[sh4dowd4ncer]

At US Amazon the box goes for 94 USD. If we think about the 73 CDs inside, it is still quite cheap.
Interesting....

 

[Quinto]

   
I recently bought the big black Perahia box (because it was just insanely cheap over at importcds.com) and I'm already finding it a more rewarding experience than the Rubinstein box (sorry, Arthur).

Funny how one can differ, I have several Bach cd's from Perahia (Goldberg, English Suites) and don't like them at all

 

[Drosera]

 
Funny how one can differ, I have several Bach cd's from Perahia (Goldberg, English Suites) and don't like them at all

 
Well, I haven't reached Bach yet. That came later in Perahia's career and I'm listening chronologically. I'm actually rather picky when it comes to Bach recordings on the piano (I prefer the harpsichord), so I wonder how I will react to Perahia.

 

[Quinto]

"The sound of a harpsicord: Two skeletons copulating on a tin roof in a thunderstorm"

 

[Drosera]

  "The sound of a harpsicord: Two skeletons copulating on a tin roof in a thunderstorm"

 
Well, if it was good enough for Bach....
 
Given the amount of music he composed for it, Bach obviously loved the harpsichord, as well as the organ. I think that there's definitely something about instruments where dynamics come about as a result of harmonic density and registration that makes them particularly well-suited to densely contrapuntal music. That's one of the things that makes Bach on the piano often so annoying to me. The graded dynamics at a pianist's disposal somehow almost force him/her to put them to use. And, unless the pianist in question is an exceptional genius (say Richter, Gould or Edwin Fischer), this simply doesn't work, because the music is very obviously not composed with this instrument in mind. 
 
[That quote by the way (by Beecham) obviously refers to something like the cast-iron frame Pleyel harpsichords of the early 20th century (of Wanda Landowska fame). And they actually rather do sound like that. Rather monotonous. Not at all like a good original harpsichord, actually.] 

 

[Quinto]

   
Well, if it was good enough for Bach....
 
Given the amount of music he composed for it, Bach obviously loved the harpsichord, as well as the organ. I think that there's definitely something about instruments where dynamics come about as a result of harmonic density and registration that makes them particularly well-suited to densely contrapuntal music. That's one of the things that makes Bach on the piano often so annoying to me. The graded dynamics at a pianist's disposal somehow almost force him/her to put them to use. And, unless the pianist in question is an exceptional genius (say Richter, Gould or Edwin Fischer), this simply doesn't work, because the music is very obviously not composed with this instrument in mind. 
 
[That quote by the way (by Beecham) obviously refers to something like the cast-iron frame Pleyel harpsichords of the early 20th century (of Wanda Landowska fame). And they actually rather do sound like that. Rather monotonous. Not at all like a good original harpsichord, actually.] 

I get your point although maybe there is reason to believe Bach didn't care much about specific instruments, since he transposed a lot of music to other instruments.
 
Whatever the case might be, I just can't handle the sound of a harpsicord, it's so darn annoying..

 

[Claritas]

Funny how one can differ, I have several Bach cd's from Perahia (Goldberg, English Suites) and don't like them at all

I thought he started with Bach and Handel after his hand injury. I think he's the greatest living pianist and I try to hear him whenever he doesn't cancel. But I didn't enjoy his Bach records. Since of his Mozart concerti are wonderful, especially nos. 18 and 14. My other favorite Perahia record is his Mendelssohn concerti. His Chopin, too, is very beautiful.

Whatever the case might be, I just can't handle the sound of a harpsicord, it's so darn annoying..

Some headphones will make it easier, such as HD600 because of the treble roll off.

 

[bigshot]

Perahia's strength lays in more lyrical and light music, especially Mozart. But he was pretty versatile in other areas too. Just not as good.

 

[Quinto]

I thought he started with Bach and Handel after his hand injury. I think he's the greatest living pianist and I try to hear him whenever he doesn't cancel.

But I didn't enjoy his Bach records. Since of his Mozart concerti are wonderful, especially nos. 18 and 14. My other favorite Perahia record is his Mendelssohn concerti. His Chopin, too, is very beautiful.
Some headphones will make it easier, such as HD600 because of the treble roll off.

I'll check his Mozart out, thanks...                and I'm sure it's the harpsicord, not my phones

 

[Drosera]

  Perahia's strength lays in more lyrical and light music, especially Mozart. But he was pretty versatile in other areas too. Just not as good.

 
Funny that, and I don't know whether my traversal through the Perahia box will change this, but my favourite Perahia recording up till now is actually the recording of Bartok's Sonata for two pianos and percussion that he did with Georg Solti. I own quite a few recordings of this 20th century masterpiece, but this is the one I always return to. (Incidentally, it is also my favourite Solti recording, but I was never a fan of his conducting.

 )

 

[chrisjackson]

In the discography in the Wikipedia entry for Perahia there is nothing later than Brahms excluding that one Bartok recording (presumably done at Solti's suggestion). On Youtube, however, there is a selection from Rach's Op 39 (perhaps the influence of Horowitz?).
Article from 2008 on catalyst for Perahia's Bach recordings :
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/3671958/Why-Murray-Perahia-turned-to-Bach.html

 

[bigshot]

Perahia's Mozart Piano Concertos are drop dead gorgeous. The only ones I like better are by Anda, and those are here and there.

 

[Claritas]

  Perahia's Mozart Piano Concertos are drop dead gorgeous. The only ones I like better are by Anda, and those are here and there.

 
Do you remember which of the Anda Mozart records you enjoyed most?

 

[calaf]

   
Do you remember which of the Anda Mozart records you enjoyed most?

let me take a wild guess

 

[bigshot]

Bingo!