# Bach pianists



## andreas chenier (Oct 5, 2017)

What Bach pianists/cemballists are your favourites? I am under the impression that there are a lot of solists who has dedicated their life to Bach compared to many other composers and was wondering who of the pianists/cemballists who are your personal favourites. For me it would be without doubt Zuzana Ruzickova i like the most, but also Rosalyn Tureck and of course Glen Gould are amazing Bach interpretators.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Evgeny Koroliov and Roger Woodward come to mind - exceptional Bach playing.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Every time I've heard Emil Gilels play Bach I've been well impressed.

And here's a name out of left field - Martha Argerich. She's only ever recorded one Bach solo CD, but it's astoundingly good.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Two more - Beatrice Rana and Wolfgang Rubsam.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

One piano recording which I love, I mean it's something which is very special for me - though this may well be because of personal associations rather than the music making. It's with Sviatoslav Richter and I like the way he plays three sonatas and the duetti from CU 3, I don't remember ever listening to the other pieces in fact, it's very intense and austere playing.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Richter is also exceptional in Handel keyboard works. He's probably exceptional in everything he plays.


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

In recent years, I've found myself most often reaching for Dubravka Tomsic playing the Italian Concerto & 1st Partita on the Pilz label (one for my desert island), pianist turned harpsichordist--now turned back to pianist, Virginia Black's recording of the 6 Partitas on CRD (another one for my desert island), Edward Aldwell (on Nonesuch & Biddulph), Ivo Janssen's complete set on his own label, VOID (his The Art of the Fugue is very good), Andrea Bacchetti's wonderful French Suites on Sony (Caspar Frantz's set too), Andre Gavrilov in the Keyboard Concertos (with Marriner) & occasionally his French Suites, and Ivo Pogorelich in the English Suites 2 & 3.

More recently, I've also enjoyed Pietro de Maria in the Well-tempered Clavier, Book 2, Peter Hill in Book 1, Valery Afanassiev in the Books 1 & 2 (when I'm in the mood), Hans Petermandl in The Art of the Fugue, Vladimir Feltsman in the 6 Partitas & Inventions, and Angela Hewitt & Glenn Gould in the Toccatas. & occasionally I'll listen to Murray Perahia's Bach too. Oh yes, I also very much liked David Fray's recording of Bach's keyboard concertos, & hope he'll record more Bach. (I've yet to get to Andras Schiff's latest Bach on ECM.)

Among the older pianists, I've particularly enjoyed Samuel Feinberg's recording of the Well-Tempered Clavier, as well as some of Richter, Tureck, & Horszowski's Bach--though I don't listen to the older pianists much anymore. (I've yet to get to Gieseking.)

These days, I mostly listen to Bach played on a harpsichord--Bob van Asperen, Christophe Rousset, Christian Rieger (especially his Art of the Fugue), Leon Berben, Pascal Dubreuil, Pierre Hantai, Fabio Bonizzoni, Blandine Rannou, Pieter-Jan Belder (especially his WTC Book 2), sometimes Colin Tilney, and of course Gustav Leonhardt. Which is why Glenn Gould's Bach can, at times, sound so bizarre to me--though I admit I'll occasionally listen to Gould's revised view of Bach in his final recordings from the late 1970s & early 80s. Other times, I can find Gould's Bach to be ridiculous, such as with some of his jazzy French Suites. As Harpsichordist Scott Ross once remarked about Gould, "I'd say he understood nothing of Bach's music!... he was so wide off the mark that you'd need a 747 to bring back."

Among recent piano recordings, I most recommend the following:

https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Italian...738&sr=1-1&keywords=dubravka+tomsic+bach+pilz

https://www.amazon.com/Six-Partitas...511466766&sr=1-1&keywords=virginia+black+bach

https://www.amazon.com/J-S-Bach-Fre...&keywords=Andrea+bacchetti+french+suites+bach

https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Keyboar...id=1511466802&sr=1-1&keywords=David+Fray+bach


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Gould was an utter genius. You can at times almost here Bach improvising at the keyboard. Of course, there are quirks but it depends whether you are prepared to put up with them knowing Gould would probably play the same piece very differently another time.

Perahia is brilliant! So is Argerich 

Richter's 48 is austere but very good. He said he played Bach for 'hygienic reasons'


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

DavidA said:


> Gould was an utter genius. You can at times almost here Bach *improvising at the keyboard.
> *


Sorry, I can't hear that. To me he sounds like a relentless clockwork.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

I am not a very great fan of Bach on the piano. There are however a few pianists, who make wonders for me of the music, the first of these *Wolfgang Rübsam* with his Bach on the piano series for Naxos. Next *Virginia Black's* recording of the Partitas and* Ivo Janssen's* integral and *Bruno Canino'*s recording of the Goldberg variations. BTW the AoF is the Bach keyboard work I tolerate the best on piano (even if I prefer harpsichord and organ for this music), and here is my preferred version by *Hans Petermandl* closely followed by *Ron Lepinat, Célimène Daudet, Walter Riemer, David Lively and Thierry Mechler* in that sequence.

