Three Part Inventions in A major and A minor - The A major is another
joyous piece of music. I listen to this music in my head, and it sounds
perfect - relatively fast tempo with joy ringing out from each note.
Unfortunately, none of the eight versions comes close to perfection.
Each one has some nice touches, each one has significant failings. I
honestly can't recommend any of them except as stop-gap readings; I'm
still waiting for the best.
The A minor invention, at about 1 minute and 30 seconds, is again a
joy-filled piece that's light in manner. In the 2 minute range, it needs
to inject some emotional depth with a sense of regret in the air. The two
best, Suzuki and Gould, are slow versions of beauty and depth. On a lower
level, Laberge's and Kaahane's do not express enough joy; Hewitt starts off
winningly with a nice staccato approach but then reverts to an extreme
priority on hard-hitting bass notes. Koopman, Serkin, and Schiff have
little to offer. Koopman is too choppy, Serkin (very slow) misses the
piece entirely, and Schiff continues to ruin the pulse of the music.
Three Part Inventions in B flat major and B minor - The B flat major is a
life affirming work which concludes assertively. I greatly enjoyed each of
the versions excepting for Schiff's. Again, he is too fussy and cavalier
with the pulse. Gould, at a little over 1 minute, reminds me of a 100
meter sprinter with all the affirmation one could want. Laberge, in over
two minutes, is the long distance runner providing the same level of
inspiration.
The last invention, in B minor, starts with a layers of clouds which
systematically are removed to reveal the light of life and wisdom. Hewitt,
Suzuki, Serkin, and Laberge provide fine performances; Hewitt uses a
moderate tempo this time and it pays dividends. Kahane and Gould are too
fast, and Koopman and Schiff rather ordinary.
Summary:
Suzuki's is the best overall version. He often adopts slow tempos and
enhances the depth of the inventions. His interpretations are not
mainstream nor are they extreme. Recorded sound is excellent.
Serkin's version has some similarities to Suzuki. Serkin also tends to
slow tempos to good effect. However, he takes more risks and highlights
more the counterpoint. His sound is also excellent. This is a great
purchase for the thinking person who wants a piano version.
Gould's is the extreme version and the most unique. He adopts a few very
slow tempos to great effect and is hit-or-miss on the frequent fast tempos
used. Although I wouldn't recommend Gould to someone who wanted only one
recording of the Inventions, I consider him a must for those having
multiple versions.
Laberge is an excellent choice. He provides a mainstream interpretation
of a very high order, does best in the three-part inventions, gives superb
performances of my favorite inventions, and has a fantastic harpsichord
sound.
Kahane performed well in the three-part inventions and had good piano
sound. But he was a notch or two below Serkin and Gould. The Partita no.
4 coupling on his disc is outstandingly performed. So, this is a strong
recommendation.
I have mixed feelings about the Koopman recording. He often performs
very well but is let down by his harpsichord which just doesn't have
the richness or clarity of the other two. Since Laberge and Serkin,
in addition to the better sound, also provide performances which are
more insightful, I can't give Koopman an unqualified recommendation.
Hewitt's performances are often fast without being playful or insightful;
also, she has a tendency to drive the pieces hard through her emphasis on
the bass notes. But there are times when she slows down and gives great
and exciting readings.
Schiff is in a class of his own, and I'm amazed to be saying this. I had
a very good recollection of his version, but in direct comparison with a
few alternatives, he's a non-starter. I consider Schiff's main strength to
be a high degree of poetry, but his performances were too fussy to display
much poetic feeling. With that largely missing, Schiff has little to
offer.
In a few days, I'll begin a review of some recordings of the Christmas
Oratorio which is great music any time of the year.
Don Satz
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