# Recordings of Bach and more with dry sound?



## saraband (Jan 5, 2019)

I really love piano recordings of Bach with “dry“ piano sound, like Glenn Gould recordings. It gives the feeling that the pianist is in the same room playing on a regular piano, compared to the bigger sound of a grand in a concert hall, which of course is common on recordings. Do you guys know of any nice such dry recordings of Bach and maybe other composers? I’d be happy for some of your knowledgeable suggestions!


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## 59540 (May 16, 2021)

I think the recordings of Rosalyn Tureck might qualify.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

Gulda's recording of the WTC is even "worse" than Gould's, produced/recorded more like jazz recordings. There are also a few earlier? Gulda Bach recordings of some suites and maybe more but I have never heard any of them. (His 1967 Beethoven sonata set has less dry sound although still not on the boomy/roomy side.) Charles Rosen's Goldberg var. also have the rather dry 1970s CBS sound


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## 59540 (May 16, 2021)

I kind of prefer those older recordings though. A lot of recent recordings are on the "overproduced" side. It's like the sound in some more recent movies in which some rustling of paper sounds as loud as thunder.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

saraband said:


> I really love piano recordings of Bach with "dry" piano sound, like Glenn Gould recordings. It gives the feeling that the pianist is in the same room playing on a regular piano, compared to the bigger sound of a grand in a concert hall, which of course is common on recordings. Do you guys know of any nice such dry recordings of Bach and maybe other composers? I'd be happy for some of your knowledgeable suggestions!


 HJ Lim for Beethoven certainly. Daniel Ben Pienaar for Bach possibly.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

saraband said:


> I really love piano recordings of Bach with "dry" piano sound, like Glenn Gould recordings. It gives the feeling that the pianist is in the same room playing on a regular piano, compared to the bigger sound of a grand in a concert hall, which of course is common on recordings. Do you guys know of any nice such dry recordings of Bach and maybe other composers? I'd be happy for some of your knowledgeable suggestions!


Maybe it's just me, but I find it ridiculous to prefer "dry" recordings to recordings with interesting interpretations.


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## saraband (Jan 5, 2019)

Yes, possibly a bit ridiculous. But sound is important. And another word for “dry” might in this sense be “presence”, to me at least.


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## 59540 (May 16, 2021)

"Dry" to me means cutting back on the reverb. I do prefer that.


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## saraband (Jan 5, 2019)

Yes, that’s it.


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## saraband (Jan 5, 2019)

I’m now listening to all your suggestions. Thanks! There’s an album on spotify with both Tureck and Rosen. Great!


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

saraband said:


> Yes, possibly a bit ridiculous. But sound is important. And another word for "dry" might in this sense be "presence", to me at least.


I understand this better and agree. Too much reverb is intolerable. A third word for "dry" might be "natural".


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Then there are Toscanini's orchestral recordings from studio 8a.


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## vtpoet (Jan 17, 2019)

premont said:


> Maybe it's just me, but I find it ridiculous to prefer "dry" recordings to recordings with interesting interpretations.


^ This is really an outstanding example of "Begging the Question". Just saying....


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## Vahe Sahakian (Mar 9, 2018)

Toscanini recordings from studio 8H is more like recording in an an-echoing chamber.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

vtpoet said:


> ^ This is really an outstanding example of "Begging the Question". Just saying....


You are right. I might have put it better. What I essentially meant to ask is whether audio quality weighs heavier than artistic quality.


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## vtpoet (Jan 17, 2019)

premont said:


> You are right. I might have put it better. What I essentially meant to ask is whether audio quality weighs heavier than artistic quality.


[Applauds.] You've outdone yourself.  This is an even better example of "Begging the Question.".


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## marlow (11 mo ago)

You might try this. One of GG's finest recordings


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

It does not have to weigh heavier to guide one's preferences, especially if there are dozens of recordings to choose from. I am usually not picky about audio quality but there are some recordings where it bothers me to the extent that I rarely listen to them. And not only because of poor historical sound but also because of excessive reverb or dryness or other features that somehow spoil it.


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## mikeh375 (Sep 7, 2017)

'Dry' in the context I know it as refers mainly to room, hall or studio and how much of that environments acoustics are present or rather kept in the mix. The worst offender for me is 'enhancing' a room sound with artificial reverbs. It can be done well of course, but I've also heard some shocking mixes that are awash in faux acoustics.

I wouldn't want any recording that had absolutely no ambience around it which is the meaning of 'dry' as understood by recording engineers and producers.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

vtpoet said:


> [Applauds.] You've outdone yourself.  This is an even better example of "Begging the Question.".


No, now I'm begging the answer.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

Kreisler jr said:


> It does not have to weigh heavier to guide one's preferences, especially if there are dozens of recordings to choose from. I am usually not picky about audio quality but there are some recordings where it bothers me to the extent that I rarely listen to them. And not only because of poor historical sound but also because of excessive reverb or dryness or other features that somehow spoil it.


Clearly audio quality may be so bad in one way or the other, that one rejects the recording. Likewise artistic lack of quality may result in the same. But concerning all the recordings in between with acceptable to very good audio quality and acceptable to very good performance, what weighs the heaviest there?


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## 59540 (May 16, 2021)

mikeh375 said:


> ...
> I wouldn't want any recording that had absolutely no ambience around it which is the meaning of 'dry' as understood by recording engineers and producers.


Well that's true too, as can be experienced with digital piano settings. Turn of *all* reverb and listen with headphones, and it sounds like you're in some kind of vacuum-sealed soundproof booth. That could be why when I play my DP I prefer to use open-back headphones with a touch of reverb. It sounds more natural. But then I'm not a sound engineer, so I dunno.


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## Holden4th (Jul 14, 2017)

The Gulda WTC being considered dry probably has very little to do with acoustics and to the fact that he uses the sustain pedal as sparingly as possible.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

The Gulda WTC was recorded by the Jazz label MPS and it certainly sounds different from the Amadeo Beethoven a few years earlier.

https://www.mps-music.com/releases/the-well-tempered-clavier/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MPS_Records


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

Milstein’s first recording of Bach’s Violin sonatas and partitas on EMI is very dry and immediate. It sounds like he’s in the speakers. One of my favorite recordings.

.


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## OCEANE (10 mo ago)

mikeh375 said:


> 'Dry' in the context I know it as refers mainly to room, hall or studio and how much of that environments acoustics are present or rather kept in the mix. The worst offender for me is 'enhancing' a room sound with artificial reverbs. It can be done well of course, but I've also heard some shocking mixes that are awash in faux acoustics.
> 
> I wouldn't want any recording that had absolutely no ambience around it which is the meaning of 'dry' as understood by recording engineers and producers.


No offence, I found this topic interesting that one would like to have a 'dry' sound in Bach recordings. You may try Richter's Bach.


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## Bernamej (Feb 24, 2014)

dissident said:


> I think the recordings of Rosalyn Tureck might qualify.


Yup you can take any recording and just listen on mono and you’ll have that same effect 
I sometimes do it.

I hope the OP is taking my advice seriously, try to listen on mono.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Bernamej said:


> Yup you can take any recording and just listen on mono and you’ll have that same effect
> I sometimes do it.
> 
> I hope the OP is taking my advice seriously, try to listen on mono.


Very good point , I was just going to say the same .


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