Concerning harpsichord I can say, that there are very few period instrument harpsichordists I don't enjoy, and as to revival harpsichordists I prefer *Helmut Walcha, Ralph Kirkpatrick* and *Hans Pischner*. At the moment I enjoy *Wolfgang Rübsam's* recordings of WTC and AoF played on lute harpsichord.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I have fond memories of Edward Aldwell's WTC for Naxos. He supposedly had a cult following, but cults either kill themselves off or move on to a new god.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

Bulldog said:


> I have fond memories of *Edward Aldwell's WTC for Naxos*. He supposedly had a cult following, but cults either kill themselves off or move on to a new god.


Not Naxos but Nonesuch.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Gould certainly does polarise opinion like all great artists should. A stunning pianist and an equally stunning interpreter of Bach imho.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

premont said:


> Not Naxos but Nonesuch.


I can tell that the senior moments have increased since I reached 70.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

Barbebleu said:


> Gould certainly does polarise opinion like all great artists should. A stunning pianist and an equally stunning interpreter of Bach imho.


Controversiality is not by itself a proof of greatness. Observing the political correctness, I refrain from mentioning other examples.


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## premont (May 7, 2015)

Bulldog said:


> I can tell that the senior moments have increased since I reached 70.


I can tell similar things.


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## David Phillips (Jun 26, 2017)

Edwin Fischer then, and Andras Schiff now.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

If I could hear all of Bach played by *Alfred Brendel*, I would have been a happy camper. He is expressive without romanticizing the music, and this is not sewing machine Bach. His playing is beautifully elastic but yet with a firm pulse. Why oh why he didn't record more Bach is a mystery, because for me, he was one of the all-time greats.

https://goo.gl/images/S1XqhH


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

premont said:


> Controversiality is not by itself a proof of greatness.


dup post due to idiocy:lol:


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

I like Andras Schiff as well as Perahia with Bach.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

premont said:


> Controversiality is not by itself a proof of greatness.


I'm not sure that's what I said but hey ho!


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Larkenfield said:


> If I could hear all of Bach played by *Alfred Brendel*, I would have been a happy camper. He is expressive without romanticizing the music, and this is not sewing machine Bach. His playing is beautifully elastic but yet with a firm pulse. Why oh why he didn't record more Bach is a mystery, because for me, he was one of the all-time greats.
> 
> https://goo.gl/images/S1XqhH


He said himself that he loved Bach's music but wasn't comfortable performing it in public. Not a direct answer to your query but may perhaps shed some light on the matter.


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## Manxfeeder (Oct 19, 2010)

Any thoughts about Simone Dinnerstein?


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Manxfeeder said:


> Any thoughts about Simone Dinnerstein?


I have her Goldbergs and enjoy it; not one of the best I've heard.


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## Bluecrab (Jun 24, 2014)

Manxfeeder said:


> Any thoughts about Simone Dinnerstein?


My wife and I saw her play the Goldberg Variations a few weeks ago. She was accompanied (if that's the right word) by a troupe of seven modern dancers. I found the dancers to be a bit of a distraction, but she played the work absolutely beautifully.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

Animal the Drummer said:


> He said himself that he loved Bach's music but wasn't comfortable performing it in public. Not a direct answer to your query but may perhaps shed some light on the matter.


Thank you. I appreciate knowing that.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Another one I like is Schnabel's recording of the C minor toccata.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Animal the Drummer said:


> Every time I've heard Emil Gilels play Bach I've been well impressed.


There isn't much as far as I know, unless you count the Siloti and the Busoni, which I agree are fun. I have a partita, BWV 989 and a French Suite, I remember not enjoying the suite at all, I can't remember anything about the partita or 989.


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## Holden4th (Jul 14, 2017)

Another vote for Koroliov for both his Goldbergs and the Inventions.

Sergey Schepkin for the Partitas

Richter for the WTC. Unlike a previous poster I find that SR is far from austere.


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## Taplow (Aug 13, 2017)

For piano, I hold Rosalyn Tureck in very high regard.

For harpsichord, Pinnock, Koopman, and more recently Kenneth Gilbert.

For organ (I know you didn't ask, but I'm saying), Koopman.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Holden4th said:


> Richter for the WTC. Unlike a previous poster I find that SR is far from austere.


