Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier

[Opus106]

OMG......you may be be right, will have to see tomorrow......how can there be no WTC?

Correction: I am right. You can find the list of contents at Amazon.de.

Actually, it does contain some portion of the WTC, except that it's not played by Koroliov but by Robert Hill. And as for the reason why it does not contain Koroliov's, look at Scarpia's post above yours.

[Clever Hans]

Correction: I am right. You can find the list of contents at Amazon.de.

Actually, it does contain some portion of the WTC, except that it's not played by Koroliov but by Robert Hill. And as for the reason why it does not contain Koroliov's, look at Scarpia's post above yours.

That's got to be wrong. The Hanssler box has Levin for WTC.

[DavidRoss]

That's wrong. The Hanssler box has Levin for WTC.

Not according to the listings I've seen, such as the one linked above on Amazon Deutschland. But even if it did, that's still not Koroliov.

edit: From Presto's site:  the box (92568), described as vols 102-112

the page w/ vols 102-109
the page w/ vols 110-112, plus Levin's WTC (116-117)

Vol 112 is Koroliov's Goldbergs

[Scarpia]

That's got to be wrong. The Hanssler box has Levin for WTC.

The Hanssler box in question is Keyboard works, Part I.  It includes volumes 102-112 of their Bachacademie.  It lacks the English Suites, the French Suites, the Partitas, and both books of the WTC.   That stuff is presumably in Part II, which if it existed does not seem to be available anymore.

An orderly list of the series is here:
http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/albumList.jsp?page_size=50&name_id1=527&name_role1=1&genre=128&label_id=1084&bcorder=619

[Opus106]

That's got to be wrong. The Hanssler box has Levin for WTC.

Yes, Levin recorded the two books in their entirety on a harpsichord; Hill played those excerpts, perhaps, on a clavichord or a lute-harpsichord.

[stingo]

Has Pierre Hantai recorded Book 2 yet?

[Bulldog]

Has Pierre Hantai recorded Book 2 yet?

No.

[Scarpia]

Yes, Levin recorded the two books in their entirety on a harpsichord; Hill played those excerpts, perhaps, on a clavichord or a lute-harpsichord.

I don't know what you mean.  The set includes numerous preludes and fugues performed by Hill, but they are not from the WTC (except one, an alternate version of which is part of the WTC).

[Bulldog]

Yes, Levin recorded the two books in their entirety on a harpsichord;

And organ, clavichord and fortepiano.  Levin's a versatile man.

[Opus106]

I don't know what you mean.  The set includes numerous preludes and fugues performed by Hill, but they are not from the WTC (except one, an alternate version of which is part of the WTC).

Just a couple of preludes, then, from the second book. (Tracks 74 and 77.) I incorrectly assumed that the subsequent tracks contained the associated fugues.

[Opus106]

And organ, clavichord and fortepiano.  Levin's a versatile man.

Indeed.

[Holden]

I went back and relistened to my copy of Feinberg and it's still obvious that this is a superb version of the WTC. I have (or have heard):

Schiff - too pedantic
Jando - well played but lacking something I can't put my finger on
Barenboim - quite similar to Feinberg in some respects but without the brio. His ability to 'orchestrate' the fugues is so well done.
Richter - various P&Fs only. I though I had the whole set. Having heard some of his 1954 recital in Hungary maybe I should invest in his complete undertaking.

I would like to audition the Roger Woodward.

[DavidRoss]

Schiff - too pedantic

Pedantic?

[Bulldog]

I went back and relistened to my copy of Feinberg and it's still obvious that this is a superb version of the WTC. I have (or have heard):

Schiff - too pedantic

Assuming you're using "pedantic" to indicate an obsession with little details, I agree that Schiff sometimes falls into this category; however, I think there's far less of this effect in his WTC than in his other Bach/Decca recordings.

[kishnevi]

Assuming you're using "pedantic" to indicate an obsession with little details, I agree that Schiff sometimes falls into this category; however, I think there's far less of this effect in his WTC than in his other Bach/Decca recordings.

Well, how many other pianists have accompanied their Beethoven sonata cycles with musicological lectures?  Or publicly justify varying the recorded order of the Bach Partitas with this reasoning: "If we start with the G major Partita, the keys of the six works form a hexachord: G-a-B flat-c-D-e, with the major and minor modes evenly distributed among the ascending pitches and the sunlit, graceful G-major work forming an ingratiating and appropriate opening."  (From the liner notes of his ECM recording of the Partitas.)  Hmm, actually, it would be just like Bach to do that, actually.  Only thing missing is speculation about a missing Partita in F.  Of course, this doesn't prevent the man who actually wrote the liner notes for the release to justify the vulgate order of the Partitas with another Bachian numerological exercise.)  Other than Glenn Gould, how many pianists would be up for such an exercise?

[Scarpia]

Assuming you're using "pedantic" to indicate an obsession with little details, I agree that Schiff sometimes falls into this category; however, I think there's far less of this effect in his WTC than in his other Bach/Decca recordings.

Really I find nothing "pedantic" about Schiff's Bach recordings.  Expressive yet graceful, if I were limited to a single characterization. 

[kishnevi]

Really I find nothing "pedantic" about Schiff's Bach recordings.  Expressive yet graceful, if I were limited to a single characterization.

To be clear, I think very highly of the actual recording of the Partitas--and also very highly of the Beethoven cycle.

I have in fact three recordings of the Partitas--Gould, Perahia and this one by Schiff.  I have a high opinion of all three, but it's the Schiff I like best--he seems to make the music dance better than the other two.

But his approach to the music can be at times justifiably be called pedantic.

[Holden]

Well, how many other pianists have accompanied their Beethoven sonata cycles with musicological lectures?  Or publicly justify varying the recorded order of the Bach Partitas with this reasoning: "If we start with the G major Partita, the keys of the six works form a hexachord: G-a-B flat-c-D-e, with the major and minor modes evenly distributed among the ascending pitches and the sunlit, graceful G-major work forming an ingratiating and appropriate opening."  (From the liner notes of his ECM recording of the Partitas.)  Hmm, actually, it would be just like Bach to do that, actually.  Only thing missing is speculation about a missing Partita in F.  Of course, this doesn't prevent the man who actually wrote the liner notes for the release to justify the vulgate order of the Partitas with another Bachian numerological exercise.)  Other than Glenn Gould, how many pianists would be up for such an exercise?

Assuming you're using "pedantic" to indicate an obsession with little details, I agree that Schiff sometimes falls into this category;

Your correct in seeing this as part of my interpretation of the word pedantic. It's the "can't see the woods for the trees" effect.

I found his LvB pedantic as well. The only Bach of Schiff's I've heard is the WTC and that put me off any other of his Bach recordings.

[DavidRoss]

Really I find nothing "pedantic" about Schiff's Bach recordings.  Expressive yet graceful, if I were limited to a single characterization.

We sure seem to be agreeing frequently these days.

[Bulldog]

Your correct in seeing this as part of my interpretation of the word pedantic. It's the "can't see the woods for the trees" effect.

I found his LvB pedantic as well. The only Bach of Schiff's I've heard is the WTC and that put me off any other of his Bach recordings.

Okay.  One recording where Schiff delivers the full sweep of Bach's music is his Goldbergs on ECM.  I bet you would like it.