# Bach Recommendations



## CML

I'm a huge J.S. Bach fan and I'd like to recommend what I consider classic recordings .

Keith Jarrrett for Well Tempered Clavier ( book 1 as well as book 2 ) and The French Suites .
It seems that a lot of people consider Jarrett _just _a jazz pianist, but that's not true at all.
To me he plays these pieces as if he wrote them . Really wonderful !

Next is Andras Schiff's recording of The Goldberg Variations . The 1983 "Penguin Classics" recording . It is perfection !
By the way, I've heard a snippet from the latest rerecording he did, and I just did'nt care for it .

Next is Paul Galbraith . This guy plays an 8 string acoustic guitar which he holds upright like a cello . I have The Lute Suites as well as The Sonatas & Partitas for unaccompanied violin . The tone of his guitar is rich and voluptuous , and his playing is consistently elegant , and gorgeous !

I've got more, but then I could go on and on forever about Bach . 
Good listening ! 
Any comments or recommendations ?


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## Oneiros

Ah, thanks. I definately want to get my hands on a recording of the Well Tempered Clavier soon - I'll look out for that performer.

I hardly listen to anything other than Bach nowadays.  This didn't go down very well at my Conservatorium audition though. lol.

Other than the 48, what are Bach's most important works? I currently have the Art of Fugue (for strings), and some beautiful arias/vocal works, mainly soprano solos with instrumental accompaniment. Oh, and some piano concertos. If you could recommend some others, I would be very grateful.


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## CML

*Reply to Phatic*

Well Phatic, while I am a huge fan and have quite a few recordings, I could'nt even begin to consider that I were any type of authority on Bach . The man was just too prolific, and my collection is small, relative to his output . 
As far as important ? What I like is very important to me .
And I'm very opinionated .

I do, however, have a few more recommendations .

Toccatas, BWV 910-916 recorded by Edward Parmentier ( harpsichord ) . 
I'm still kind of warming up to this one, but I like it so far .

The Two-Part Inventions BWV 772a-786
The Three-Part Inventions BWV 787-801 
This is all on one cd recorded by Andras Schiff on piano. Very nice stuff .

The Complete Brandenburg Concertos & Overtures 1 & 2 .
Recorded by Deutshe Bachsolisten
Helmut Winschermann conducting 
I can't believe that I got this two disc set for 5.99 U.S dollars ! Also very nice .

I don't have any vocal works of Bach's, so any recommendations you could offer would be appreciated .

Well there you are . Enjoy .


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## Oneiros

Ah thanks very much, I will look into all of those. I've heard some parts of the Brandenburg Concertos, and like them a lot too.

The vocal CDs are called Heavenly Voices - it's just a compilation of lots of Bach's vocal music, for solo soprano. It's very beautiful.


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## CML

*Response to Phatic*

I'm glad I could help you out. 
I'll check out Heavenly Voices.


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## johnnyx

Cello Suites, Pierre Fournier, 1960 versions are my favorite


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## Shane

Highlights from my collection would be:

*Andras Schiff - Goldberg Variations* (newer ECM Recording)
*Angela Hewitt - English Suites* (Hyperion)
*Rostropovich - Cello Suites* (EMI)
*Sviatoslav Richter - Well-Tempered Clavier* (not the best recording available by far, but my adoration of Richter gives it a special place)
*John Williams - Lute Suites* (on Guitar) (Sony)

And a couple oddities for when I want something different:
Kurt Rodarmer - Goldberg Variations Transcribed for Guitar (Sony)
Goldberg Variations Transcribed for Strings by Dmitry Sitkovetsky/NES Chamber Orchestra (Nonesuch)


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## Guest

I recently purchased a recording of 'Goldberg Variations' by Rosalyn Tureck and it just astounded me, it is the best one that I have heard, she was an outstanding interpreter and performer of Bach.
Also the Six Partitas BWV 825-830, played by Angela Hewitt, is a great performance, but any Bach from Tureck is good.


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## Shane

Andante said:


> I recently purchased a recording of 'Goldberg Variations' by Rosalyn Tureck and it just astounded me, it is the best one that I have heard, she was an outstanding interpreter and performer of Bach.
> Also the Six Partitas BWV 825-830, played by Angela Hewitt, is a great performance, but any Bach from Tureck is good.