You're a pianist aren't you? What do you make of Rübsam? (Sorry to put you on the spot, but I may as well try to spice it up!)

Richter's WTC is pre-heart trouble. The CD of sonatas I mentioned is very late, 1991. These days I've lost interest in earlier Richter, I still get something out of the recordings from his last decade. This is maybe to do with the fact that I saw him play Shostakovich and Mozart before he died and the concerts were very formative for me, they formed my taste. But yes, his WTC is exceptional if you like that sort of thing, IMO much more interesting than the much praised Edwin Fischer, though maybe not as interesting as Tureck's DG.

A Bach pianist who I prefer to earlier Richter, whether it be WTC or suites or whatever, is Nikolayeva, especially the most early recordings.

Feinberg is an enigma, too fast to be a favourite for me, but nevertheless a great poet. I remember when I first heard it, in the 1980s, being spellbound! I remember gasping out loud at the sheer beauty of it all.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

I like Schiff the best, I also enjoy Richter. As far as newer Bach pianists go Beatrice Rana shows a lot of potential, I hope she decides to record more Bach.


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## Holden4th (Jul 14, 2017)

Mandryka said:


> You're a pianist aren't you? What do you make of Rübsam? (Sorry to put you on the spot, but I may as well try to spice it up!)
> 
> Richter's WTC is pre-heart trouble. The CD of sonatas I mentioned is very late, 1991. These days I've lost interest in earlier Richter, I still get something out of the recordings from his last decade. This is maybe to do with the fact that I saw him play Shostakovich and Mozart before he died and the concerts were very formative for me, they formed my taste. But yes, his WTC is exceptional if you like that sort of thing, IMO much more interesting than the much praised Edwin Fischer, though maybe not as interesting as Tureck's DG.
> 
> ...


I have to admit that I haven't heard Rubsam as I thought he was an organist. I'll have to check him out. Fortunately he's on Spotify.


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## Gaspard de la Nuit (Oct 20, 2014)

Well, I made a thread about Wanda Landowska a few months back and she remains my favorite. I think of all baroque composers Bach transfers the best to the piano (okay, maybe Scarlatti too), because the piano has a pathos that I think resonates with Bach's sense of pathos......but overall, many harpsichords provide the best array of sounds for Bach in general.

I'm sure there are pianists out there who I would think are great Bach interpreters but......Landowska is the goddess of baroque music.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Schiff's recent performance of the WTC Book I at the Proms. It appears he is back to using a bit of pedal in his playing. Still sounds good though.


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## lextune (Nov 25, 2016)

DavidA said:


> Richter's 48 is austere but very good. He said he played Bach for 'hygienic reasons'


Richter's 48 is the pinnacle of Bach on the piano for me...

As for the quote, the correct quote is actually quite a different sentiment. He was not speaking of playing Bach, but of listening:

"It does no harm to listen to Bach from time to time, even if only from a hygienic standpoint."

It is in the Monsaingeon book.


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## Holden4th (Jul 14, 2017)

tdc said:


> Schiff's recent performance of the WTC Book I at the Proms. It appears he is back to using a bit of pedal in his playing. Still sounds good though.


Gulda's also uses as little pedal as possible in the WTC.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Mandryka said:


> There isn't much as far as I know, unless you count the Siloti and the Busoni, which I agree are fun. I have a partita, BWV 989 and a French Suite, I remember not enjoying the suite at all, I can't remember anything about the partita or 989.


There are bits and pieces across a number of recital discs out there. A friend of mine's an absolute Gilels nut and has played me some of them from time to time - I haven't sought them out for myself but I've always enjoyed them, though maybe I've partially caught his enthusiasm. If the partita you're referring to is no.1 in B flat, that's one I like for example.

To answer a question you've posed elsewhere in the thread, I'm a pianist too and have to confess I'm not the biggest fan of Rübsam's way with Bach on the piano. For me he pulls the music about too much.


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

Sviatoslav Richter was probably the greatest pianist of the 20th century and recorded a great deal of Bach including music written for other instruments that he performed on the piano. His well-tempered clavier is less Bach than Richter, however, and is a remarkable journey in music making. I thought the second best Bach pianist of the century was Rosalyn Tureck; she made a recording in William Buckley's home that is one of the best Bach recordings ever made. Other pianists I always enjoy playing Bach are Elena Kuschnerova, Kristina Svanbergand Dubravka Tomsic and harpsichordists George Malcolm and Igor Kipnis.


