Bach Chaconne Final Cadence - Minor, Open octaves or T de P?

[theodopolis]

I have several recordings of this piece in original and transcription form:
Jascha Heifetz to Arturo Michelangeli
Jorge Bolet to harpsichordist Skip Sempe
Olivier Latry, organist of Notre-Dame-de-Paris, to Ferrucio Busoni

The pianists in live concert tend to end on a glorious Tierce de Picardie.
Busoni's piano roll recording ends in open octaves, as does the Bach's original violin version.
This open octave is followed too by the harpsichordist.
However, the organ transcription ends on a thunderous D-minor chord and this is my personally preferred solution.

I feel that not all pieces have to end with satisfying optimism which the T de P supplies; I believe that the repeated opening to conclude the work signifies the the slowness of change in the work's variations.
The open octaves are a sensible soulution on the violin but seem less effective on the piano and create a feeling of indecision.


Does anyone else have an opinion on the conclusion of this monumental work?

Thanks
Theodopolis

[faulty_damper]

I don't think it really matters if it ends with a picardie 3rd or the tonic minor.  I think it sounds better with the tonic because that picardie comes as a rather resolute surprise.  But then if it were a solo performance of the piece, I would picardie it.  But if it were in a program with other works, then it depends on the character of the next piece on whether it would end in the major or minor mode.

[SteinwayTony]

I've always ended it in D major.  I think it sounds the best, and Bach loved using the picardie (probably because of his massive amount of sacred works), so it's moderately authentic.

[IanT]

I have been playing D+ because that's what's written in the score I have.  Did anyone other than Busoni publish a transcription of this work?  It's interesting that Busoni's recording ends with open octaves when his score ends with a chord.  Are there other versions of the score available?

On a personal level, I prefer the major ending.  I think it brings the piece to a more definite conclusion.  There are a couple of places earlier in the work that sound very much like endings and which can easily confuse the audience.  I think it's good to give them that extra clue that this is in fact the final ending.

Ian

[pbr2005]

Bach left it as an open chord, didn't he? - I trust him.  And I do think it just sounds more profound that way.  Besdies, he knew how to write a major third if he wanted one.