Bach on the piano

[prémont]

Who are your favorites on piano and harpsichord?

On harpsichord first and foremost Ton Koopman's second recording (the one on Erato - don't know his first recording)

Others:
Kenneth Gilbert
Davitt Moroney
Christopher Hogwood
Alan Curtis

On piano:
Wolfgang Rübsam
Peter Hill

[San Antone]

On harpsichord first and foremost Ton Koopman's second recording (the one on Erato - don't know his first recording)

Others:
Kenneth Gilbert
Davitt Moroney
Christopher Hogwood
Alan Curtis

On piano:
Wolfgang Rübsam
Peter Hill

Another fan of Peter Hill's French Suites, here, but really, I enjoy all of his Bach recordings.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

To me the French suites are too life affirming in their conception for this kind of interpretation.

Maybe this is a sunny performance of French Suites.

[vers la flamme]

I want the darkest and most morose possible interpretation of the French Suites, on a harpsichord. Who can help me find this?

[Florestan]

I want the darkest and most morose possible interpretation of the French Suites, on a harpsichord.

Why would a person in their right minds want that? 

[prémont]

Another fan of Peter Hill's French Suites, here, but really, I enjoy all of his Bach recordings.

So do I. His WTC is particularly revealing IMO.

[vers la flamme]

Why would a person in their right minds want that? 

It's possible that I'm not in my right mind 

[prémont]

Maybe this is a sunny performance of French Suites.

I found some of her second French suite on you tube. Nice but not that special and a bit inarticulate with too much legato playing and certainly not nice enough to repress my preferred harpsichord versions.

I also found this funny arrangement of a movement from an organ trio sonata (BWV 525):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gxpdRebtDU

[prémont]

It's possible that I'm not in my right mind 

Might you be in your left (sinister) mind?

[Mandryka]

I want the darkest and most morose possible interpretation of the French Suites, on a harpsichord. Who can help me find this?

Francesco Cera by a country mile.

[Florestan]

It's possible that I'm not in my right mind 

Don't worry, none of us are. 

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I found some of her second French suite on you tube. Nice but not that special and a bit inarticulate with too much legato playing and certainly not nice enough to repress my preferred harpsichord versions.

I also found this funny arrangement of a movement from an organ trio sonata (BWV 525):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gxpdRebtDU

Nice dubbing! Your description of the Suite 2 sounds right.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

I think van Asperen is dark, if not darkest, too.

[prémont]

I think van Asperen is dark, if not darkest, too.

Yes, but not morose, I think. BTW it's because of this darkness I don't favor him as much as the ones I mentioned above.

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Yes, but not morose, I think. BTW it's because of this darkness I don't favor him as much as the ones I mentioned above.

You didn't list Leonhardt either.

[vers la flamme]

I think van Asperen is dark, if not darkest, too.

His performance is the reason I'm curious about this kind of interpretation. I LOVE his performance of the French Suites, which I thought was quite dark, and lovely for it. By the way, it's just about the best sounding harpsichord recording I know. I've wanted to get it on CD for a long time but I believe it's unavailable. As Premont says, maybe it's not exactly morose and lugubrious, but indeed dark.

I really like the Leonhardt too.

[Mandryka]

Try also Bradley Brookshire for a Lurch type performance, and possibly Egarr too. For emo, apart from the Cera, there's also David Cates.


Does anyone have the booklet for Cera? Does he say anything about why he decided to take such an extraordinary approach?

[Atriod]

Does anyone have the booklet for Cera? Does he say anything about why he decided to take such an extraordinary approach?

I do and he has written his own liner note, messaging you now. I listened to the first suite, this is worth hearing more.

Has Leonhardt made more than one recording of the French Suites?

[Mandryka]

I do and he has written his own liner note, messaging you now. I listened to the first suite, this is worth hearing more.

Has Leonhardt made more than one recording of the French Suites?

He recorded the second French suite for this (valuable) recording

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8059248--gustav-leonhardt-clavichord-recital

The Cera is an outlier, and this from a musician who isn't noted for being a specially bold performer.

[milk]

Try also Bradley Brookshire for a Lurch type performance, and possibly Egarr too. For emo, apart from the Cera, there's also David Cates.


Does anyone have the booklet for Cera? Does he say anything about why he decided to take such an extraordinary approach?

I have to reappraise Brookshire and Asperen. I loved the sound of that instrument and Asperen has this feeling of spontaneity to me. At least I remember thinking so. Is a recording an artist's definitive expression or is it a snapshot of their feeling on that day and on that instrument in that place? For some recordings, I like the sense that this is being beamed in from somewhere and once it's gone, it's gone. Like, an performer's in-the-moment take. Fleeting. But this could all be imagination and nonsense. AOF is a hard piece of music to me: there's always something I don't quite grasp about it. GBV gets old fast for me. How many times can you hear those melodies? This is why AOF is so wonderful.