Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier

[Mandryka]

I certainly can't listen to all 12 minutes of it, after the first minute of the Prelude I want to turn it off.  I ended up listening to the first 4 minutes.  He takes it so slowly it destroys the forward movement and has no energy.  One of the worst, if not THE worst versions I've heard.

This is an exaggeration, but my overall impression is of someone who is drunk trying to remember/play it.  This prelude reminds me of the two voice inventions, but much longer.

BTW, your cover art is not correct, BWV 879 is found on Volume 4, not 3.

Thanks for listening.  I've started to love BWV 879!

It certainly is a challenging performance there from Rubsam.   But there is at least one really special thing about it I think -- the ornaments in the prelude, the trills, they're beautiful!

[j winter]

I picked up Rubsam's Book 1 (not Book 2) and his Naxos Goldbergs a few months ago, largely out of curiosity for the instrument.  I need to revisit it, but I recall it as a very interesting first listen -- my impressions were a bit more positive than San Antone's but not wholly dissimilar -- i.e., it came across as too slow and with a very disjointed, stop-and-go quality, though the texture that the lute-harpsichord brings is certainly fascinating.  Perhaps I'll give Book 1 another spin on the ride home tonight....

[Que]

I think this is one of the great baroque keyboard  recordings of all time. . Rubsam knows how to apply all the keyboard players' tricks to make the music expressive in a way which functions. I mean the rubato, the almost style brisé effect of the voicing, the arpeggios etc sound a natural part of the music rather than something just plonked into the music. And they make the music very moving.

But where I think he's developed since his piano recordings for Naxos is that he's found a space where he can abandon his feelings, his emotions. There's no sense at all that Rübsam is sounding off  or that he's expressing himself. The performances are both abstract and moving. This is a major, and rare, achievement!

How did I miss this? This is a unique recording to be sure. I wonder why this didn't make any year's-best-list. Rubsam comes up with one of the most unique recordings of WTC, both in the chosen instrument and in his style. Counterpunctual clarity may be one aspect of this but there's also this wonderful staggering of the lines, rhythmic variation, and demonstrative use of agogics. It's a wild ride even while employing pretty slow tempos - even slower than Watchorn. Have people not heard this? This should make some noise. I'm just on Book one though.   

Listened to the samples.
Sure, anyone who likes a slow, staggering and disjointed approach in which musical lines are deconstructed, will have a field day. 

Q

[milk]

Listened to the samples.
Sure, anyone who likes a slow, staggering and disjointed approach in which musical lines are deconstructed, will have a field day. 

Q

I don't have the same enthusiasm anymore but maybe I'll regain it. These days, I find him to be a bit of a chore.

[San Antone]

I too had a much more positive reaction the first time I heard Rubsam's lute-harpsichord Bach, I think there is a post where I say it those recordings were the most exciting Bach recordings I had heard in a long time.  But over time Rubsam's playing has become less and less enjoyable to listen to, to the point that today I can hardly stomach it.

[Mandryka]

A particularly arresting piano performances of BWV 882 & 883 here, an old piano by the sound of it. Impossible for me to find any information on the instruments he's using in this series of four releases - Bk 1 on harpsichord, Bk 2 on piano I think, or mostly.  The recordings are conceived as concerts with a mix of Bk 1 and Bk 2 music; sometimes one piece is repeated on a different instrument. My feeling is that this is a very well thought through project indeed, such a shame so little information is available about Takehisa's thought processes.

The only source in the UK seems to be Apple.

[Que]

A particularly arresting piano performances of BWV 882 & 883 here, an old piano by the sound of it. Impossible for me to find any information on the instruments he's using in this series of four releases - Bk 1 on harpsichord, Bk 2 on piano I think, or mostly. 

A harpsichord after Christian Zell and a fortepiano after Gottfried Silbermann:
http://www.kojimarokuon.com/disc/ALCD1187.html

Q

[Mandryka]

A harpsichord after Christian Zell and a fortepiano after Gottfried Silbermann:
http://www.kojimarokuon.com/disc/ALCD1187.html

Q

Excellent, thank you Que. I just translated the page and it turns out he is a scholar musician and instrument maker. Just perfect!

[milk]

Excellent, thank you Que. I just translated the page and it turns out he is a scholar musician and instrument maker. Just perfect!

It's very hard to make a living in Japan playing the harpsichord but perhaps he supplies instruments too. I'm interested in someone who flies so under the radar.

[Mandryka]

It's very hard to make a living in Japan playing the harpsichord but perhaps he supplies instruments too. I'm interested in someone who flies so under the radar.

It's very hard to make a living anywhere playing harpsichord.

I want to write to him and ask about the Toccata in the 6th partita, but impossible to find an email address. He has a put together a little ensemble too, they've recorded a disc with Bach concertos. I'm not so sure that he's so under the radar in Japan - like the early music group Anthonello.

[Que]

Did you check his website?

http://www.genzoh.jp/en/index.html

[Mandryka]

You're being very good at finding things for me. I tried and came up with nothing, it looks like you found it straight away. Thanks.


Now, let's see if I can find out about that Toccata in Partita 6.

[milk]

Did you check his website?

http://www.genzoh.jp/en/index.html

Yes, I've looked at this but it seems that it hasn't been updated for half-a-dozen years or so. His youtube page has pretty new live performances though. I find something about him curious and most Japanese performers need to go abroad to get to the next level. Takehisa has a real vision but, unlike every one else on the scene, it doesn't look like he ever studied with a prominent teacher.   

[milk]

Has anyone heard Steven Devine's WTC? Michel Kiener?

[Mandryka]

Michel Kiener?

Good WTC2 - interpretation, sound, instrument. 

[milk]

Good WTC2 - interpretation, sound, instrument.

Do you know George Lepauw's new WTC?

[Mandryka]

Do you know George Lepauw's new WTC?

Yes! I thought I made some comments about it when it came out here, but maybe not. It is beyond recommended or unrecommended. One  likes some, is moved by many, is awed by few, is annoyed by others...no matter. The Lepauw WTC "exists" in the way the thoughts of a philosopher exist, whether one agrees with them or not, whether one likes them or not.

[milk]

Yes! I thought I made some comments about it when it came out here, but maybe not. It is beyond recommended or unrecommended. One  likes some, is moved by many, is awed by few, is annoyed by others...no matter. The Lepauw WTC "exists" in the way the thoughts of a philosopher exist, whether one agrees with them or not, whether one likes them or not.

Wow!

[milk]

Yes! I thought I made some comments about it when it came out here, but maybe not. It is beyond recommended or unrecommended. One  likes some, is moved by many, is awed by few, is annoyed by others...no matter. The Lepauw WTC "exists" in the way the thoughts of a philosopher exist, whether one agrees with them or not, whether one likes them or not.

I'm listening to these today. There should be more discussion here of this. This is a young pianist? That would be surprising. There's a lot to love here, whatever else there is. I don't always his use of dynamics; but I'd use words like captivating.

[Mandryka]

I'm listening to these today. There should be more discussion here of this. This is a young pianist? That would be surprising. There's a lot to love here, whatever else there is. I don't always his use of dynamics; but I'd use words like captivating.

You can read all about him here

http://www.georgelepauw.com/