# Current Top Ten J.S. Bach Recordings



## frankpigeons (Jan 9, 2020)

Brandenburg Concertos, Karl Richter and the Munich Bach Orchestra

All concertos are pure unadulterated awesomeness from start to finish, the sound of the recording, the tempi and dynamics chosen, the spirit, energy, and expressiveness in which these are performed, this is my favorite recorded performance of the Brandenburg concertos and I've heard quite a few. Although not among the most recent Brandenburg recordings, for this one recorded in 1970, there is to my ear a certain ineffable aura, or for a more grounded description, a certain sonic character to these recordings done with exceptional taste, not only that but the entire performance of all the Brandenburg's were filmed. This is what I listen to on headphones when I go hiking in the foothills. Too many highlights to mention but I really love how he plays the keyboard solo in No. 5, I've listened to a lot of versions of this concerto by different performers and most keyboard players fluctuate the tempo way too much for my taste during the solo, but Karl Richter keeps the energy up the whole time. 



This is the version of the Brandenburg's I'm referring to: https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Branden...=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B000C1XGCG

Goldberg Variations, Ragna Schirmer

A Bach work I'm definitely obsessed with is the Goldberg Variations. I own several different recorded versions, Gould, Schiff, Dinnerstein, Perahia, Ishizaka, and several more. My favorite at the moment is Ragna Schirmer's. Her rhythm is extremely precise but doesn't feel stiff or robotic. I like the tempi she chooses for each of the variations, they never seem too deliberate or rushed. She also approaches the variations with an originality I haven't heard before, listen to variations 6 and 17 to hear how she breaks up the two hands one playing staccato and the other more legato for interesting results. The tone of her instrument, the performance, and the recordings of these variations are what make her Goldberg's my favorite.

Cello Suites, Mstislav Rostropovich

Of course Yo Yo Ma's Cello Suite are brilliant and Pablo Casals creaky 1930's recording is the gold standard. The one I kept playing every time I cleaned the house for a long time was the 1991 recording by Mstislav Rostropovich. This performance was also filmed and I would highly recommend getting the DVD. And although it's great to see him play this music I found myself at times just closing my eyes and listening for long periods of time.

The Art of Fugue, Emerson Quartet

Written toward the end of his life and long after fugues had fallen out of favor this unfinished work by J.S. Bach is a collection of fugues and canons, if you're a fan of contrapuntal music this is for you. Although written in open score with each voice on it's own staff there's a strong association with the keyboard as the instrument of choice for this music. And as much as the recordings of Helmut Walcha and Pierre-Laurent Aimard are compelling takes on the Art of Fugue to me where it really shines is in string quartet form, hearing the voices "sing" with the bowed instruments really elevates the work. I haven't yet listened to any other string quartets performing this work and I consider myself lucky to have found this great one by the Emerson Quartet.

Partitas, Murray Perahia

If you put a gun to my head and made me choose Murray Perahia would be my favorite keyboard player for Bach's music. Glenn Gould got me started with this madness and I will be eternally grateful to him, it's the 81' Goldberg's I prefer, there are so many fantastic interpreters of Bach's music it's hard to pick a favorite but pound for pound Murray Perahia's whole approach is perfection. For some reason they broke up the six partita's across two cd's with cd one containing partita's 1, 3 & 6 and cd two containing 2, 4 & 5, I'm not sure why they did it this way, possibly for the relations between the keys each of the partita is in? Still, I prefer to hear them in sequential order, not complaining just noting a preference. I love all of Murray Perahia's Bach keyboard recordings, also a big fan of his Handel/Scarlatti suites and sonatas.

French Suites, Sir Andras Schiff

A living legend Andras Schiff is a true musical master. I've had the opportunity to see him perform Bach live on a few occasions, both books of Well-Tempered Clavier, the Goldberg Variations, and have been a fan of his for awhile. So when I found a DVD copy of the French Suites at a local library I checked it out immediately. Filmed in 2010 in Leipzig Schiff plays all of the French Suites, the Overture in the French Style in B minor, and the Italian concerto all by memory and without using the pedal, what a maniac! His playing to me has a sense of adventure, listening to him play Bach sometimes I feel like I'm riding on a fast horse through the forests of Thuringia. His rhythm can be a bit odd too at times, especially during the gigues, he has this way of stalling his or punctuating his phrases for lack of better explanation, not a bad thing just a bit unconventional. Watching him play is almost as impressive as the music, he makes this incredibly difficult music to play look effortless while still conveying intensity and passion.

