Piano or Orchestral?

[marvinbrown]

He did, and it's superb -- I picked it up based on Val's frequent recommendations long ago, and it's my favorite version by far.  It's available on 2 Philips Duos.  To my ear Gulda marries the clarity of a harpsichord with the deeper sonority of a piano, without some of the speed demon tendencies and other quirks that Gould brings to the table.    When I want to hear the WTC I generally reach for the Gulda, or Richter for a change of pace, whose slow, romantic way with Bach is as complete a contrast as you could want. 

As for the survey, I'm leaning orchestral, but the keyboard continuo argument has me wavering.  I've heard Mozart and some Haydn symphonies done with harpsichord continuo -- if I could dig up some HIP Beethoven symphonies with continuo, I might bite, but alas that seems unlikely.  I could get Prokofiev's 5th, there's a piano in there somewhere.  Hmmm...

  jwinter, after hearing Gulda playing the piano sonatas of Beethoven I was shicked to read that he did not approach Bach's WTC with "speed demon" tendencies.  I found those recordings on amazon and have placed them in my shopping basket!

   marvin

[jwinter]

  jwinter, after hearing Gulda playing the piano sonatas of Beethoven I was shicked to read that he did not approach Bach's WTC with "speed demon" tendencies.  I found those recordings on amazon and have placed them in my shopping basket!

   marvin

Hope you enjoy it!  Actually, he's rather slow compared to some -- the 2nd prelude (track 3 of Book 1) clocks in at 2:14 for example, but I find that the somewhat deliberate pace is very effective, highlighting the structure in a different way than blowing through it at top speed on a harspichord (exciting though that can be).

Sorry to hijack your thread, George!   

[jwinter]

There actually is Beethoven cycle with fortepiano continuo, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra / David Porcelijn on ABC Classics. I wasn't curious enough but it is not too expensive:

http://www.buywell.com/cgi-bin/buywellic2/01977.html

Verily, thou art an infinite source of info, bro!   

I tend to prefer modern instruments for Beethoven (I have Hogwood and Gardiner, and that's plenty of HIP for me at the moment) but I'll keep that in mind if I ever need to pack for the island...

[Ten thumbs]

All ten of them?

Of course if I could have five pianos, I might think again.

[George]

Hope you enjoy it!  Actually, he's rather slow compared to some -- the 2nd prelude (track 3 of Book 1) clocks in at 2:14 for example, but I find that the somewhat deliberate pace is very effective, highlighting the structure in a different way than blowing through it at top speed on a harspichord (exciting though that can be).

Sorry to hijack your thread, George!   

Hey, no problem. You are discussing the piano. 

[KevinP]

Orchestral for me. Even not on a desert island I seldom listen to solo piano music.

Of course, choral would be my first choice.

[m_gigena]

Not to mention the existence of transcriptions of Beethoven's symphonies for one as well as for two pianos...

And Brahms' too.

[Mark G. Simon]

Hypothetical time:

Because of your mistreatment of your fellow man on an unnamed internet forum, you have been banished to a desert island.

Boy, is that island going to be crowded!!

Luckily, you have a loving God, who has approved for you to bring all of your piano recordings with you (any with Piano), OR all of your orchestral recordings. (No piano concerto recordings for orchestral choice.)

As long as I can take my clarinets and clarinet music, I'll be satisfied.

Nevertheless, as a player of an orchestral instrument, I'd take orchestral music (and probably miss the piano concertos, operas, choral music and chamber music enough to wish that I had drowned at sea).

[Bogey]

As for the survey, I'm leaning orchestral, but the keyboard continuo argument has me wavering.  I've heard Mozart and some Haydn symphonies done with harpsichord continuo -- if I could dig up some HIP Beethoven symphonies with continuo, I might bite, but alas that seems unlikely.  I could get Prokofiev's 5th, there's a piano in there somewhere.  Hmmm...

I believe I will go with keyboard.  I cannot imagine not hearing the rest of Bach's cantatas at this point.

JW: I bet there are some "DEEP vault tapes" somewhere where Hogwood used harpsichord continuo throughout the LvB cycle even though they were not called for. 

[bassio]

Another vote for keyboard here George

[Grazioso]

Orchestral would be my easy and obvious choice, though I'd much miss chamber music. Now, if I just brought along solo piano music, I'd feed myself to the sharks for my stupidity