Bach on the piano

[Mandryka]

. . . my temper does not oscillate with this kind of uninhibited emotional outbreaks.

I don't mean to be cheeky, or not much anyway, but this comment went through my mind while listening to this recording of Buxtehude fantasies. It's interesting to have them all collected together, and the way that Peretti plays them, the music is indeed littered with sudden changes, which you could say are "uninhibited emotional outbreaks."

We've mentioned the issue of transitions in Buxtehude before . . .

[SurprisedByBeauty]

On Bach's 333rd Birthday:

Classical CD Of The Week: Anton Batagov's Bach Is For Tripping



Every click helps keeping classical music coverage (of which I am sadly the only exponent) alive on Forbes.com. Which, even if you don't like it much or think me an ass, is better than it not being there, right?

[prémont]

#morninglistening to #violinsonatas by #womencomposers for cello & piano on #Gramola w/#ThomasAlbertusIrnberger & #BarbaraMoser

: http://a-fwd.to/6vHQRcD

Corny title, hideous cover photo, shamelessly pandering - but good music gorgeously played!... http://ift.tt/2FQIbkV

Anything by Bach here?

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Anything by Bach here?

Nope - that was a brainfart.

Meant to post this:

On Bach's 333rd Birthday -- something that is Bach, and isn't.

Classical CD Of The Week: Anton Batagov's Bach Is For Tripping



Every click helps...

No, that wasn't it, either. I don't even know what that was then. State of confusion.

[prémont]

Nope - that was a brainfart.

With such an explicit explanation you are readily forgiven.

[prémont]

I don't mean to be cheeky, or not much anyway, but this comment went through my mind while listening to this recording of Buxtehude fantasies. It's interesting to have them all collected together, and the way that Peretti plays them, the music is indeed littered with sudden changes, which you could say are "uninhibited emotional outbreaks."

We've mentioned the issue of transitions in Buxtehude before . . .

I own this recording, and I do not recall any uninhibited emotional outbreaks. On the contrary I recall controlled spontaneity a la Leonhardt. I think I shall relisten to this as well as to his Clavierübung III.

There is so much to listen to, I do not think I quite can keep up with all of it.

[Mandryka]

Stefano Greco made a recording of AoF with Aldo Ciccolini, which I've been unable to find. Anyway, while searching I came across this GV - the whole caboodle, and IMO stylishly and attractively played, with just one two lapses of judgement. More moderate than demonic, more beautiful than muscular, more tranquil than barnstorming. There's a lightness about what he does which I find interesting as an approach. His website suggests a thoughtful and curious musician who prioritises concerts rather than recordings.

[prémont]

Stefano Greco made a recording of AoF with Aldo Ciccolini, which I've been unable to find.

One might get the impression, that it never has been released.

[Mandryka]

I came across something totally unexpected today - AoF for modern piano and organ (Lausanne),  some of the fugues turned into duets! Christoph Geiser and Elizabeth Sombart.

Re Greco, in one respect the above post is too charitable, he probably does use more dynamic variation to highlight short phrases than he should. As they all do. What an unsubtle and inelegant way to attract the listener's ear!

[prémont]

I came across something totally unexpected today - AoF for modern piano and organ (Lausanne),  some of the fugues turned into duets! Christoph Geiser and Elizabeth Sombart.

Yes, I was also surprised when I saw it , because I would expect a large modern church organ  and a piano to blend poorly. And they do indeed. Maybe a chamber organ would be better. I also find the actual interpretation much too earth-bound.

[milk]

What are your favorite recordings of transcriptions of organ pieces?

[Mandryka]

What are your favorite recordings of transcriptions of organ pieces?

[JCBuckley]

+1

[milk]

I Haven't heard this. I will give it a try. Recently, I discovered that I can't get through the romantic transcriptions. Maybe they're just generally not for me. Let me see about this one.

[milk]

Just listening to Nikolai Demidenko and Vikingur Olafsson...there's so much dynamics in these. Why do they all get so heavy and loud? Does anybody play Bach transcriptions without the tacky banging?

[Mandryka]

Just listening to Nikolai Demidenko and Vikingur Olafsson...there's so much dynamics in these. Why do they all get so heavy and loud? Does anybody play Bach transcriptions without the tacky banging?

Yes well they all do that, that's the way they play C19 music so they apply the same trick to C18 music too.

When I saw your post I thought of five: Koroliov, Naoumoff, Hewitt, Block and Grinberg. But on relistening I think they're all not recommendable really.

One to check is the handful that Kempff made in the 1950s, which are much much better than his later ones for DG. Some (but not all) are on his Great Pianists, and all of them are reissues on an Australian Eloquence on a CD of encores (with a Für Elise)

When Feinberg's second recording of his transcription of BWV 662 was released in a Russian Pianists CD, piano inclined friends of mine were really impressed, it may be worth hunting out -- be careful he made two, the one that is supposed to be special lasts over 8 minutes, I can't see it on youtube, they only have the earlier one. The later one has a romantic back story because he made it just before he popped his clogs, probably quite justifiably for once.

[SurprisedByBeauty]

Just listening to Nikolai Demidenko and Vikingur Olafsson...there's so much dynamics in these. Why do they all get so heavy and loud? Does anybody play Bach transcriptions without the tacky banging?

Alexandre Tharaud, for one. http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2006/05/dip-your-ears-no-58.html

But I thought the Olafsson was actually quite good.

[milk]

Yes well they all do that, that's the way they play C19 music so they apply the same trick to C18 music too.

When I saw your post I thought of five: Koroliov, Naoumoff, Hewitt, Block and Grinberg. But on relistening I think they're all not recommendable really.

One to check is the handful that Kempff made in the 1950s, which are much much better than his later ones for DG. Some (but not all) are on his Great Pianists, and all of them are reissues on an Australian Eloquence on a CD of encores (with a Für Elise)

When Feinberg's second recording of his transcription of BWV 662 was released in a Russian Pianists CD, piano inclined friends of mine were really impressed, it may be worth hunting out -- be careful he made two, the one that is supposed to be special lasts over 8 minutes, I can't see it on youtube, they only have the earlier one. The later one has a romantic back story because he made it just before he popped his clogs, probably quite justifiably for once.

Is everyone working off old/romantic transcriptions? Maybe it's a fertile area if musicians experiment more with it. It goes without saying that there's a boatload of amazing organ music from Bach; it seems like everyone does the same handful of pieces transcribed by Busoni and a few others? I can see what would have been attractive about this kind of music for C19 dudes...this, in addition to the WAY they play this stuff which really is unbearable. 

[milk]

I should say that I do like "Bach: Metamorphosis" by Angelika Nebel as well as the album by Stephanie/Saar. For the Nebel recording, I don't recognize the transcribers' names at all (except for V. Williams).

[Mandryka]

Is everyone working off old/romantic transcriptions?

No, Kurtag made his own transcriptions as did Kempff and Feinberg.

in addition to the WAY they play this stuff which really is unbearable.

Is it any different than what they do all the time?