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Bach Recommendations


paul secor

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I don't know much about this music, so I hope it's ok if I say that I really really really really really really enjoy listening to the Gould solo piano recordings that have been mentioned here and elsewhere.

I would not have known about them had I not read about them on this board.

I would use adjectives with positive connotation to describe the music.

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  • 3 weeks later...

As there was some discussion back and forth on the Goldberg Variations recordings by Gould and Perahia, I thought it might be of some interest how they are rated in the 2011 edition of the Gramophone Classical Music Guide book.

Many different performer's versions of the Goldberg Variations are rated, and the two with the very highest ratings are the Perahia and Gould. In fact, both Perahia's recording and Gould's recording are among the few recordings of any work by any performer of any composer, to get the Gramophone "super-duper symbol" (I forget what it is, exactly), which means that they are above even the highest number of diamonds which Gramophone awards, and that Gramophone considers it to be an incredibly great recording.

The narrative descriptions for both the Perahia and the Gould recordings contain praise so great that it approaches hyperbole for both.

So, perhaps one can dismiss Gramophone, but I thought it might be interesting that a commonly used guide to classical music rated both recordings so highly.

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So, perhaps one can dismiss Gramophone...

Porquoi?

It's a set of opinions and personal responses like everyone else's. Generally based on genuine enthusiasm, detailed knowledge and careful listening (and, thank the lord, far less stuffiness than 30 years ago).

Balance what you read there against what you read elsewhere. Above all, trust your own ears.

Edited by A Lark Ascending
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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks, I was being a little sarcastic. :smirk: Read those Amazon reviews, and also researched on r.m.c.r. (Google Groups archives). Tipo's often been recommended to me over the years (with the "idiosyncratic" proviso), but I never got around to her recordings. I listened to the Amazon samples and was very impressed by her Goldbergs. I also threw a disc of Tipo's Scarlatti (and one of Haskil's Mozart/Scarlatti) in the order.

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Just picked up a copy of violist Lillian Fuchs (1902-99) playing her arrangements of the Bach Cello Suites (recorded in the early 1950s):

http://www.amazon.com/Bach-6-Suites-Cello-Solo/dp/B00079W8PY/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1309095923&sr=1-2

Wow.

Some complete movements on YouTube:

Thanks for pointing this one out. I thought I should wait awhile before buying another cello suite set, but the videos got me and since she's playing viola it doesn't count regarding my cello moratorium.

And now that Spotify is in the US, it's on there too if one can't wait for a CD copy in the mail.

Like you said, wow.

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Just picked up a copy of violist Lillian Fuchs (1902-99) playing her arrangements of the Bach Cello Suites (recorded in the early 1950s):

Thanks for pointing this one out. I thought I should wait awhile before buying another cello suite set, but the videos got me and since she's playing viola it doesn't count regarding my cello moratorium.

And now that Spotify is in the US, it's on there too if one can't wait for a CD copy in the mail.

Like you said, wow.

Gotta get these too, sound great.

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"Sing unto the Lord a new song" (BWV 225).

and they did it, perhaps a bit different as you may think, but worth to check out:

Bach now! - live (Universal Classics 472 190-2)

recorded live in Salvatorkirche Duisburg and Philharmonie Köln

17th and 18th of June 2001.

Joachim Kühn, Thomanerchor Leipzig, conductor: Thomaskantor Georg Christoph Biller.

The roots of "Thomanerchor" reaches back to the year 1212, Johann Sebastian Bach as Kantor

from 1723 to 1750 presided over the Thomanerchor, and Joachim Kühn was born in Leipzig in 1944.

So it is a very special "reunion".

Edited by manfred
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Listened to Masaaki Suzuki's harpsichord version of Golgbergs on BIS website ( http://bis.se/naxos.php?aID=BIS-CD-819 ) - I think it's excellent. Will get the CD now.