Well-Tempered Clavier, Vladimir Ashkenazy

This was the first recording that I listened to intently and continuously of the WTC. There's an ever so slight skittish quality to the faster preludes and fugues that to me make it exciting, almost like being in a car with someone who's driving a little too fast. The tone of the instrument vs. the room the piano was recorded in are well balanced here, not too dry or too roomy sounding as to lose some of the articulation of the voicing. Overall Ashkenazy's performances the WTC is masterful and artful.

David Russell plays Bach

Here guitarist David Russell plays an assortment of Bach works. Played with superb taste and musicianship, I wish David had more solo Bach in his discography. Also a big fan of his Handel and D. Scarlatti recordings.

Partitas, Trevor Pinnock

You got to be careful with this one because Trevor Pinnock recorded the partitas twice, the one you want is the Hanssler edition with his face toward the top of the cover. As far as harpsichord versions of Bach Partitas go this is my favorite. His playing is lively and stable without too much rubato which is something I'm not a fan of in general. The recording is crisp and clear, a big improvement from his initial partita recordings. Highlight is partita number four.

Mass in B Minor BWV 232, Gächinger Kantorei Bach-Collegium Stuttgart, Conductor Helmuth Rilling

There's something about being up around midnight with this playing quietly in the background. Everyone but you asleep in the house, the hum of the refrigerator in the background, a dog barking outside in the distance. You're up way past your bedtime reading things on the internet, people bickering with one another about trivial subjectivities, ads for things that you were talking about earlier that day mysteriously showing up in your web browser. This world would seem completely alien to someone like J.S. Bach if you had a time machine and could go back in time and bring him here to experience the present moment. Yet right now you're listening to this and it just works on your crappy laptop speakers, it's not fashionable music, it doesn't matter that it was written almost three hundred years ago. I can only guess but I could imagine Bach being unconcerned with being artistically fashionable, after all he was writing contrapuntal music long past it falling out of favor yet this music works. It still has the ability to inspire and communicate, to refresh the spirit and it does so in a way that somehow transcends the current moment, always somehow outside at the same time suitable to it. Bach just works.


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## BrahmsWasAGreatMelodist (Jan 13, 2019)

Amazing post, welcome to TC!


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Great list. I would add the organ works or at least a selection. My personal favourite is Peter Hurford.


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## Allegro Con Brio (Jan 3, 2020)

What a wonderful post! I certainly can't top your thoughtful descriptions, but like all Bachians I have a working list of my own (no particular order):

10. Cello Suites- Ralph Kirshbaum: I enjoy many versions of the suites but Kirshbaum always has me coming back for more. Music-making of the highest caliber.
9. Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin- James Ehnes: Though I love classics like Grumiaux, Perlman, and Suk; Ehnes just may be my favorite of them all. His Chaconne is a true adventure of a lifetime. 
8. Mass in B Minor- Klemperer: I have yet to find a recording of _anything_ that moves me quite like this one.
7. St. Matthew Passion- Jochum: The most smoothly-integrated and emotionally impactful performance I've come across.
6. Cantatas- Koopman: There is a certain heightened fervor in Koopman's set that makes it #1 for me, though I love Suzuki for more prayerful intimacy and his top-notch soloists (but not the countertenors!)
5. Well-Tempered Clavier- Jill Crossland: A set that balances modern performance practice and interpretive creativity in perfect proportion.
4. Goldberg Variations- Tureck stereo: This certainly isn't for everyone, but if anybody ever played the Goldbergs like a spiritual journey, it was Tureck. Don't worry, I still love Gould '81!
3. Brandenburgs- Casals/Marlboro Festival Orchestra: The heart and passion on display here are downright ravishing.
2. Art of Fugue- Walcha on organ: The AoF recording that is most likely to bring me to tears of awe.
1. Orchestral Suites- Busch Chamber Players: The pioneering set from the '30's still mesmerizes me with its sense of discovery.

This is only a small sliver of my favorites, but it will do for now.

