Bach on the piano

[Opus106]

I won't watch this, Navneeth, but Schiff is indeed  a man of strong opinions. He likes to start any comment of the WTC with some "warm" words dedicated to the harpsichord. 

Nah, it's not that bad. He doesn't have any strong words against the harpsichord; he simply dismisses it outright when it comes to the WTC.

[prémont]

Some weeks ago, I attended a recital of András Schiff and, as I hoped, it was a formidable experience.

Did he play Bach at that recital?

[Wakefield]

Did he play Bach at that recital?

Yes, but just the last encore: the first movement of the Italian Concerto. A lovely and highly spirited way of finishing a great recital.

[Sammy]

How does this new one compare with his old Decca set, Don?

For me, Schiff's new WTC is better than the Decca:  superior sound quality and no more irritating mannerisms.  Most important, I sense that Schiff and Bach are now as one; too often on Schiff's Decca recordings I had the feeling that he was on the sidelines observing the music.

[PaulSC]

I suppose I shall have to get over Schiff's ugly dismissal of the harpsichord (which put me off his ECM Goldbergs) and give the new WTC set a chance. After all, I like his first WTC cycle reasonably well, and the occasional fussiness of those performances seems to be something he has outgrown as his playing has matured.

Yes, but just the last encore: the first movement of the Italian Concerto. A lovely and highly spirited way of finishing a great recital.

For what it's worth, I love Bach on both piano and harpsichord, as long as the right musician is seated at the keyboard. Arguments in favor of one instrument or the other are beside the point for me. But even the most ardent harpsichord lover might admit it would be a shame if we couldn't hear Bach in recital alongside Beethoven and Bartok.

[Marc]

http://www.youtube.com/v/TdzLWKuo0YA

Excerpts from an interview with András Schiff on the 48. As expected, he has some opinions with which a lot of people may disagree.

Sure, but no problem to me.
It's still nice, entertaining and insightful to listen to.

Personally: disagreement with f.i. his harpsichord problem(s), agreement f.i. with his tempo interpretations (Andante) and most of all: agreement with his statement that Bach composed human music with a down-to-earth message. After all, that great man was human himself and living on that good ole planet earth, like us.

[Opus106]

agreement with his statement that Bach composed human music with a down-to-earth message. After all, that great man was human himself and living on that good ole planet earth, like us.

Hear, hear.

Yet, that paradoxically makes him seem super-human, if you get my drift.

[Marc]

Hear, hear.

Yet, that paradoxically makes him seem super-human, if you get my drift.

Yet, even already as a non-super-human child , I felt immediately at home with his music.

I know many people tend to say or suggest that this great religious composer called Bach must be some demi-God or at least the Fifth Evangelist, but in my Book religion, Gods and Gospels were created by humans, too.

But I'm going off-topic now.
Schiff's WTK will be on my (far too long and expensive) wishlist.

[Mandryka]

I've started to listen to FR5 here:



It's not at all bad. But not top notch IMO. There's not enough emotional contrasts between the dances for me, and there's a certain jumpy nervousness I can hear in his style which I don't like. I don't think he is as emotionally deep in the slow dances as Koroliov and I don't think he's as free and spontaneous  as Gilels in the fast dances. He doesn't come close to good harpsichord versions like Koopman's.

Gilels remains my top dog in this one on piano - I think this is a particularly wonderful Bach piano performance, especially in the Courante:

http://www.youtube.com/v/1VD2_o7npZo http://www.youtube.com/v/TEBJu4FsMMo

[Verena]

I've started to listen to FR5 here:



It's not at all bad. But not top notch IMO. There's not enough emotional contrasts between the dances for me, and there's a certain jumpy nervousness I can hear in his style which I don't like. I don't think he is as emotionally deep in the slow dances as Koroliov and I don't think he's as free and spontaneous  as Gilels in the fast dances. He doesn't come close to good harpsichord versions like Koopman's.

Gilels remains my top dog in this one on piano - I think this is a particularly wonderful Bach piano performance, especially in the Courante:

http://www.youtube.com/v/1VD2_o7npZo http://www.youtube.com/v/TEBJu4FsMMo

Yes, the Gilels is wonderful - thanks for making us aware of this recording. I do like that Schiff DVD on the whole, at least on first listen.

[PaulSC]

Schiff is performing both books of the WTC in a pair of October recitals in nearby San Francisco. Seriously considering tickets...

[DavidRoss]

Schiff is performing both books of the WTC in a pair of October recitals in nearby San Francisco. Seriously considering tickets…

Thanks for the tip! Is this through SF Performances, Mondavi, or Cal? & where in or near the Bay Area are you? (Please pm if you'd rather not disclose your location publicly. )

[PaulSC]

Thanks for the tip! Is this through SF Performances, Mondavi, or Cal? & where in or near the Bay Area are you? (Please pm if you'd rather not disclose your location publicly. )

It's part of the San Francisco Symphony season (their recital series). I'm down in Santa Cruz...

[springrite]

Bach Partitas (Zhu Xiao-Mei)

This is what I texted to a friend about this set:

"If you had a wife who plays Bach for you every night, you'd want her to play it just like this: Warm, intimate, without being overly passionate or sexy; technically secure and polished without flashy virtuosic display. In one word: homey."

[Scarpia]

Schiff is performing both books of the WTC in a pair of October recitals in nearby San Francisco. Seriously considering tickets...

That sounds wonderful, except that I can't imagine an entire book of the WTC in one sitting.   I normally listen to them a few at a time.

[PaulSC]

That sounds wonderful, except that I can't imagine an entire book of the WTC in one sitting.   I normally listen to them a few at a time.

It was wonderful, even though I too prefer smaller doses. Schiff proceeded quickly from the end of each fugue to the beginning of the next prelude. Not with any pretense that successive P&Fs were connected, but with an effect of sustained concentration. He played the C major from Book II as an encore.

[Kontrapunctus]

I've  been enjoying Caspar Frantz' set of French Suites on the Ars label--this SACD has superb sound and his playing is very vibrant.

[Mandryka]

I love Schliessmann's Schumann recordings.  I've had his Goldbergs for a couple of years but don't find it special (yet).

I bought a copy of this in the end and I like what I'm hearing -- I like the way he separates the voices and gives each voice its own character, I like the slightly disconcerting quality that that brings when he brings the voices together - it's as if they don't fit, and yet they do. Especially in the 2nd half.

[Sammy]

I bought a copy of this in the end and I like what I'm hearing -- I like the way he separates the voices and gives each voice its own character, I like the slightly disconcerting quality that that brings when he brings the voices together - it's as if they don't fit, and yet they do. Especially in the 2nd half.

Glad you're enjoying Schliessmann's Goldbergs.  It's probably been over a year since I last played it; guess it's about time for a few more spins.

[trung224]

 has anyone heard this [asin]B00564WMWE[/asin]
  For me, Tharaud takes a convincing romanticized Bach especially in minor key concertos