Hanssler recently issued a disc of five Bach keyboard works performed by
the pianist Evengi Koroliov who has received much praise for his previous
Bach recordings including the Art of Fugue and Goldberg Variations. The
catalog number is 92.108. The works on this new disc consist of the
following:
French Overture in B minor, BWV 831.
Chromatic Fantasia & Fugue in D minor, BWV 903.
Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971.
Four Duets, BWV 802-805.
Fantasia & Fugue in C minor, BWV 906.
I'll start with the French Overture which is the longest work at up to 30
minutes in length. Comparison recordings are:
Rosalyn Tureck(Piano) - Philips 456979.
Piotr Anderszewski(Piano) - Harmonia Mundi 911679.
Sergey Schepkin(Piano) - Ongaku 024-109.
Andras Schiff(Piano) - Decca 433313.
Edward Aldwell(Piano) - Biddulph FLW 002.
Kenneth Gilbert(Harpsichord) - Harmonia Mundi 901278.
Robert Woolley(Harpsichord) - EMI 49800.
Concerning sound quality, there aren't any significant problems with any
of the versions. Although Tureck was recorded in 1959, her sound is clean,
highly detailed, and attractive. I should mention that Gilbert's sound is
rather "in your face", but a little adjusting of the audio controls largely
eliminates that situation without any negative side effects. Koroliov's
version has the best sound quality of all - crisp, clear, rich, detailed -
couldn't be better.
The French Overture is similar to Bach's Orchestral Suites in that it
begins with a large-scale movement (overture) followed by a series of dance
movements. The initial movement begins with a dotted-rhythm Grave which
leads into a fugal Allegro and returns to the Grave mode. Being in the
French style, the music is very elegant with abundant ornamentation. The
work is not one of Bach's most popular keyboard compositions but has been
recorded with some frequency. Unlike any of the French Suites, the French
Overture does not have an Allemande but does have additional dances.
The first movement overture is one of Bach's most inspired pieces of
keyboard composition. The Grave is subtle and reflective, yet highly
dramatic and emotionally-charged. The Allegro is powerful in impact and
conveys to me a host of emotions/themes ranging from deep comfort,
serenity, and delicacy to horrific happenings such as an invasion of
monstrous aliens, or atonal families moving into your neighborhood.
The immediate feature that's obvious after listening to each version is
that Schiff, Woolley, and Anderszewski are not fully satisfied with the
Grave-Allegro-Grave regimen; they add a second Allegro and third Grave. I
feel neutral about this decision. On one hand, there's nothing wrong with
more of a good thing. On the other, I feel fully satisfied without the
additional repetitions which make the movement 12 to 13 minutes long.
I'm glad to say that every version is a joy to listen to. Each one is at
least highly effective in both the Grave and Allegro, and I love the Grave
from Tureck and from Aldwell. Koroliov holds up very well in this company;
his Grave is slow-paced and gorgeous, his Allegro exciting and eventful.
My favorite first movement is the Gilbert version which is the only one
excellent throughout and has "forward momentum" written all over it. But
its advantage over the others is small.
The first dance is a french style Courante; this is bitter/sweet
music which might seem rather simple at first blush but with additional
listenings reveals its beauty through the interplay of voices. Unlike with
the overture, there are some performances which have a significant problem.
Aldwell uses the bass notes in such a strong/defiant manner that I felt he
was psyching himself up for a wrestling match. Anderszewski's problem is
that the bass notes get too much prominence; interplay is reduced. With
Schiff, I was writing "fussy, bad move, cute, choppy, disjointed". This
is, in my opinion, Schiff at his worst which still isn't all that bad.
The remaining versions are excellent. Gilbert and Tureck are stately;
Tureck's counterpoint is strongly displayed. Schepkin is elegant and
quick; it works beautifully. Koroliov is elegant and slow-paced; I can
really luxuriate in his reading. Woolley is the one I like the most; I
think his reading best contrasts the two moods of the music and his
ornamentation is outstanding.
The next dance sequence is a Gavotte I, Gavotte II, and a da capo of
Gavotte I. The first Gavotte is playful and teases with exuberation, the
second is at a much lower register and is more subdued yet surprisingly
delightful in its mood changes.
As with all the movements in the French Overture, ornamentation is
an important element. The "right" ornamentation provides a greater
sense of completion; it adds to enjoyment and interest. The wrong type
subtracts from completeness and also damages the flow of the music. It's
a subjective matter than each listener determines. My perception before
starting the survey was that Schepkin and Schiff would likely have some
problems with ornamentation. With the Gavottes, they both have their turn;
their ornamentation is fussy and excessive with negative impact on the
music's flow. Schepkin is also fast paced and sounds rushed. Koroliov is
also speedy to no good effect and somewhat soft-focused; I would have liked
more impact.
Aldwell, Anderszewski, Woolley, and Gilbert provide very good performances.
Tureck is more than a minute slower than every other version; her
counterpoint is exceptional as is her contrasting of moods without any loss
of momentum. Tureck owns this dance sequence.
Next is the Passepied dance sequence. Passepied I tends to be more
exuberant than II which is quite calming and serene. I first listened to
Gilbert, Koroliov, and Anderszewski; I was very impressed with each. Then
Aldwell brought me back to earth. His version is a fine one with a very
quick Passepied I, but it didn't take flight for me; I would have liked
more strength in Passipied I and more poetry in II. Schiff is very fast
in Passepied I and sounds rushed with clipped notes. Tureck, Woolley,
and Schepkin were also impressive. More listening was definitely in order
for the six excellent versions.