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## ClassicalMaestro (Dec 10, 2017)

Glenn Gould the greatest Bach interpreter who ever lived


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

A couple small mistakes, but they don't bother me, I like the interpretation and the passion in the playing here.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

larold said:


> Sviatoslav Richter was probably the greatest pianist of the 20th century and recorded a great deal of Bach including music written for other instruments that he performed on the piano. *His well-tempered clavier is less Bach than Richter, *however, and is a remarkable journey in music making. I thought the second best Bach pianist of the century was Rosalyn Tureck; she made a recording in William Buckley's home that is one of the best Bach recordings ever made. Other pianists I always enjoy playing Bach are Elena Kuschnerova, Kristina Svanbergand Dubravka Tomsic and harpsichordists George Malcolm and Igor Kipnis.


I just cannot see how we can make such a statement as we simply don't know how Bach himself would have performed it.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

ClassicalMaestro said:


> Glenn Gould the greatest Bach interpreter who ever lived


Gould certainly showed the possibilities of Bach on the keyboard. His ability to separate the voices was absolutely incredible.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

tdc said:


> A couple small mistakes, but they don't bother me, I like the interpretation and the passion in the playing here.


From the Bach she recordedArgerich was one of the great Bach pianists. But then she tended to be good at everything


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

ClassicalMaestro said:


> Glenn Gould the greatest Bach interpreter who ever lived


That's open to interpretation! After listening to close to 20 Gould discs of Bach, I'm seeking out other players. Gould can be rather relentless and mechanical. I'm trying out Schiff, and Perahia for a breath of fresh air and bit more lyricism.


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## BiscuityBoyle (Feb 5, 2018)

Richter's buddy Anatoly Vedernikov, who made the excellent recording of the two-piano concerto with him, was as great a Bach pianist as his far more celebrated friend. Those who read the Monsaingeon book will remember Richter comparing Vedernikov favorably to Glenn Gould (a pianist Vedernikov adored) in the partitas. Doesn't matter if you agree or not, what's more important is that he had his own rigorous approach to Bach and had found his own style of non-legato attack. Unfortunately he never recorded the WTC, but his English suite cycle is my favorite.






The sheer power in the gigue and the handling of time in the sarabande are breathtaking:


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## BiscuityBoyle (Feb 5, 2018)

Mandryka said:


> There isn't much as far as I know, unless you count the Siloti and the Busoni, which I agree are fun. I have a partita, BWV 989 and a French Suite, I remember not enjoying the suite at all, I can't remember anything about the partita or 989.


The live recording of the B flat major partita has some unfortunate audio glitches, plus he clearly learned it from an outdated Soviet edition and plays sans repeats etc. That said, it's a brilliant and exuberant piece of piano playing. His G major French suite, however, was recorded by RCA in the US and is played as well as is humanly possible in the Romantic, shall we say, idiom. If you accept certain stylistic elements that today are sneered at, rightly or wrongly, it's sheer perfection in terms of polyphony, phrasing and pianism (the same goes for his Aria variata alla maniera italiana on BBC). Plus there are some nice Soviet concerto recordings (the two piano ones with Yakov Zak, the 5th Brandenburg and maybe another one), but overall, similar to Michelangeli, he stopped playing Bach relatively early in his career (late 1950s) as he had reservations about playing it on the piano and probably felt his style is better applied elsewhere.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Gould for me as well, but I do enjoy some of his other performances as well where he is almost mocking other composers. Sometimes he even re-works the piece in an interesting way.


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## Vronsky (Jan 5, 2015)

I like Brendel's renditions, his Italian concerto was beautiful.


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## Enthusiast (Mar 5, 2016)

starthrower said:


> That's open to interpretation! After listening to close to 20 Gould discs of Bach, I'm seeking out other players. Gould can be rather relentless and mechanical. I'm trying out Schiff, and Perahia for a breath of fresh air and bit more lyricism.


I like both Schiff and Perahia in Bach and particularly the later live Schiff recordings. Not that I dislike old favourites like Gould or Tureck or even Richter (who I find a little austere in Bach to be honest). I have also really enjoyed Craig Sheppard and Samuil Feinberg (OK also from the past but I only got to hear him a few years back). And I really wish Aimard would record more Bach.


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## monelle (May 24, 2016)

*favorties*



andreas chenier said:


> What Bach pianists/cemballists are your favourites? I am under the impression that there are a lot of solists who has dedicated their life to Bach compared to many other composers and was wondering who of the pianists/cemballists who are your personal favourites. For me it would be without doubt Zuzana Ruzickova i like the most, but also Rosalyn Tureck and of course Glen Gould are amazing Bach interpretators.


Dinu Lipati, William Kapell, Pedro Burmester, Monique Haas


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

monelle said:


> Pedro Burmester


Yes, I think he's worth hearing in the partita.


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