Johann Sebastian Bach(1685-1750)
  Keyboard Works from the Cothen Period

CD 1
Prelude in E flat major BWV 815a
Suite in E flat major BWV 819a
Fugue in G major BWV 957
Prelude & Fugue in G major BWV 902a
Prelude in D minor BWV 875a
Fugue in D minor BWV 948
Prelude & Fugue in F major BWV 901
Prelude & Fugue in C major BWV 872a
Fugue in C major BWV 953
Prelude & Fugue in A minor BWV 895
Fugue in A minor BWV 947
Prelude & Fugue in E minor BWV 900
Fugue in E minor BWV 956
Sarabande in G minor BWV 839
Courante in G major BWV 840
Fantasia on a Rondo in C minor BWV 918

CD 2
Chromatic Fantasy in D minor BWV 903a
Application in C major BWV 994
Preludes BWV 924-931
Fugue in C minor BWV 961
Fugue in C major BWV 952
Fantasia in C minor BWV 919
Preludes BWV 939-943
Menuett in C minor BWV 813a
Menuett in E flat major BWV 815a
Preludes BWV 933-938.
Prelude & Fugue in C major BWV 870a
Prelude in G major BWV 902
Prelude & Fugue in D minor BWV 899
Suite in A minor BWV 818

Hanssler 92.107 - Recorded 1999
Robert Hill on Lute-Harpsichord(CD 1) & Clavichord(CD 2)
TT 121:14

Summary for the Serious Bach Collector: Buy this one and more.

To fully appreciate Robert Hill's "Bach as Teacher" set, the listener needs
to be familiar with at least three basic aspects of Bach's musical life:

a.  Bach taught keyboard to many students.
b.  Bach composed many pieces of music for instructional purposes.
c.  These instructional pieces often were used later by Bach as part of
    or the basis for some of his most famous keyboard compositions.

Like other composers of the Baroque period, Bach didn't compose a work and
necessarily let it sit still for posterity; he used these works for as many
purposes as applicable.  Therefore, when listening to a recording such as
the one under review, you will hear music which is quite familiar as it
became part of what we now consider "prime-time" Bach.  Just to take one
example, some of the preludes Bach composed for his son W.  F.  Bach will
remind you of pieces from the Well Tempered Clavier.

Mr.  Hill uses the Lute-Harpsichord for CD 1 and the Clavichord for CD 2.
These are more intimate and warmer instruments than the harpsichord, and
they fit in nicely with the home instructional regimen.  Of course, we
mainly listen now on audio equipment, so the premise of the greater
intimacy might not go over as well in current times.  Hill is very fond
the lute-harpsichord which sounds very much to me like a cross between
the guitar and harpsichord; it certainly is an intimate and friendly
instrument.  Much the same can be said for the clavichord.  These two
instruments can be problematic when great power and thrust are required.
However, those occasions are rare in the "Bach as Teacher" repertoire.
Most of the music on the set is of positive mood without any extreme
emotional levels.

Whenever possible, I'll be comparing Hill's performances to these other
recordings which include some of the pieces on the Hill set:

Joseph Payne - Klavierbuchlein For W. F. Bach - Hanssler 92137.
Igor Kipnis  - Fantasias By Bach              - Arabesque 6577.
C. Rieger    - Bach or not Bach               - Glissando 779011.

How to approach the Hill set? That's not easy to answer; there are a few
issues to consider:

The Hill set presents a musical picture of Bach teaching his young
students, particularly his son Wilhelm Friedemann, at the keyboard.
The set is not just a collection of various teaching works; it is an
opportunity for the listener to witness a Bach teaching session and also
hear pieces which represented the building blocks of later masterpieces.
The listener who is transported to the Bach living room is most fortunate.

This leads to the questions of the most effective instruments to use for
the 'time travel' to be effective and the best style for the performer to
adopt.  Hill's set is not like Rieger's, for example, in that the Rieger
makes no attempt to do anything else but provide some works associated
with Bach.  Hill's set puts us in his home, and Bach didn't live in a
castle.  A harsh or powerful harpsichord is not appropriate and would pull
the listener right back to terra firma.  The organ could be problematic as
well.  Hill uses two intimate instruments, and it's the perfect decision.

The third issue is the performer's style.  The playing is taking place in
a house of relatively modest means.  There's no reason for note banging or
powerful utterances.  Hill understands this and provides rich and intimate
readings beautifully in tune with the subject matter.  The music lesson is
enlightening.

Now to the comparisons:

The Payne performances tell us how much better the Hill set is.  Payne
and his harpsichord are too powerful, his clavichord has a booming bass,
and his organ is just "too much".  Except for BWV 929, both sets have the
Preludes BWV 924-931.  These are wonderful pieces to listen to as they
represent the formative stage of some of Bach's WTC music.  With Payne,
the listener might as well be at a concert.  Hill's intimate and gorgeous
clavichord playing is just the ticket to best savor these works.  I most
like BWV 925 which is seductively stunning in Hill's hands.

Hill and Rieger share the Fugues in G major BWV 957 and E minor BWV 956.
Rieger is on harpsichord, Hill on lute-harpsichord.  Both pieces have a
transparent and delicate nature which each artist conveys superbly.  Unlike
Joseph Payne's harpsichord, Rieger's is eminently suited for the drawing
room atmosphere.  If pressed to choose, I'd go with Rieger's slower and
more angular performances, but Hill is excellent.

Hill and Kipnis share four works, the most significant being the Chromatic
Fantasy in D minor, BWV 903a.  Kipnis is a wonderful Bach performing
artist, but his harpsichord sounds like a poor second cousin to Hill's.
Keith Hill built both instruments used by Robert, and they are delightful
messengers of Bach's music.

My favorite extended music from the set is the Suite in E flat major,
BWV 819.  Each movement is gorgeous, and Hill's lute-harpsichord gives
the Suite a rich atmosphere that's irresistable.

Don's Conclusions:  There have been quite a few discs issued over the
past two or three years with themes surrounding early and teaching works
of Bach and works associated with Bach.  The Hill set is one of the best
within these categories.  It's hard to rate recordings such as Hill's to
be essential acquisitions.  However, a few years from now these 'theme'
recordings could well be out of print and you might be very sorry you
didn't snap them up when they were on the market.  My recommendation is
to acquire this Hill set, the Rieger disc on Glissando, and two other
Hill/Hanssler recordings of early Bach harpsichord works.  Hill also has
a 2-cd set on Hanssler titled "Original or Transcription" which is very
rewarding.  Buy them all and enjoy.

Don Satz
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