Edit: I should add Karl Richter's Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor: 



Possibly the performance that made Bach click for me.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I only have the time and inclination for the following:

Brandenburg Concertos and Orchestral Suites - Goebel
Goldberg Variations - Tureck/DG
Well Tempered Clavier - Tureck/DG
Art of Fugue - Gilbert
Cantatas - Herreweghe
Mass in B minor - Leonhardt
St. Matthew Passion - Herreweghe (1st recording)
Solo Cello Suites - Beschi
ClavierUbung III - Suzuki
Leipzig Chorales - Bryndorf
French Suites - Cates


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

10. *Musical Notebook for Anna Magdalena*, Leonhardt, Amerling, Linde, et al (RCA LP, MHS CD)

9. *Magnificat*, Wolf, Watts, Lewis, Hemsley coupled to Purcell's Funeral Music for Queen Mary (Angel LP)

8. *Cantatas BWV 51, 56 and 82* Fischer Dieskau, Rilling (Hanssler Classics)

7. *Double and Triple Concerto* van Asperen, Maier et al (DHM CD)

6. *Cantata BWV 71* Graf, Schwartz, Baldin, Schoene, Rilling (Hannsler)

5. *Switched On Bach* Wendy (once Walter) Carlos (Sony)

4. *Easter Oratorio* Weis-Osborn, Rossl-Majdan, Equiluz, Berry, Prohaska (various LP, CD and download)

3. *Brandenburg Concertos* Pierlot, Linde, Rampal, Hendel, et al, Ristenpart, Chamber Orchestra of the Saar (Klassik Haus CD)

2. *Goldberg Variations* Arundo (wind) Quartet (Supraphon CD)

1. *Four Orchestral Suites* Pablo Casals, Marlboro Festival Orchestra (Sony)


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## vtpoet (Jan 17, 2019)

Bulldog said:


> I only have the time and inclination for the following:
> 
> Brandenburg Concertos and Orchestral Suites - Goebel
> Goldberg Variations - Tureck/DG
> ...


Ahem. I also only have time and inclination for the following list [Clears throat.] :

Brandenburg Concertos - Latest Pinnock & I've always liked Max Pommer
Orchestral Suites - Goodman and Pearlman (but still searching.... everybody likes Freiburg).
Goldberg Variations - Gould & Periah
Well Tempered Clavier - Gould & Schiff
Art of Fugue - Feltsman (keyboard) and Pinnock (Instrumental)
Cantatas - Kuijken & Koopman for complete (because none of those GD countertenors)
Mass in B minor - Dunedin Consort (because best bass ever and super crushing on their altos and sopranos)
St. Matthew Passion - Dunedin Consort (see above) & McCreesh
John's Passion - Dunedin (because I'm smitten)
Solo Cello Suites - Jaap ter Linden or Maisky (depending on mood because they're, like, totally opposite)
French Suites - Gould & waiting for a new Schiff
English Suites - Gould & waiting for a new Schiff
Partitas - Schiff (the new recording)
Organ - (the complete "Bach on Silbermann" box set because those old organs kick butt)
Piano Concertos - Gould (because they're still the best) & Periah (because the sound quality is better)
Concertos for 2 & 3 keyboards - (the Pekinel sisters because nobody will every play these better. nobody)
Inventions - Gould
violin concertos - (still looking but Podgers is current favorite & Nigel Kennedy)


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Goldberg Variations - Rubsam
Well Tempered Clavier 2 - Leonhardt
Art of Fugue - Van Asperen
ClavierUbung III - Pieter van Dijk
Leipzig Chorales - Pieter van Dijk
French Suites - Julian Perkins
Inventions -- Jaroslav Tuma
Trio Sonatas -- Bram Beekman
Violin sonatas -- De Neve/Agsteribbe
Musical Offering -- Linde Consort


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

1. Cello suites - Casals
2. St Matthew Passion - Mengelberg 
3. Well-tempered Clavier - Edwin Fischer
4. Brandenburg concertos, Orchestral suites - Busch Chamber Players
5. Violin sonatas & partitas - Enescu
6. Goldberg variations - Gould 1981
7. Violin concertos - Menuhin/Enescu
8. Ich habe genug - Hotter
9. Mass in B minor - Klemperer
10. Complete organ works - Walcha


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Mandryka said:


> Goldberg Variations - Rubsam
> Well Tempered Clavier 2 - Leonhardt
> Art of Fugue - Van Asperen
> ClavierUbung III - Pieter van Dijk
> ...


I think WTC I is just as good as WTC II. Actually its possible the first book has been more impactful on the course of music. Rosen pointed out how the first prelude in C had an impact on the aesthetic of the romantic era.


