Bach, J S: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Books 1 & 2
Andras Schiff has recorded the 48 preludes and fugues of Bach’s “The Well-Tempered Clavier”, making studio recordings in Lugano, Switzerland of both books for this 4-CD set.
Performed by Andras Schiff (piano)
Johann Sebastian Bach was an inspiration for composers from Mozart and Beethoven to Chopin and Brahms and beyond.
In the introduction to his release of Bach’s Partitas, Schiff documented his motivation for revisiting music he first recorded two decades before: “Great music is far greater than its performers. We try our entire lives to unveil its secrets and to convey its unique message. Even if we never quite reach the imaginary goal, our many performances give us experience and knowledge that were hidden from us years ago. We form a better understanding of its structure and inner workings. Horizons broaden before our eyes.”
Here is what the press documented about this music:
The Independent, 15th September 2012:
“Schiff admits he now dislikes the sentimentality of some of his earlier Bach recordings; and this one is certainly clear of such emotional indulgences…the result is a supremely classical rendition of one of classical music’s keynote works, blessed with an almost transparent clarity”
The Times, 14th September 2012:
“Schiff plays with hands alone, avoiding sounds that linger and fade for the delights of the sober, the centered, and clean. Impersonal playing? Not at all. But the personality on display is Bach’s rather than Schiff’s. And full pleasure comes with close concentration as Schiff, without frills or deviation, leads us straight to the music’s heart.”
Here is the Bach WTC 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 1, as performed by Mr. Schiff:
And next, here is a recent interesting master class with András Schiff at the Jerusalem Music Center, January, 2012.
Tags: Andras Schiff, Bach, Preludes and Fugues