I've been obtaining quite a few Bach recordings, trying to fill in the gaps
in my Bach collection.  One such acquistion was Joanna MacGregor playing
the Art of Fugue and a few Nancarrow pieces on a 2-cd Collins set.

I found MacGregor's Bach one of the best piano versions I ever heard.
My benchmark for the work, the Contrapunctus 3, is played perfectly by
MacGregor with superb emphasis/pacing throughout the piece.  The other
sections are interpreted every bit as well.

The coupling consists of three canons for Ursula and three studies for
player piano by Nancarrow.  Although this coupling might appear odd, it's
logic is based on the significance to both composers of counterpoint and
musical complexity.  At this point, I have not developed a strong
appreciation for Nancarrow, but I have many years to get there.

Any complaints? Not really.  Recorded sound is fine; cover art is nothing
special but McGregor is giving us a look that exudes pure confidence - I
get the impression that she can handle anything coming her way, musical
or otherwise.  Thee are only 108 minutes of music on the 2 cd's, but the
interpretation is just too good to pay that much attention.

Overall, McGregor is up there with Aldwell and Nikolayeva as providing the
best piano versions of the Art of Fugue.  If Aldwell and Nikolayeva are
to your liking, McGregor should be a winner also.  Gerardo, based on the
preferences he has outlined, would be wise to stay away from all three
recordings.

Don Satz
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