Recordings That You Are Considering

[Bulldog]

Her WTC is excellent ...

I reviewed this recording for MusicWeb two or three years ago.  The playing is very demonstrative - sometimes it seems to explode from the speakers.  I liked it a lot, although I can imagine some folks finding it overly aggressive as they listen to all of it in one sitting.

[Bulldog]

I'm listening to Hewitt's new WTC samples on hyperion's site and they sound pretty good to me...and would make an inviting alternative to the cool and somewhat detached set I now have by Gulda.

They sound real good to me also.  Since I haven't listened to her first WTC lately, I'm not in a position to make comparisons between the two efforts.  I just might change my mind about acquiring the new set.

Gulda is "cooler"; that's also fine with me (love the Gulda, wish the sound quality was better).

[prémont]

 I finally got what I believe to be the worst recording of any works of Bach I own - Die Sonaten fur Viola da gamba und Cembalo with Keith Jarrett playing the piano.  

Yes, I would suppose so, - never thought of acquiring it.

[DavidRoss]

But is "cool" really a bad quality when it comes to works of Bach?

Did someone suggest that it is? 

But, after giving it some thought, I propose that it's not necessarily bad--especially insofar as a cooler approach may help some appreciate the architecture--but sometimes seems deficient.  In much of Bach's music I hear a generously expansive human soul, brimming with playful vitality and joyful wit.  An overly cerebral approach that misses the warm, emotional center of such music may have many merits, but fail to connect emotionally or viscerally.  Thus, for instance, though I admire the sainted Grumiaux's comparatively austere partitas & sonatas, my heart belongs to the saucy Rachel Podger's exuberant and lively recordings.

[karlhenning]

Considering restoring the Järvi/SNO Prokofiev symphony set to our shelves, out of curiosity.  I remember the orchestra playing well, and good sound, of course.  Back at the time I found myself incurably annoyed at the non-together bits in (e.g.) the Seventh . . . but I am game to revisit the crime-scene . . . .

[Coopmv]

They sound real good to me also.  Since I haven't listened to her first WTC lately, I'm not in a position to make comparisons between the two efforts.  I just might change my mind about acquiring the new set.

Gulda is "cooler"; that's also fine with me (love the Gulda, wish the sound quality was better).

But the SQ on Gulda's (2) sets has to be better than that of Rosalyn Tureck's set.

[Coopmv]

Yes, I would suppose so, - never thought of acquiring it.

Keith Jarrett is not a bad pianist, albeit a crossover pianist (from jazz like Andre Previn).  This Handel's recording by him is very good in my opinion.

[Bulldog]

But the SQ on Gulda's (2) sets has to be better than that of Rosalyn Tureck's set.

That's right, but I find that Gulda needs decent sound more than Tureck.

[Coopmv]

That's right, but I find that Gulda needs decent sound more than Tureck.

Why is that?  I thought the Tureck's recording was made earlier?

[Bulldog]

Why is that?  I thought the Tureck's recording was made earlier?

For me, the Tureck performances transcend poor sound; Gulda isn't quite in her league.

[Coopmv]

For me, the Tureck performances transcend poor sound; Gulda isn't quite in her league.

Gulda isn't quite in her league?  Is it with respect to WTC or is it in general?  I thought Gulda's Beethoven Piano Sonatas is one of the best available sets out there.  Obviously, Bach and Beethoven are quite different ...

[prémont]

Keith Jarrett is not a bad pianist, albeit a crossover pianist (from jazz like Andre Previn). 

I do not know much about his jazz-performances. My experience with Jarrett are some of his harpsichord recordings, among which a very full and sonorous continuo to Michala Petri`s Händel recorder sonatas, and his beautiful but under-articulated Bach French suites. He is a technically gifted and imaginative player, and I wish he was more informed. But a CD vith Bach´s viola da gamba / harpsichord sonatas arranged for modern viola and piano  - well just the thought of it puts a damper on my potential interest. As to Händel´s harpsichord suites I recall, that Jarrett even plays these on modern piano. The piano probably suits his style better than the harpsichord, and I never really understood, why he recorded the French suites and part of the WTC on a harpsichord, when he does not treat it like that.

[jlaurson]

I do not know much about his jazz-performances. My experience with Jarrett are some of his harpsichord recordings, among which a very full and sonorous continuo to Michala Petri`s Händel recorder sonatas, and his beautiful but under-articulated Bach French suites. He is a technically gifted and imaginative player, and I wish he was more informed. But a CD vith Bach´s viola da gamba / harpsichord sonatas arranged for modern viola and piano  - well just the thought of it puts a damper on my potential interest. As to Händel´s harpsichord suites I recall, that Jarrett even plays these on modern piano. The piano probably suits his style better than the harpsichord, and I never really understood, why he recorded the French suites and part of the WTC on a harpsichord, when he does not treat it like that.

That's a pretty fair assessment of KJ... Piano does suite him better.

Although I like some of his harpsichord playing (his unrelenting, sewing-machine Goldberg Variations for example), it's made of stuff that would drive most harpsichordists completely bunkers.

The Handel Sonatas (piano)  are _very_ nice, though... an excellently put together selection and interpretation that I find preferable to Richter/Gavrilov.


Handel, Suites

I very much like his Mozart--two recordings very much underrated in the US, I find. No-nonsense, matter-of-factly Mozart playing that could perhaps said to be in the vain of Alicia de Larrocha.



Mozart, K467, 488, and 595


Mozart, K271, 453, and 466

I find the best of his classical work to be his DSCH Preludes & Fugues, though. Like Bach, not like Schumann (Nikolayeva). I can listen to those over and over and over without tiring. Stupendous, IMO.


DSCH, 24 Preludes & Fugues op.87

[George]

Has anyone compared the more recent remaster of this CD

to the earlier mastering:

VAI's site says this of the remaster:

A radically improved re-mastering of our first version of this release, using the original lacquer discs as the audio source. This new version also includes the radio announcements and commentary that accompanied the original broadcast.

[Bogey]

[springrite]

Geiseking's Debussy is considered by many to be the standard, the classic, the must. For some reason it never clicked with me. I still prefer the various different approaches by Jacob, Michelangeli, Richter, Kocsis, Moravac, etc. I still give the Geiseking a listen every few months though, just in case something clicks.

[mc ukrneal]

Geiseking's Debussy is considered by many to be the standard, the classic, the must. For some reason it never clicked with me. I still prefer the various different approaches by Jacob, Michelangeli, Richter, Kocsis, Moravac, etc. I still give the Geiseking a listen every few months though, just in case something clicks.

Kocsis in my man in this music (and in great sound too). I connect with him more. I wouldn't worry about 'clicking' with Geiseking if you don't already. You've listed a whole lot of other (good) interpreters.

[Bogey]

Geiseking's Debussy is considered by many to be the standard, the classic, the must. For some reason it never clicked with me. I still prefer the various different approaches by Jacob, Michelangeli, Richter, Kocsis, Moravac, etc. I still give the Geiseking a listen every few months though, just in case something clicks.

If you can locate a picture, what does the Moravec cd look like, Paul?

[springrite]

If you can locate a picture, what does the Moravec cd look like, Paul?

It is the VOX double CD, half Chopin and half Debussy. (I prefer his Debussy to his Chopin).

[Bogey]

Thanks!  So, if it is only one disc worth of Debussy, and the Geiseking has four discs, then I would have to piece his music together with more than one performer, yes?