Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier

[czgirb]

Regarding to Rosalyn Tureck, heard she was recorded twice, 1950s and 1970s.
And now, I asking about the 1950s and it was isued by:
* Membran ... https://www.amazon.com/Bach-J-S-Well-Tempered-Clavier/dp/B000AC5EG8
* DGG ... https://www.amazon.com/Well-Tempered-Clavier-Books-CD/dp/B000031X83
which one sounds better? please advice ...

[George]

Regarding to Rosalyn Tureck, heard she was recorded twice, 1950s and 1970s.
And now, I asking about the 1950s and it was isued by:
* Membran ... https://www.amazon.com/Bach-J-S-Well-Tempered-Clavier/dp/B000AC5EG8
* DGG ... https://www.amazon.com/Well-Tempered-Clavier-Books-CD/dp/B000031X83
which one sounds better? please advice ...

My money is on DG, as Membran is a pirate label.

[Marc]

My money is on DG, as Membran is a pirate label.

No, it isn't.

[Jo498]

Membran does publish both officially licensed as well as out of copyright recordings (they may or may not have transferred themselves) and maybe also some probably pirated recordings (with some overlap with the second category, i.e. pirating someone else's transfers of old recordings).

[prémont]

Membran does publish both officially licensed as well as out of copyright recordings (they may or may not have transferred themselves) and maybe also some probably pirated recordings (with some overlap with the second category, i.e. pirating someone else's transfers of old recordings).

I have never seen any evidence of this, so it remains a rumor. Probably it would be rather easy to prove (Frequency Spectrum Analysis), so the ones, who spread this rumor, are apparently not interested in proving it, - one may wonder why.

[Marc]

I have never seen any evidence of this, so it remains a rumor. Probably it would be rather easy to prove (Frequency Spectrum Analysis), so the ones, who spread this rumor, are apparently not interested in proving it, - one may wonder why.

In the late 1980s it was said about Naxos, in the late 1990s about Brilliant Classics, and there are probably more labels who have fallen victim to claims like these.
I also know of a CD shop owner who is still sure that Spotify is a pirate website, and, if not, they are thieves anyway.

But... back to the WTC: I love it.
I listen far too less to it though. My favourite recording is probably Kenneth Gilbert, but this is also a choice caused by a lack of knowledge.

[George]

Regarding to Rosalyn Tureck, heard she was recorded twice, 1950s and 1970s.
And now, I asking about the 1950s and it was isued by:
* Membran ... https://www.amazon.com/Bach-J-S-Well-Tempered-Clavier/dp/B000AC5EG8
* DGG ... https://www.amazon.com/Well-Tempered-Clavier-Books-CD/dp/B000031X83
which one sounds better? please advice ...

Considering the Membran is unavilable, its a no brainer to get the DG. 

[Mandryka]

Considering the Membran is unavilable, its a no brainer to get the DG.

There are a couple of other transfers on spotify and elsewhere, I listened to about 30 seconds of each of them, and to the DG, they're all different, different balance. Anyway I'd certainly think it's worth listening to samples of these transfers if you want to buy the set.

[George]

There are a couple of other transfers on spotify and elsewhere, I listened to about 30 seconds of each of them, and to the DG, they're all different, different balance. Anyway I'd certainly think it's worth listening to samples of these transfers if you want to buy the set.

What balance do you mean? They are mono recordings. 

[Mandryka]

Crossland is another one I want to revisit.

I think that's not bad at all.

[Mandryka]

What balance do you mean? They are mono recordings.

The balance of bass to midrange/treble, the DG seemed the least « bass up »

[George]

The balance of bass to midrange/treble, the DG seemed the least « bass up »

OK.

In the USA, Spotify lists two transfers, the DG and something that says "AwardWinners." They sound the same to me.

[Mandryka]

OK.

In the USA, Spotify lists two transfers, the DG and something that says "AwardWinners." They sound the same to me.

Ah, Award Winners was one of the ones I heard and to me it sounded slightly different, but you're probably right, I wasn't giving it full attention probably. The other one was called Milestones of a Piano Legend.

[George]

Ah, Award Winners was one of the ones I heard and to me it sounded slightly different, but you're probably right, I wasn't giving it full attention probably.

The only other ones I would consider other than DG, since they did the first CD release, would be something by Mark Obert-Thorn, Ward Marston, or Seth Winner. On the other hand, they aren't the greatest recordings, so I imagine not much could be done to improve them.

[milk]

Have you heard Hans Jorg Schaefer?

I'm listening a little today. Can you give us a word about what you like about this recording? I want to spend more time with this and it might help me in terms of your view of its strengths.

[prémont]

I'm listening a little today. Can you give us a word about what you like about this recording? I want to spend more time with this and it might help me in terms of your view of its strengths.

I would say the tuning of the piano (unequal), his restrained unsensational approach and his well articulated part playing.

[Mandryka]

I'm listening a little today. Can you give us a word about what you like about this recording? I want to spend more time with this and it might help me in terms of your view of its strengths.

Schaefer takes you by the hand and, with a deceptive lightness and artlessness, has you visit the magical, unpredictable, multiform world of WTC, on a piano well prepared for the music.

[staxomega]

Celine Frisch's Book 2 came out earlier this year and slipped by me. Has anyone heard it? Her Book 1 is up there with the best I've heard.

[Mandryka]

Celine Frisch's Book 2 came out earlier this year and slipped by me. Has anyone heard it? Her Book 1 is up there with the best I've heard.

Yes you should hear it, I can't promise you'll like it, but I certainly played it a lot when it first came out and I thought it had some interesting things in there, and it sounded good.

[staxomega]

Yes you should hear it, I can't promise you'll like it, but I certainly played it a lot when it first came out and I thought it had some interesting things in there, and it sounded good.

I sampled it, it has many of the qualities I liked about Book 1; slower pieces are played a bit more on the slow side, faster ones at a good tempo and ornamentation that doesn't sound over the top. Overall feels vivid and expressive as her first Book. I don't play harpsichord nor am I am expert so I'm not really sure how to express this in purely technical terms, for me what I hear is a "vertical-ness" in her playing that lends to how expressive she is.