Bach on the piano

Started by mn dave, November 13, 2008, 06:12:24 AM

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vers la flamme

Quote from: Todd on March 27, 2023, 04:31:28 AMPietro de Maria (beautiful playing and sonics), Haskell Small, Michael Levinas, Pi-Hsien Chen.

Thanks. I have Ms. Chen's Goldberg Variations on Naxos and I'm a big fan of it. Any others you recommend?

DavidW

Quote from: JBS on March 26, 2023, 03:17:06 PMI've always liked Perahia's Bach.
Hewitt and Schiff would be my other go-to pianists in Bach.
I love Gould but he's in a category of his own.

Those four are my short list as well.

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Recently I have enjoyed listening to French Suites by the Malaysian and Chinese pianists.








Mandryka

#1163


Possibly the main interest of this comes from the piano, a Bechstein D-280. I think the sound of the instrument -- nice strong bass, very clear registers with distinct timbres but still a metal frame modern sound,  not at all steely in the treble -- is quite disorienting actually and so for me, it is worth hearing for that alone.  It was a good choice.

The interpretation seems really nice actually, there's nothing I've noticed so far to cause much offence to people who can tolerate the instrument. The vibe is a pianist controlling things, quite patrician in a way, I think that's the word.  If it were a concert, I don't think I'd regret buying the ticket if it were just the price of the CDs.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

#1164
Quote from: vers la flamme on March 26, 2023, 01:15:22 PMTaking recs for something good of a pianist playing Bach.

What I like is David Fray, Glenn Gould, András Schiff, Sviatoslav Richter etc. Though it's been a while since I've heard any of it.

Try Burkhard Schliessmann's Goldberg Variations if you can find it. I listened to it today for the first time in many many years and I have an intuition you'll like it as much as I do. It is divisive, I've always been impressed by it, but others find it disappointing after his extraordinary Kreisleriana. And they're right, it is disappointing compared with the Schumann - but it is still a fabulons Goldberg Variations. Schliessmann is a "great pianist", whatever that means!

Schliessmann knows how to dig deep into the keys to produce a rich tone, and most importantly, he can play counterpoint - he makes the voices fit together in interesting and coherent ways. In that sense he is not unlike Sokolov - whose Bach you may also enjoy (I am more ambivalent about it, but others feel very strongly that it is exceptional.)
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Todd

The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Quote from: vers la flamme on March 26, 2023, 01:15:22 PMTaking recs for something good of a pianist playing Bach.

What I like is David Fray, Glenn Gould, András Schiff, Sviatoslav Richter etc. Though it's been a while since I've heard any of it.

Me, I like Tatiana Nikolayeva.

Mandryka

Quote from: Mandryka on November 16, 2022, 12:58:36 AM
Quote from: Dry Brett Kavanaugh on November 15, 2022, 09:30:28 PMIf I am listening to a wrong record again, please report to the Inquisition.




There was a bit of discussion about this when it came out

https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,20.14920.html


Quote from: amw on December 30, 2018, 03:57:43 AMThe Barto is not an accurate reflection of the Busoni edition on any level—the notes are closer to the Bach original, the nuances entirely Barto's. Tanski seems to be the only "proper" recording of the Bach/Busoni.


Quote from: Mandryka on December 30, 2018, 04:15:17 AMWell done for making that clearer,  when you look carefully at the recording it doesn't say that it's the Bach/Busoni, it says "after the adaption of Ferrucio Busoni", and the section in the booklet about Busoni speaks only of the organ "adaption."  I think it's slightly contemptuous of the public that Barto didn't put anything in the booklet to explain what he's done.

If you're right the CD is very misleading,  there are a couple of reviews on the UK amazon which just assert (as I would have done) that he's playing the Bach/Busoni, and I remember Don Satz, who has like 1,000 different sets of Goldbergs, telling me that it was the Bach/Busoni.

Pretty poor show on Barto's part.

Sara Davies Buechner has recorded the Bach/Busoni Goldbergs, I expect it's a pretty good performance, I haven't heard it but I remember she did the Bach/Busoni Well Tempered Clavier rather well.

[flash=200,200]https://www.youtube.com/v/3ApC9ziaH44[/flash]

Quote from: SurprisedByBeauty on December 30, 2018, 04:58:10 AMIt's not on Tzimon Barto that the liner notes are what they are -- except, perhaps, not caring enough to make sure they aren't generic standard notes. That's on the label. But yes, it's really not the Busoni version but for all practical purposes the Barto-version hiding behind the Busoni. That said, I love the recording.


https://www.qobuz.com/be-fr/album/bach-the-well-tzimon-barto/f3pydqzcinf7a
Quote from: Mandryka on November 16, 2022, 12:58:36 AMThere was a bit of discussion about this when it came out

https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,20.14920.html




Much the same sort of attitude to his new release of what is described on the sleeve as Well Tempered Clavier Book 1.  I just think it's really disingenuous of him.

https://www.qobuz.com/be-fr/album/bach-the-well-tzimon-barto/f3pydqzcinf7a
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

#1168
Enjoying a little old recordings by these Soviet female players. Yudina is fast, but not tasteless. The performance and sound quality of Nikolayeva are wonderful. These players proffer very contrasting aestheticisms. Yudina jazzy, Nikolayeva lyrical.







