Prelude & Fugue in A flat major - I think of this prelude as one
of Bach's "life is very good" creations. From the opening bars, the
piece is uplifting, and it continues right to the end. There is room for
contemplation and nuance, depending on the speed. Gould is the fastest at
about 3 minutes, has no time to develop any themes, and occupies the cellar
with Roberts who is a little bit slower but quite ordinary.
Very good versions are Nikolyeva, Aldwell, Fischer, Hewitt, Schiff, and
Jando. Nikolayeva has a gorgeous ending and great build-up toward the
climaxes but is a little loud and overly demonstrative. Aldwell clocks in
at almost 5 minutes and provides a beautiful reading, but he loses needed
tension in the middle of the prelude. Fischer is on the quick side and has
great climaxes and tension, but the softer passages lack impact. Hewitt
employs a moderate pace in a dramatic reading which is a little lacking
in nuance. Schiff is as fast as Roberts but much more expressive; he does
"bang out" the ending which isn't so good. Jando is also quick, in fact a
little hurried, but his reading is lovely anyways.
Tureck, Schepkin, and Gulda are exceptional. Tureck uses a moderate
pace with pin-point emphasis on tension, joy, tenderness, and the
demonstrative elements of the music. Schepkin is almost as slow as Aldwell
but maintains tension throughout in a gorgeous laid-back reading which
works just right for me; his climaxes are excellent also. Gulda's is the
best "straight-ahead" reading I could ask for: moderate tempo, great
forward momentum, the best climaxes, and plenty of nuance within a tight
framework.
The Fugue in A flat major is less reflective and serene than its partner.
So, as one could guess, this piece is better suited to quick tempos and
Gould's strengths than the Prelude (more on Gould later). Both pieces are
similar in their expression of life's joys and rewards. Roberts plays it
much as he does the prelude - quick, glossy, and possessing much surface
appeal; his version is immediately enjoyable but soon loses its allure.
Schepkin's is a very special performance. It's slow-paced, beautiful,
displays fantastic part playing, and has plenty of momentum. Best of all,
within an irresistable musical flow, each passage is at least as stunning,
individual, and interesting as the preceding one. No other version comes
close to Schepkin. Gould is the fastest and very musical, but his impact
recedes on additional listenings. Jando is fast with a great bass line.
Fischer is a little too harsh. Schiff is fast and loaded with events but
becomes low on poetry sometimes. Hewitt's version has similarities with
Schepkin's but is less inspired. Gulda is powerful throughout and could
have used more variation in dynamics. Tureck is on the quick side and not
as poetic as I would have expected. Nikolayeva is highly poetic, but the
flow is inconsistent. Aldwell is the slowest with some beautiful passages.
Overall, Schepkin is best by a wide margin, Roberts is the worst, and the
others are in the middle.
Prelude & Fugue in G sharp minor - I find G sharp minor a very hard key
to play in; perhaps many professional pianists do also. With most of the
versions, I'd have no idea that this prelude is a masterpiece. But Jando
gives me a hint of greatness with a fast pace and powerful delivery. Then
comes Tureck who puts the others to shame with a transcendent performance.
Her reading (over 6 minutes) doubles the timing of Jando's, and she uses
every second expertly - so tender, drama of great subtlety, infectious
build-ups to climaxes, and tension precisely where I want it. Tureck's
superb version is tailor made for a story from your mind, and not a short
story. My story is about the loss of innocence and purity, something that
hasn't yet happened to me.
Unlike with its partner, most of the pianists do very well in the Fugue in
G sharp minor. This is an amazing piece of music which only Roberts does
not respond well to. He has trouble with Bach's "biggies", and this fugue
is definitely in that category. Roberts is all surface appeal; not one
phrase or even one note enters me. Tempo differences among the versions
are huge. The moderate paced performances range from over 4 minutes to
almost 6 minutes. Hewitt is very quick at 3'20"; Gulda's like a bullet
at 2'35". At the high end, Tureck comes in at a stunning 7'53". These
extreme differences have nothing to do with repeats either.
What's this fugue all about? For me, it's the "Apocalypse Aftermath"
Fugue. Aldwell, in his liner notes, mentions the "discontent" of the
piece which increases toward the conclusion. I've got this fugue way
beyond the discontent level. It has an eerie and bleak quality right from
the start, and it builds up momentum in a subtle way throughout the first
half of the fugue; in the second half, eerie is taken over by a conclusive
and demonstrative end to any semblance of life as we know it. Yes, there
are moments of hope, but they are fleeting and stamped out by a seamless
and inevitable crushing of the living world and spirit. As you can
surmise, I love this piece and the theme it elicits from me. Some consider
the "Black Pearl" Variation of the Goldbergs to be a journey to complete
emptiness; the Fugue in G sharp minor is for me a journey to the darkest
corners of one's mind, dreams, and fears. That Bach can do all this to me
without any pianistic hysterics is very impressive. Of course, not all the
versions greatly emphasize this theme, but I notice it quickly in every one
except for Robert's. Some versions are more laid-back and reflective; they
are very rewarding as well (I just have to make the mental transition).