Yes, Tureck's Bach is great. Especially in a market where there is the heavy competition of Gould, Hewitt, etc. I have Tureck's Goldberg Variations (the earlier recording) as well as her BBC Legends performance of Well-Tempered Clavier Book I. Both are easily recommendable.


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## Saturnus

Best recordings from my collection:

Reinhard Goebel & Musica Antiqua Köln - Brandenburg concertos and Orchestral Suites no. 1 & 4 (Archiv)

John Holloway, baroque violin - The sonatas and partitas for violin solo (ECM)


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## 4/4player

Im not a real fan of the Baroque period( I hope I didn't offend anybody=()..Though I have a Cd of some of Bach's works(Actually my only cd of Bach,lol):
SOLO & DOUBLE VIOLIN CONCERTOS:
~Concerto in D minor for two violins(BWV 1043)
~Concerto in A minor for violin(BWV 1041)
~Concerto in E Major for violin(BWV 1042)
~Concerto in D minor for two violins(BWV 1060)
This cd is from "harmonia mundi(france)" its made in Germany..
Hope this helps!=)


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## StlukesguildOhio

As a Bach fanatic I can recommend the following:

Glen Gould- The Goldberg Variations (both the 1955 version and the one from the mid-80s)
Angela Hewitt- The Well-Tempered Clavier
Ralph Kirkpatrick- The Well-Tempered Clavier (on clavichord)
Angela Hewitt- Two and Three Part Inventions
Yehudi Menuhin- Violin Concertos
Pierre Fournier- Cello Suites
Nathan Milstein- Partitas and Sonatas for Unaccompanied Violin
Neville Mariner and the Acdemy of St. Martin in the Fields- Art of the Fugue (although I 
also like the Emerson quartet vesrion)
Hans Hotter- Cantata 80
John Elliott Gardiner- St. Matthew Passion
John Elliott- cantatas


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## Topaz

Ref above, what about additionally:


Mass in B minor
Cantata No. 140, Wachet Auf
Magnificat in D major
St. John Passion
Cantata No. 147, Herz und Mund
Toccata and Fugue in D minor
Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor
Fantasia and Fugue in G minor
Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 2 and 5
Concerto for 2 Violins in D minor
Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor
Orchestral Suite Nos 2 and 3 
Art of the Fugue
Harpsichord Concerto No. 1 in D minor

Topaz


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## Edward Elgar

Has anyone heard Yo-Yo Mah playing Bach's cello suites? They're quite good!


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## StlukesguildOhio

I like Yo Yo Ma's first recording of the Cello Suites. It was actually the first I owned. Right now, however, I prefer the Fournier recording.


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## robert newman

I am truly humbled by the great Bach. I'm certain that his music was intended to be an oasis for music lovers regardless of how crazy this world may become. Bach takes his place among other composers and is in one sense just another composer. But to sit down long enough to hear his music is to love his music. I return to it time after time because it has qualities that never fade. How great a gift to mankind was the art of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Just one recommendation (since Bach is forever new in each recording) -

Keyboard Partita No. 1 (Dinu Lipatti, Soloist)


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## Tré

My selections:

1) Cello Suites - Yo-Yo Ma
2) Cello Suites - Rostropovich
3) Violin Concertos BWV 1041, 1042, 1043, & 1060  - Harold Gomberg, Isaac Stern, Leonard Bernstein & New York Philharmonic
4) Lute Works - Jakob Lindberg
5) *Goldberg Variations - Simone Dinnerstein
6) *Inventions and Sinfonias & Selections from Anna Magdalena's Notebook - Janos Sebestyen


*These two editions are soft and piano-esque, but quite pretty. The pianos they used were excellent!


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## hoodjem

Perahia's performance of the Goldberg Variations is the pinnacle.

Hewitt's is quite good, also, as is Gould's second recording.


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## Oldhoosierdude

Not that it matters but most participants on this thread haven't posted anything since 2007. I always find that interesting. Was CM a passing thing for them or was TC the passing thing.?


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