Bach: Keyboard Works

[sniks7]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dshea_32665 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I only own the Gould recording of the Goldberg Variations. I love this recording but I know it is a bit controversial. I would love to add some recordings of solo keyboard works to my collection and would love to hear your thoughts. dshea

I honestly don't want to start this thread all over again.. But can anyone answer this in relation to vinyl?!

 

[Masolino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sniks7 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I honestly don't want to start this thread all over again.. But can anyone answer this in relation to vinyl?!

Plenty of old timer's Bach is available on vinyl. Try Wanda Landowska? Helmut Walcha? Edwin Fischer? Walter Gieseking? Claudio Arrau? Rosalind Tureck? Even not so old-timer's Bach can be found on lp's. Andreas Schiff, for example.

 

[Bunnyears]

Has anyone heard anything about Christopher Hogwood's Clavichord recordings?

Here's his recording of Bach:

 

[Masolino]

I have his Secret Mozart - a charming recording but I wouldn't say it's an unqualified success unless one is already a fan of Hogwood's solo work. Do you like his recording of the French Suites from more than a decade ago? To these ears H's (rather straightforward) style doesN'T seem to have changed much over time. He used several instruments in the Mozart recording (all originals including one owned by Mozart himself) and produced (unsurprisingly) uneven results qua sound. I have heard more pleasing clavichord recordings such as Marcia Hadjimarkos playing Haydn sonatas on Zigzag Territories. Of course Hogwood may have less gritty sounding instruments at his disposal in the Bach disc - who knows?

 

[Bunnyears]

The album is available at BMG music stores at a very reasonable price. He also has two similar albums of Bach (well reviewed) and Händel. I will get this "Secret Mozart" because it is being offered to me for about $1.00 with the other cds in the cart.

If I like it I will certainly try to find the other cds which, unfortunately have not shown up at BMG.

Meanwhile I was listening to Dantone's WTC earlier in the week and as I find it an awesome recording, I must thank you for the recommendation.

And speaking of recommendations, the Mozart am Stein Vis-a-vis arrived last night. I've been listening to that all morning, and again a big thank you for the recommendation.

Of course, my wallet is not as grateful, but hopefully it will (eventually) recover.

 

[Bunnyears]

Now on to the more interesting point: Hogwood's solo work.

I always thought of Hogwood as being particularly English in his solo play -- very straight forward and not given to overmuch ornamentation. I don't know if he has changed much since those old Decca recordings, but I suppose I will find out now. Last night I saw Richard Egarr and the Academy of Ancient Music playing a program of Händel and Telemann which was very well done. Of course, Egarr played the harpsichord, but there were few solos to judge his play. Rachel Brown did the flute and recorder solos and her work is very fine. It was a bit disconcerting watching Egarr trying to conduct by gyrating his head, but the musicians seemed very comfortable with all the jerks, fits and starts. From the audience it looked as if he were in a semi-uncontrolled epileptic fit.

The most annoying part of the evening was noting the number of people (in a sell out crowd) who actually nodded off during the Telemann pieces. What is even more amazing is that these very same people who couldn't keep their eyes open or the heads from lolling around their shoulders still jumped up to give thunderous applause at the end of each piece.

Which brings me to Richard Egarr's Goldberg Variations which I dragged out again to listen to after coming home. Unfortunately, these are not, imo, in the top tier of Goldbergs. Too often he seems to lose the structure of the piece or lose forward momentum while he meanders through pieces that to my ears demand a bit more propulsion. He does play a wonderful sounding instrument in the recording, though and I can completely appreciate his well researched system of temperament.

 

[Masolino]

Sorry I meant to say that H has changed LITTLE from the time when he made those Decca recordings... and thanks for the AAM concert review. I haven't got the Stein Vis-a-vis disc yet as HM recordings will be quite a bit cheaper to buy in Taiwan.

The Secret Bach and the Secret Handel will probably not be available from BMG, since they were and still are issued by Metronome, which is an independent British label. The Mozart, on the other hand, was issued by DHM, and this explains (I think) their very different status regarding availability. Hogwood et al. must have switched labels half way.

 

[Bunnyears]

Thanks for the correction, but at that price I think I can take the gamble.

 

[Masolino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the correction, but at that price I think I can take the gamble.

Well it will NOT be a gamble. It is a little "charming disc" as I said, and I don't regret owning it ever. Actually it was sold for so little in Taiwan (online store mispricing), i bought several copies to give to family and friends who I know like Mozart and don't have a problem with period instruments. Here I saw Bach and Handel discs at local shops and may request a listen it if opportunities present themselves.

 

[Masolino]

I just ran into a couple of familiar names at this website called cd baby which sells cds directly for the musicians themselves. They have some really intersting recordings from people like Jaap Schroder (now running chamber group Atlantis Ensemble), Kenneth Slowik (as both cellist and fortepianist!) Max van Egmond, Peter Watchorn, and Anthony Newman. Bach recordings from Watchorn (English Suites, WTC1) and Newman (two WTC1 recordings, piano and harpsichord) are offered for very reasonable prices plus a generous number of excerpts can be heard in mp3. From what I have heard of these, the musicians really deserve to be better known than they seem to be at the moment.







http://cdbaby.com/home

 

[Bunnyears]

Hi Masolino,

You are so adept at finding ways to coax the money out of my wallet!

