alternative recommendations. 

Well,I acquired Martin Galling's Bach set (6 Vox boxes á 3 LPs) already in the 1960es when it was released so I know it very well. Helmut Walcha's Bach harpsichord recordings on EMI and Galling's recordings were my first encounter with Bach's harpsichord works. They are alike in the use of revival instruments and the almost consequently metrical playing as well as the use of much legato (Walcha's articulation is the most varied - Galling uses long legato-phrases), and repeats are only variated by changing registrations. But this was how Bach was played in these days before HIP. They differ a bit in the energy of their playing. Galling has lots of energy, but may sometimes seem almost lethargic compared to Walcha's extremely energized music making. They also differ a bit in their touch. It has been said that Walcha plays as if he used an organ with heavy mechanical action. Galling's touch is more piano-like.

Of these two I favor Walcha because of his high energy level. There is however some of the music which isn't suited to this approach like the Inventions and French suites, where I tend to prefer Galling.

But it's no secret that I ultimately prefer more informed playing represented by Gustav Leonhardt, Pieter-Jan Belder, Colin Booth and alike.

[ChamberNut]

Thank you very much for your insight @prémont

Much appreciated!