After all, there must be a lot to reflect on after the apocalypse.
Very good versions include Nikolayeva, Fischer, Aldwell, Gulda, Gould,
Hewitt, and Jando. Nikolayeva's a little lower than the top level because
she doesn't dig as deeply into the music as the best versions. Fischer's
sound is a problem, and he's too harsh at times. Aldwell's reading is
superb until the last minute or so when he starts banging too loudly on the
keys. Jando has great forward momentum but lacks a little in nuance; Gulda
has the same problem, although at his fast speed it probably couldn't be
avoided. Hewitt, although of quick pace, gets to the heart of the music,
although she's too loud toward the end. Gould has a nice swagger to his
performance, but he's a little too upbeat in the first half of the fugue.
Schiff and Schepkin deliver beautiful and highly nuanced readings with
fantastic voice separation. But they can't reach Tureck whose conception
is exactly my own and whose execution is flawless. Her set is worth every
penny just for this performance.
Prelude & Fugue in A major - This set is much shorter than the G sharp
minor. The Prelude is lyrical, tender, and life-affirming. Fischer and
Gould aren't very good; Fischer is on the harsh side, inconsistent in
pacing, and smudges a note badly. Gould starts off well but loses poetry
along the way. Both Hewitt and Aldwell call this piece a "pastorale", but
Jando doesn't agree. He's strong in an affirmative sense and provides an
infectious reading. The other excellent performance comes from Tureck as
she's her usual incisive and poetic self. The other versions are fine.
The Fugue in A major is a three-voice piece where each voice enters
in ascending order; these initial passages can provide ample tension
in addition to beauty, and there are notes that "sigh" invitingly. Only
Tureck provides a superb opening, and she continues through the piece to
display a mastery of the music. She is slowest at over 2 minutes; Gulda
and Aldwell are over 1'30", and the others are a little over 1 minute in
length. Aldwell's version is excellent as he's great with the tension and
poetry. The other excellent version, a fast one, is from Roberts. The
fast-paced versions need to be exciting, and Roberts heads that field with
a very uplifiting performance. The remaining versions are good ones.
Tureck just keeps improving in relation to the other recordings as the
survey progresses. Although not a mathematical certainty, my numbers tell
me that it's highly likely that Tureck's WTC II is the best set in the
survey. If only that sound was better.
Prelude & Fugue in A minor - The Prelude is a two-part invention with much
swapping of the themes between the voices; chromaticism is strong and gives
the music a bizarre quality as if the laws of nature have been suspended.
I liken it to a world gone topsy-turvy (physically and emotionally).
Gulda, Hewitt, Fischer, Gould, and Schepkin are quick with high priority
on momentum; the remainder are slow-paced and highly poetic. Among the
faster versions, Gulda is best; he's powerful and greatly highlights the
chromaticism. His version most lets you know that everthing is "crazy".
Fischer has problems - he sounds hurried and his emotional quotient is low.
Among the slower versions, Schiff is exceptional; his poetry and part
playing are superb. Nikolayeva is a little deficient with limited dynamics
and a soft-focused reading throughout.
The three-voice Fugue in A minor is a virtuoso piece which Hewitt
calls "the wildest and most brilliant Fugue of the 48". That may or
not be true, but I'm not particularly taken with the music, especially in
Hewitt's hands. She is harsh, loud, and disjointed. Roberts is "fussy"
and loses momentum frequently. The other versions are fine.
Gould has been losing some points in the latter half of Book II. His
tempos are increasingly speedy, and his poetry is less evident. Gulda,
however, has been a model of consistency in providing straight-ahead and
powerful interpretations. Now and then he sounds a little lacking in
poetry, but most of his performances are highly effective and musical.
Increasingly, I'm finding that I'm at odds with the conceptions that
Hewitt holds dear; her descriptions of each prelude and fugue in the liner
notes are sounding quite alien to me. As an example, she frequently states
that a particular piece should not be played slowly as its flow would be
destroyed; then, someone like Aldwell plays the piece slowly with no damage
to the music's flow.
Don Satz
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