Mandryka

Yes I went back to the Nikolayeva's French Suites and thought they were engaging performances, attractive sound and most of all the sense of coherence within each suite, somehow she seemed to make each dance following very naturally from the preceding one - maybe my imagination of course!

She always seems to have that distinctive Nikolayeva sound, I don't what she does to achieve it. You hear it on live recordings, and I even remember it when I saw her in the  1980s.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

#1170
Quote from: Mandryka on April 01, 2023, 01:31:38 PMYes I went back to the Nikolayeva's French Suites and thought they were engaging performances, attractive sound and most of all the sense of coherence within each suite, somehow she seemed to make each dance following very naturally from the preceding one - maybe my imagination of course!

She always seems to have that distinctive Nikolayeva sound, I don't what she does to achieve it. You hear it on live recordings, and I even remember it when I saw her in the  1980s.

Yes bright, wavy sound. It's wonderful that you saw her.

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

#1171
Yudina's playing in this live recording is more gentle and nuanced in comparison to her other recordings. Was she exploring other approaches? Otherwise, just age? She made a few mistakes in the execution. Interesting performance.



milk

I'm constantly going back to Peter Hill these days. I just love him.

premont

Quote from: milk on April 05, 2023, 03:58:01 AMI'm constantly going back to Peter Hill these days. I just love him.

Very understandable. I'm no fan of Bach on piano, but consider all the same a purchase of his WTC. Presto has an offer just now.
γνῶθι σεαυτόν

Verena

Quote from: Dry Brett Kavanaugh on April 01, 2023, 06:09:36 AMEnjoying a little old recordings by these Soviet female players. Yudina is fast, but not tasteless. The performance and sound quality of Nikolayeva are wonderful. These players proffer very contrasting aestheticisms. Yudina jazzy, Nikolayeva lyrical.








I absolutely love the Bach recordings of these two pianists. The early recording of Bach Partita No 4 by Nikolayeva is wonderful, too, IMO. If only Yudina's live recordings had better sound, some live recordings of her are rather difficult to listen to.
Don't think, but look! (PI66)

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Recently I listened to these recordings of WTC 1 and 2. Unsurprisingly, the Gieseking evinces great technique, touch and tone though I'm not entirely sure if some of the pieces needed to be that fast. Anyway, it is an elegant, and occasionally flamboyant, performance. The recording sounds like DG used a noise reduction. I wonder if there is any recording without it. Demus doesn't have Gieseking's virtuosity, but his recordings are likable with nice rhythms. Also I like his left hand. For Book 2 (and cover art), I think I prefer his Westminster recording to his Stuttgart recording. There is a classy antiquity/medieval feel in the music. While the Gieseking is like a tall, magnificent cathedral, the Demus is like a small gothic church. I enjoyed the recordings by both the pianists.













Mandryka

#1176
Quote from: Dry Brett Kavanaugh on April 06, 2023, 07:45:44 PMRecently I listened to these recordings of WTC 1 and 2.[/img]





Did you ever hear Demus's 1999 WTC at Musée Christofori - Steinway C? If not PM me as it's worth hearing: whether you like it will depend on how you take the rubato, as always. But like it or not, it's worth hearing.  This series

https://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_Bach-1685-1750_000000000002339/item_Well-tempered-Clavier-Demus-P_472479
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

milk

Quote from: Mandryka on April 07, 2023, 12:00:28 AMDid you ever hear Demus's 1999 WTC at Musée Christofori - Steinway C? If not PM me as it's worth hearing: whether you like it will depend on how you take the rubato, as always. But like it or not, it's worth hearing.  This series

https://www.hmv.co.jp/en/artist_Bach-1685-1750_000000000002339/item_Well-tempered-Clavier-Demus-P_472479

These live Demus recordings are special.

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Quote from: Mandryka on March 28, 2023, 03:08:25 AM

Possibly the main interest of this comes from the piano, a Bechstein D-280. I think the sound of the instrument -- nice strong bass, very clear registers with distinct timbres but still a metal frame modern sound,  not at all steely in the treble -- is quite disorienting actually and so for me, it is worth hearing for that alone.  It was a good choice.

The interpretation seems really nice actually, there's nothing I've noticed so far to cause much offence to people who can tolerate the instrument. The vibe is a pianist controlling things, quite patrician in a way, I think that's the word.  If it were a concert, I don't think I'd regret buying the ticket if it were just the price of the CDs.

In Visconti's movie, Death in Venice, the piano Tazio plays (Fur Elise) looks like Bechstein. I'm not surprised. When he was filming another movie, Visconti insisted and had real, luxurious jewelry kept in cabinet drawers which was never opened.

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Quote from: Mandryka on March 28, 2023, 03:08:25 AM

Possibly the main interest of this comes from the piano, a Bechstein D-280. I think the sound of the instrument -- nice strong bass, very clear registers with distinct timbres but still a metal frame modern sound,  not at all steely in the treble -- is quite disorienting actually and so for me, it is worth hearing for that alone.  It was a good choice.

The interpretation seems really nice actually, there's nothing I've noticed so far to cause much offence to people who can tolerate the instrument. The vibe is a pianist controlling things, quite patrician in a way, I think that's the word.  If it were a concert, I don't think I'd regret buying the ticket if it were just the price of the CDs.

Again, I think this recording is like a fine meal at a 4 star French restaurant rather than a greasy and salty food at your favorite pizzeria.