Felix Delbruck wrote:

>While not having heard Tureck's new Goldberg Variations, I have read a
>number of reviews of them which said how clear and heavy and earnest they
>are.  All this seems to indicate that her playing may have somehow changed
>over the years.  All that I have ever heard of her is an earlier Bach
>partita (1950's) which was broadcast over the radio as part of her Philips
>Great PIanists disc.  ...

Not heard the Partitas.  However, her WTC (American Decca) of the early
stereo era is indeed one of my favorite recordings.  In fact, I haven't
heard Bach played any better - superb clarity of inner voices, changing
balances of voices, as if she could emphasize any voice she cared to, and
superb line.  Poetic and clear-minded, not scholarly, is how I would have
described them.

>I have heard several people regard her (earlier) G.  variations as one
>of their desert island discs, whereas my piano tutor heard her do the
>variations twice in one recital in the '70s - once on pianoforte, once on
>harpsichord - slow, with all repeats taken and taken identically.  She
>couldn't stand it.

I heard her live performance of the Goldbergs in London in the 70s - first
half of the concert on piano, second on harpsichord.  I did not care for
her harpsichord version, but her piano version was the best I've heard,
including Gould, etc.  The two versions were indeed different, which I
naturally assumed was due to the performance characteristics of the
different instruments.

Tureck has generated controversy throughout her career.  I think that -
at least her younger self - was a wonder.  I don't care for her later
recordings.

I also have a CD with a very, very young Tureck playing stuff other than
Bach.  Superb.

Steve Schwartz