 

[Masolino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi Masolino, You are so adept at finding ways to coax the money out of my wallet!

Hehe dear Bunnyears I thought only you would pay any attention to my recommendations. Help Watchorn, Newman, Slowik and Schroeder, all of whom seem to be out of contracts with any record company at the moment.

(Mr. Newman even makes a living now as a wedding planner, not that there is anything wrong with being one...) There are few more, such as Jeffery Thomas and his American Bach Soloists, ekeing out on the internet through Magnatune. Has direct sale been a good or bad thing for these performing artists? I have no idea.

ps. Having liked what I heard of Thomas Fey's way with Mozart, I ordered his Handel Concerti Grossi disc (Accent) today. I will report back if it turns out to be another stunner like his Haydn or Beethoven.

p.p. s. Peter Watchorn's WTC1 was recorded using the new "Lehman" tuning system as well as a pedal harpsichord. There is a "lively" discussion on this recording at jsbach.org where the performer speaks up in defense of his choices. http://www.jsbach.org/welltemperedbook.html I think I like the way the instrument sounds a lot.

 

[Bunnyears]

Actually, I'm not as fond of Fey's Mozart as I am of his Beethoven and Haydn. What I heard seemed a bit forced, although I have not heard more than part of a cd. I'll have to look at it again. His Beethoven and Haydn are excellent, so I suspect his Mozart will be at the least very good.

His orchestra is not period instrument, but it sounds very "period" indeed. Bernard Labadie's ensemble, Les Violons du Roy also use modern instruments, but they use baroque style bows and bowing techniques. I'd prefer the sound of gut strings, but at least they are not guilty of Hurwitzian vibrato.

 

[Masolino]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bunnyears /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually, I'm not as fond of Fey's Mozart as I am of his Beethoven and Haydn. What I heard seemed a bit forced, although I have not heard more than part of a cd. I'll have to look at it again. His Beethoven and Haydn are excellent, so I suspect his Mozart will be at the least very good.

Depending one's concept of the Mozartean style, what was described as Fey's "bang & twang" approach may work better for Beethoven and Haydn than for Mozart, whose work seems an epitome of primarily grace and beauty to many. Or one can think that symphonies are symphonies and sort of an extension from operatic overtures. In that case, the noisier may actually be merrier. If you heard only Fey's rendition of the "Jupiter," opinions I heard seem more divided on it also.

Quote:

His orchestra is not period instrument, but it sounds very "period" indeed. Bernard Labadie's ensemble, Les Violons du Roy also use modern instruments, but they use baroque style bows and bowing techniques. I'd prefer the sound of gut strings, but at least they are not guilty of Hurwitzian vibrato.

Yeah Fey only uses period brass and timpani, and I have no idea whether the strings in his "Heidelberger Symphoniker" or "Mannheimer Mozartorchester" use period bows or techniques. Hurwitz panned Fey's Mozart 39/41 in his review, but from what I read, that actually made more people curious to hear the recording. Perhaps by now people have preferred to read the critic "backwards"? For all we know Fey may improve score with Hurwitz if he were to add tam-tam whacks to Mozart's score

 

[Bunnyears]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Masolino /img/forum/go_quote.gif Depending one's concept of the Mozartean style, what was described as Fey's "bang & twang" approach may work better for Beethoven and Haydn than for Mozart, whose work seems an epitome of primarily grace and beauty to many. Or one can think that symphonies are symphonies and sort of an extension from operatic overtures. In that case, the noisier may actually be merrier. If you heard only Fey's rendition of the "Jupiter," opinions I heard seem more divided on it also. Yeah Fey only uses period brass and timpani, and I have no idea whether the strings in his "Heidelberger Symphoniker" or "Mannheimer Mozartorchester" use period bows or techniques. Hurwitz panned Fey's Mozart 39/41 in his review, but from what I read, that actually made more people curious to hear the recording. Perhaps by now people have preferred to read the critic "backwards"? For all we know Fey may improve score with Hurwitz if he were to add tam-tam whacks to Mozart's score

I just read DH's review of Barenboim's Mahler 9th, and sure enough, he only gave it a 9/9 complaining that the percussion and bass didn't have enough depth (or something like that). Apparently he couldn't hear the triangle clearly enough and the tam tam lacks that certain, je ne sais quoi.

He also complained that because it was a live concert recording they couldn't go back and patch up the passages he didn't like. Calling William Barrington-Coupe... Calling William Barrington-Coupe...

I wonder what the world is coming to when critics complain that brilliant live recordings lack the polish of doctored studio recordings. I would have given anything to hear such an inspired performance of Mahler. It just doesn't happen that often.