Well Tempered Clavier

[steinwayargentina]

What versions of the well tempered clavier have you listened and what do you think about its. And what is the rarest version of WTC that wou know.
How if we make little reviews about the recordings on the maket?

[burstroman]

Many years ago, I heard Artur Balsam play both bks, and he had an lp of the WTC for sale in the foyer after the recital.  It was great.

[iumonito]

What versions of the well tempered clavier have you listened and what do you think about its. And what is the rarest version of WTC that wou know.
How if we make little reviews about the recordings on the maket?

My Favorite is Edwin Fisher's.  I like Jorg Demus very much too.  I think if there was a baremboim version, it would go to the top 3 very quickly, as I think he is the greatest musician alive.

The list of the ones I dislike is too large, but Gould, Richter and Schiff are prominent in it.

My first one was Walcha, on the harpsichord.  I wish I still had it, I suspect I would like it better now.

Rarest, in the sense of most strange, for me is Ton Koopman's.  He plays them in an assorment of organ, (amplified) clavichord and harpsichord, and not in the order they are usually printed.

[steinwayargentina]

I have listened Edwin Fischer too and certainly hi is great, i love how he plays the fugues so lirycal and de colors he make in the preludes I recomend to anybody that likes Bach to listen Edwin Fischer.
Have you ever listened Gulda WTC???
Greetings from argentina.

[maxy]

ok I listened to:

Gould, Richter, Feinberg, Gulda, Gieseking, Schiff, Hewitt, Edwin Fischer, Horszowski (book 1). 

I love the Richter (live one even better than studio).  Feinberg is also fantastic.

Edwin Fischer is interesting in his somewhat mystical  approach.

I find Gulda and Hewitt simply boring...

Gould is Gould, I like it.

[BoliverAllmon]

I just ordered bernard roberts set of the WTC. I am curious how it is. It was real cheap. 5 bucks for both books.

boliver

[m1469]

I just ordered bernard roberts set of the WTC. I am curious how it is. It was real cheap. 5 bucks for both books.

boliver

Woah.. that is cheapy cheapy.  Tell us what you think !

I have Tureck, Richter, and Hewitt.  I have listened to Rosalyn the most and I do quite like it, and I have listened to Angela a bit also.  I will admit, what I heard I really enjoyed !  I need to do more listening though 


m1469

[BoliverAllmon]

sure will. my teacher says that roberts is pretty good.

[contrapunctus]

Do you prefer the WTC to be played on the piano or the harpsichord?

Oh, and Gould for me of course.

[m1469]

Do you prefer the WTC to be played on the piano or the harpsichord?

Maybe you are asking only one person (and not me), but apparently I am answering anyway  .

Here is what I have just decided :  I do not prefer one over the other... rather, I just prefer different doses of each. 

[steinwayargentina]

I personally prefer generaly Bach played on Piano, i dont now, maby because i think that one can be more personal, I like to listen how the other people see bach music and sometimes harpsichord interpretations sounds to me like the same recording if I dont listen carefully but this is my problem Im not saying that they are all the same, and also I use to play the Harpsichord and I love how it sounds but I just prefer it to acompany, anyway I think that is esential to listen Bach in Harpsichord and in Organ when you study him because you can develope from there an idea of the sound you want or not.
By the way a have readed (I dont remember where) that recent researchs have discovered that WTC is not realy or entirely for the Harpsichord it seems to be that some P&Fs are concived for Organ, Clavicembalo, and even Lute. Did you hearded something about that, I remember a CD that my teachers show me one time that have some P&Fs played on Harpsichord, organ and fortepiano. Pablo

[iumonito]

Slightly edited quote.

By the way a have read (I don't remember where) that recent resear has discovered that WTC is not realy or entirely for the Harpsichord it seems to be that some P&Fs are concived for Organ, clavichord, and even Lute. Did you hearded something about that, I remember a CD that my teachers show me one time that have some P&Fs played on Harpsichord, organ and fortepiano. Pablo

Yep.  You can tell because of the writing.  The A minor fugue book one requires pedals.  Although there is such as thing as a haprsichord with pedals, the piece is more likely for organ.  Other ones that work better on the organ are C sharp minor book one, E-flat major both book one and two, G minor book 2, F major book two and of course C major book two.  Ton Koopman's recording taps into this.

E flat/D sharp minor, book one and C sharp minor book two seem to me typical clavichord music, while things like B-flat major book one or D minor book two work best on the harpsichord.

Think of it as a fake book (the book with a bunch of jazz standards).  It is supposed to be played with an assorment of instruments.

The fortepianos of the time were not very good and as far as I know Bach did not routinely had access to one in Coethen, so I think it unlikely the fortepiano is a candidate, at least for the ones on book one.  The same not true for the Musical Offering, as Frederick II had quite a few of those.

I like them on the piano better because I feel you can express the music better, although being mindful of how one would have to play this stuff in order to be expressive in the other instruments is crucial, even if the same type of rubato or ornamentation is not necessary to obtain the same emotional outcome.

[fuel925]

I think if there was a baremboim version, it would go to the top 3 very quickly, as I think he is the greatest musician alive.

There is a Barenboim version, because I have book I (and i've seen his book II for sale)

[iumonito]

Cool!  I shall hear it.  Thanks.

Do you like it?  You seem less than enthused.  Maybe I will buy it from you if you don't want it and it is not scratched. 

[bennom]

I have listened Edwin Fischer too and certainly hi is great, i love how he plays the fugues so lirycal and de colors he make in the preludes I recomend to anybody that likes Bach to listen Edwin Fischer.
Have you ever listened Gulda WTC???
Greetings from argentina.

Gulda is great. So underestimated!

Tureck is the best; Gould should be banned from students' ears.

[contrapunctus]

Gould should be banned from students' ears.

Why do you say so? Gould teaches the very important concept of individuality, and that it is quite rediculous to follow any "rules" of music because they are most definately not concrete.

[iumonito]

Gulda is great. So underestimated!

Tureck is the best; Gould should be banned from students' ears.

I couldn't agree more re Gould.  It is weak from a musicological point of view, stingy from an emotional one, and extremely neurotic.  Most definitely not what young minds need for them to learn and appreciate this great masterwork that dear Mr. Gould used as a backdrop for his incommesurable ego.

[liszt1022]

I have Bernard Roberts and I think he's great. He has an interesting take on Prelude #2 in Book I that I can't listen to, but other than that it's good listening. A solid first-buy if you want to hear what they sound like at reasonable tempos and (usually) "conservative" interpretation. He has an excellent Beethoven sonata cycle out also.

[bennom]

I couldn't agree more re Gould.  It is weak from a musicological point of view, stingy from an emotional one, and extremely neurotic.  Most definitely not what young minds need for them to learn and appreciate this great masterwork that dear Mr. Gould used as a backdrop for his incommesurable ego.

He is all mannerism!!!

Second thought: I was inspired by him, as a youngster, to actually practice. So I guess I owe him big time.

But in present time, I find his "style" being the dominant style, he is considered to be the best Bach interpreter. Pianists are trying hard to imitate him. But he cannot and should not be imitated, because his style is not a style, it is a combination of mannerism and neuroticism and...
*sigh* whatever, if people loves him, what can I do.