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## MatthewWeflen (Jan 24, 2019)

I am very partial to Pinnock's set of Concertos:









I also enjoy Vikingur Olafsson's album of Bach transcriptions for piano:


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## Oldhoosierdude (May 29, 2016)

1. Cello suites. Current favorite is Ma's latest.
2. Goldberg. I like several : Perahia, Dinnerstein, Peter Serkin 87 & 96, and a growing liking for Gould 55.
3. WTC. Jorg Demus. 
4. French suites. James Friskin. 
5. English suites. Schiff. 
6. Brandenburg. Paillard. Leppard a close 2nd.
7. St. Matthew. Naxos recording with conductor Oberfrank.
8. Fugue. Emerson SQ.
9. VC #2. Bach Collegium Japan, Suzuki.
10. Italian Concerto. P. Serkin 96.


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

I've enjoyed reading many of the lists here; it is truly amazing how one man, for so long, could create and inspire so much great art that still impacts us today. My list, in order, listing the main performer, the work performed, and the date recorded:

10. Sir András Schiff: Six Partitas for Keyboard (1984)
What really stands out is the Schiff's ornaments and the amount of passion he manages to instil with them. Look no further than the deeply moving sarabande from no. 6 for an example.

9. Glenn Gould: The Goldberg Variations (1955)
Derided by some as being "too fast" or "overly eccentric" these Goldberg variations, in fact, excel, not in spite of, but because of these reasons. The dizzying pianism on display is lovely and Gould's innate understanding of Bach's music keeps it all together.

8. Karl Richter: Mass in B minor (1961)
Perhaps one of the most convincingly religious readings of one of the most convincingly religious works of all time. Right from when the choir comes in the grand opening fugue to beg mercy from god you are fully aware that everyone involved understands the gravitas of begging the divine's favour; something that often can't be said of modern recordings. Although the trumpet player may be a bit exuberant this recording is still - in many ways - the best one.

7. Stephen Layton: Mass in B minor (2018)
A relatively recent recording from one of the foremost conductors of sacred music today. The Choir of Trinity College Cambridge sings with every ounce of youthful exuberance imaginable, the soloists are all up to the task and avoid the common pitfall in HIP performances (although this is not really a HIP performance) of singing entirely with no vibrato, and under Stephen Layton's baton, this recording truly transports. Part IV of the mass is so sublime that, in my opinion, this recording sweeps all others aside and stands atop the Mass in B minor discography. 

6. Otto Klemperer: St. Mathew Passion (1961)
Much has been said of the length of this recording, but it was actually quite typical for the time. Mengleburg's recording (already mentioned in this thread) adopts similar tempos and is only shorter due to the cuts from Bach's intended score. What no other version of the work quite does is combine Klemperer's knack for musical structure, the incredible Philharmonic Chorus, a near-perfect list of soloists, and a sense of gravitas to match the story unfolding.

5. Edwin Fischer: The Well-Tempered Clavier I & II (1933-1936)
The first recording of what may be the greatest keyboard work of all time is also the one that does it the most justice. No other pianist, as far as I can hear, has quite captured the soul of Bach's towering achievement quite like Fischer and none seem to have done it throughout the whole four-hour journey.

4. Pablo Casals: The Six Cello Suites (1936-1939)
I really couldn't say anything that hasn't already been said. This is one of the most famous music recordings of all time and for very, very, good reasons.

3. Karl Richter: St. Mathew Passion (1958)
A recording that, in some respects, revolutionised the playing of Bach also happens to be one of the most powerful and moving recordings of Bach ever made. It may lack the gravitas of the Klempler recording but Karl Richter brings a sense of vulnerability, religiosity, and beauty to the music - all the while never letting things drag - that allows this recording to surpass even the legendary Klemperer one.

2. Glenn Gould: The Goldberg Variations (1981)
Although I wasn't alive in 1981 I can only imagine the surprise when Glenn Gould surpassed his own 1955 recording in 1981. His later reading has an introspective quality, perhaps most epitomised in his esoteric and ghostly playing of the opening and closing aria, that defies belief and makes this recording an immensely rewarding journey.

1. Nathan Milstein: Sonatas nos. 1 & 3 and Partita no. 2 for the unaccompanied violin (1957)
I know of no other recording of Bach, no other recording in music really, where one man is able to distil so much passion, so much joy, and so much pain into his music-making. The term "life itself" has engendered upon itself a certain hokeyness, but this is indeed "life itself" with no hokeyness involved.


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