I'm back with my conclusions. Anderszewski is the only pianist who doesn't
bother with any exuberance in Passipied I; he replaces it with a somewhat
hushed mystery which is lovely. Combined with a highly poetic II, this
is a highly desireable reading. If Anderszewski would be too soft-focused
for some, Tureck would be the antidote. She is strong and demonstrative,
and this works well also. Schepkin is fast throughout yet amply poetic.
Gilbert's great with just a tad too slow a tempo. Woolley's version is
perfectly paced; his Passipied I has an infectious tempo with superb
accenting, and II is eventful and lovely with fantastic harpsichord sound.
Koroliov is about as fast as Schepkin in Passipied I, and it holds together
even better; his is the most exuberant performance. Then Koroliov switches
gears perfectly for Passipied II - a beautiful reading. So, Koroliov and
Woolley share first place in my affection.
The Sarabande is slow-paced, serious, and deep. It has me reflecting on
mistakes of the past, and how different my life and those around me might
have been if those mistakes had not happened. Koroliov is quite slow at
over four minutes and has the full measure of the music; his is a special
interpretation with superb projection. Schiff, at over three minutes,
does not convey the emotional depth of Koroliov, although his is a lovely
performance. That's more than I can say for Schepkin whose reading at
under three minutes gives me the impression of glossing over serious
matters. Aldwell, at Schiff's tempo, projects beautifully and stands tall
next to Koroliov. Anderszewski is as slow paced as Koroliov but does not
project the emotional depths as well. Tureck is the slowest at almost five
minutes and mostly projects a slow-motion traversal that seems to take over
ten minutes; this is no better than Schepkin's fast performance. Both
Woolley and Gilbert are very good, but I would have liked greater
differentiation of dynamics from each.
In the Bourree dance sequence, the first dance is again exuberant
with the second more serene. Gilbert and Schiff are problematic.
Gilbert drives too hard and sounds mechanical, not rhythmic. Schiff is
fine in the second dance, but his fussy mannerisms and cute and annoying
embellishments ruin the first dance. Schepkin, Woolley, Koroliov, Tureck,
and Anderszewski are much better. Schepkin's first dance is very fast and
exciting; unfortunately, he is too fast in the Bourree without sufficient
poetry and delicacy. Lack of sufficient poetry and delicacy also applies
to Woolley whose Bouree I is excellently paced. Koroliov provides the best
Bourree II, but is a little too fast in I. Tureck is the slowest with
great detail in the counterpoint but a rather clinical approach to this
elaborate music. Anderszewski does well throughout.
Aldwell's is the best version. He does deliver a fine Bourree II, but it's
the first dance where he is revelatory. He makes this dance an event. His
pacing and swagger are perfect; his combination of strength and poetry is
outstanding - a riveting performance.
Reading the liner notes to the various versions, I was struck by the
difference of opinion concerning the mood of the Gigue. They ranged from
"austere" to "jolly" and "spirited". The music can certainly be spirited
and/or austere; I have no idea where "jolly" comes into the picture. After
listening to each version a few times, I realized that I was enjoying the
moderate to slow performances but not caring much for the faster versions.
That's because the adjective that I feel best describes this Gigue is
"luxuriant". I'm confident that this music can be played fast and in a
luxuriant manner, but Schiff, Schepkin, and Koroliov don't come close. The
other versions are very good. I'd just like to mention that Anderszewski
employs a very wide dynamic range that, although initially startling, is
very effective; stay close to your volume controls.
The last movement, the Echo, is joyful music with many dynamic changes
of a sudden nature. Echo relates to the alternation of piano and forte
volume. In addition to the interest provided by the echo, the music is
inherently vivacious and delightful. Tureck is fantastic with the echo
effect without any loss of momentum. Schiff is great with outstanding
pacing and the most vivacious performance. Woolley and Gilbert each
provide an infectious swagger and echo effect. Schepkin and Koroliov are
too fast with insufficient dynamic range. Aldwell and Anderszewski have
the wide range, but their performances have a clumsy/halting element which
I'm sure they would consider something very different.
Except for Schiff and Schepkin, each version is readily commendable.
Schepkin's version is very fast with loss of significant poetry and detail;
also, he has a tendency to be fussy with his ornamentations. Schiff is
fussy as well and too cute for his own good. Oh well, these gentlemen make
their own intepretive decisions; I just am not impressed with them.
Anderszewski gives a very fine performance with no trace of the ordinary
about it. He is creative and clearly has thought out his conception of
each movmement. Aldwell's version is just a little better; although he
tends toward slower tempos, Aldwell is also not predictable. He is,
however, an excellent Bach pianist of depth. Tureck is at Aldwell's level.
I'm a little surprised she doesn't lead the pack but, upon reflection, that
is likely due to my feeling that she plays Bach in a rather clinical and
precise manner which might not mesh perfectly with all the ornamentation
and luxuriant nature of the French Overture.
The two harpsichord versions by Gilbert and Woolley are my favorite
performances. They are fully idiomatic, often provide infectious pacing,
have tempos largely in the moderate range, and their harpsichord sound is
very inviting. Their advantages are not large, however, and every version
not withstanding Schiff and Schepkin is highly rewarding.
The semi-subject of this survey, Koroliov, does an excellent job. He's
generally on the slow and reflective side, but he has no problem revving up
the heat when necessary. An interpretive decision here and there isn't
to my liking, but Koroliov usually wins my heart. His recorded sound is
superb as it was for his Goldberg Variations. This is a fine recorded
performance which I'll be playing often.
Don Satz
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