Got this one and it is absolutely fantastic! The sound is beautiful - very warm (well, for a harpsichord) and with good surprisingly full bass. My old Leonhardt Goldbergs will not get much action anymore, I guess.
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Bach Partitas performed by

Alexis Weissenberg (recorded in the late 60`s for EMI)

http://www.amazon.de/Bach-Partitas-No-1-3-5-6/dp/B000CSUY06/ref=sr_1_17?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1352283455&sr=1-17

Piotr Anderszewski

http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Partitas-Nos-Johann-Sebastian/dp/B00005UV9B/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352284029&sr=8-1&keywords=Piotr+Anderszewski+bach

Regarding sensitively played and beautifully recorded Sonatas for Viola da Gamba and Cembalo, give a try to

Lorenz Duftschmid + Andrea Marcon

This CD can be obtained via their website http://www.armonicotributo.com/Shop/Shop.html

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  • 3 months later...

Some of the greatest Bach on record can be found in the prewar recordings of Josef Szigeti, one issue is on Biddulph, there may be others. Edwin Fischer's Well Tempered Clavier is wonderful as well. For the Brandenburgs I like the Busch Chamber Players, Benjamin Britten and Reinhard Goebel; some unique versions of the large scale works: B minor Mass conducted by Enescu, Furtwangler's Matthaeus Passion.

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Some favorites, after half a year or so of intense listening to classical music (which Bach ain't, I know) - listed in no particular order:

Violin Sonatas & Partitas:

- Szigeti

- Szeryng (1967, don't know the earlier recording yet, it's a bit too expensive)

- Grumiaux

- Zehetmair

Cello Suites:

- Casals (EMI, late 30s)

- Schiefen

- Gaillard

(I guess Fournier will make that list, too, but not that familiar yet.)

Sonatas for violin and harpsichord:

- Grumiaux/Jaccottet

- Laredo/Gould

Sonatas for viola da gamba and harpsichord:

- Rose/Gould (hellyeah!)

Goldberg Variations:

- Gould (both Columbias)

- Tureck (EMI 1957)

(now don't yell at me, the Rousset, Hantaï and Rannou are here, found the latter a bit weird, haven't played the other two yet)

The Well-Tempered Clavier:

- Gulda

- Edwin Fischer

(I've got Hanaï's first book around ... and enjoyed what I've heard from Gould, too, but not familiar enough to decide yet .. got to get more harpsichord here ... and maybe Tureck, too)

Brandenburg Concertos & Orchestral Suites:

- Menuhin (Bath, EMI)

(clearly room for more here!)

Piano Concertos:

- Gould

- Edwin Fischer

Violin Concertos:

- Menuhin

- Ferras

(I guess I prefer the Bath Menuhins over the Enescu ones ... and for BWV 1043 I might prefer Ferras/Schwalbé over Menuhin/Ferras, not quite sure)

Cantatas:

(Don't quite know yet ... but whatever I've heard sung by Janet Baker and Elly Ameling has been wonderful, partcularly "Ich habe genug" BWV 82 by Baker! Also have some fine ones - or rather just arias - by Anne Sofie von Otter ... while Kozená doesn't convince me too much.)

Other than that, I've got plenty more harpsichord/piano stuff around, more recordings of the Cello Suites to explore, and the Mass in B Minor (Gardiner) as well as the St. John and St. Matthew Passions (both by Gönnenwein, the later also by Karl Richter and Paul McCreesh).

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Some of the best Bach concertos recordings I've heard are by Cafe Zimmerman on Alpha. Very vigorous playing, and fantastic sound.

I had Menuhin Bath too, and it went directly to second-hand shop once I've heard Cafe Zimmerman. Watch out amazon.es, they have the 6-CD Cafe Zimmerman box for cheap from time to time: http://www.amazon.es...dp/B005IQXUQW

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For violin sonatas / partitas I like whoever is in the DG Archiv "All Baroque" box. Milstein, iirc.

Edited by Д.Д.
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