# Favourite Italian Concerto performer?



## Vronsky (Jan 5, 2015)

I have a question: Who's your favourite performer of Bach's Italian Concerto, BWV 971?


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Can we add as much as we like or just one?


----------



## Vronsky (Jan 5, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Can we add as much as we like or just one?


You can add as much as you like (I forgot to add plural in the headline, sorry).


----------



## pcnog11 (Nov 14, 2016)

Angela Hewitt comes to my mind first. She has great insights to Bach's music. Of course, Glenn Gould should be on anyone's list. Solid and well articulated. Andrew Schiff has great and distinct performance, I like how he manage counterpoints.


----------



## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

Alfred Brendel.


----------



## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

Wanda Landowska

:tiphat:

Kind regards,

George


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

My favorite comes from Angela Hewitt - her DG recording which went out of print years ago; I'm not particularly enthralled with her later recording on Hyperion.


----------



## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Kenneth Gilbert


----------



## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

I haven't actually heard that many different versions of the Italian Concerto. I would probably agree with Mandryka's vote for Kenneth Gilbert, but I haven't yet heard it. At the moment my favorite is the version Schiff plays as an encore on this DvD:


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Not made up my mind completely but the Brendel , Tatiana Nikolayeva, Alicia de Larrocha, Alexandre Tharaud and Vladimir Ashkenazy are way up, looking forward to Rafał Blechacz new recording.


----------



## premont (May 7, 2015)

Mandryka said:


> Kenneth Gilbert


Yes, Gilbert or Pieter-Jan Belder.


----------



## Guest (Feb 5, 2017)

Gustav leonhardt is my first choice.


----------



## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Bulldog said:


> My favorite comes from Angela Hewitt - her DG recording which went out of print years ago;


__________

Ordered


----------



## Vronsky (Jan 5, 2015)

My current favourite is Brendel. I've listened Richter, Feltsman and Schiff before. After Brendel, I think Feltsman's performance is the best. I haven't listened Hewitt and Gilbert, but I will.


----------



## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

*Wanda Landowska Playing Bach Italian Concerto*



Barelytenor said:


> Wanda Landowska
> 
> :tiphat:
> 
> ...


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Strong outsider: Youri Egorov - Italian Concerto in F Major, BWV 971


----------



## Guest (Feb 5, 2017)

If Bach called it a concerto, why not arrange it as a concerto? This is my favorite:

View attachment 92156


Magali Mosnier- flute
Stuttgarter Kammerorchester, Michael Hofstetter


----------



## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Strong outsider: Youri Egorov - Italian Concerto in F Major, BWV 971


You beat me to it. I heard him live, just after he failed to win the Van Cliburn Compeition. It was electrifying -- if such a word can be used for Bach.


----------



## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

premont said:


> Yes, Gilbert or* Pieter-Jan Belder*.


Do you mean the version on the Brilliant Classics complete edition?

I just listened to it again and this version makes me feel kind of neutral.

The Schiff version I mentioned previously in this thread, I just listened to it again and... wow. A spiritual experience.


----------



## premont (May 7, 2015)

tdc said:


> Do you mean the *version on the Brilliant Classics complete edition*?
> 
> I just listened to it again and this version makes me feel kind of neutral.


Yes, that one.

Like Gilbert Belder offers beautiful and stylish playing with beneficial subtle agogics. 
Well, listeners wanting more "gesticulation" may find these interpretations understated.

But we seem to listen quite differently. I have owned the Schiff recording, but parted with it again, finding it sleep-provoking.


----------



## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

premont said:


> Yes, that one.
> 
> Like Gilbert Belder offers beautiful and stylish playing with beneficial subtle agogics.
> Well, listeners wanting more "gesticulation" may find these interpretations understated.
> ...


I don't think we listen that differently over-all, but probably look for different things in this particular piece.

Kenneth Gilbert is my performer of choice for Bach on harpsichord and I quite like Belder's Goldberg Variations from the Brilliant Classics set.


----------



## Bruckner Anton (Mar 10, 2016)

TBO, I don't have a recording preference for the piece. I think many pianists/harpsichordist do a great job on it, including Brendel, Schiff, Leonhardt and Pinnock.


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Bruckner Anton said:


> TBO, I don't have a recording preference for the piece. I think many pianists/harpsichordist do a great job on it, including Brendel, Schiff, Leonhardt and Pinnock.


Sometimes it's difficult in life, choosing....


----------

