I haven't said much of anything about the sound on Feinberg's set.  It's
not good sound for 1959, probably less worthy than the sound on Tureck's
set.  However, it never gets in the way of enjoying the performances, and
that's the main consideration.  Neither advantageous or a hindrance to
enjoyment, the sound quality is acceptable.

Prelude & Fugue in F sharp major - Both pieces are delicately etched and
full of the joys of life.  The Prelude is very comforting and playful with
its syncopation; the Fugue has greater urgency and a more mature nature.
My favorite versions are the Suzuki Prelude and Gould Fugue; Feinberg's
performances are very good but not outstanding.  His Prelude and Fugue are
fast; this reduces the comfort level of the Prelude and allows little time
for all the delectable phrasing of the Fugue.  However, he conveys the
moods of the music very well, and his Fugue brings out a maximum degree of
urgency.  Although Feinberg might be a little willful in this series, his
identification with the core of the music is never in doubt.

Prelude in F sharp minor - The Prelude works equally well when played
in a subtle and slow fashion or played quickly with great excitement and
even a sinister quality.  Tureck takes the former avenue with a staccato
approach, while Schepkin powerfully delivers the speed, excitement, and
sinister element.  Feinberg is on Schepkin's wavelength with an exciting
reading fully Schepkin's equal.  When initially listening to Feinberg, I
was wondering where the 'sinister' went, then realized that I was a prelude
ahead of where I needed to be; the G major is highly optimistic music.

Fugue in F sharp minor - Richter's version of this 'all is lost' music
is so incisive and of great impact.  His stunning right hand projection
and high degree of invincibility makes this a superb issue.  Those two
qualities don't ring out in Feinberg's version.  His right hand is often
quite subdued, and he tends to smooth out the Fugue.  Another way of
putting it would be that Feinberg places priority on resignation and
sadness as witnessed by his frequently hushed presentation.  By contrast,
Richter sounds like a man who is ready for the black hole.  He's in no
rush to get there, but his strong step reveals his knowledge of its
inevitability and that he accepts what he can not change.  It depends on
what you want from the Fugue, and I'll take the Richter interpretation.
In addition, I think he delivers his approach more effectively.

Prelude & Fugue in G major - Not a sterling sequence for Feinberg.  I find
him too fast in both pieces.  His Prelude is no better than the ones from
Gould and Richter; all three sound more concerned with speed than conveying
joy.  In the Fugue, Feinberg is all over the place in that he continuously
shifts tempo and volume; some of it is jarring and none of it flows well.
I much prefer Tureck in the Prelude and Schiff for the Fugue.

Prelude & Fugue in G minor - A wonderful series for Feinberg.  I've loved
Schiff's expansive and Fischer's tension packed Preludes; Feinberg is even
better as he provides both expansion and tension with a level of poetry not
equaled.  His Fugue is rather serene and represents a great contrast with
the superb Gulda Fugue; Feinberg brings out a comforting assurance which is
very uplifting.

Prelude in A flat major - Heroism and dance give way to an even
more exuberant display forged by sixteenth notes which also provide the
music's excitement.  There's celebration in the air, and it's constant and
exhilarating.  Tureck's staccato version is wonderful, and Feinberg also
fully conveys the celebratory proceedings.  I have to favor Tureck as her
approach is the more distinctive one.

Fugue in A flat major - Nobility prevades what's referred to as the
"Cathedral" Fugue.  Hope is strong but not demonstrative.  Feinberg gives
as tender and expansive a performance as any I've heard.  His version
stands tall next the Hewitt which provides a stunning cathedral effect
with the right hand.

Prelude & Fugue in G sharp minor - In the Prelude, Japanese children
are in the playground unaware of the horror that will strike the first
time that an atom bomb is leveled at a human population.  The music has a
bitter/sweet nature.  It is serene and delicate with a subtle cloud cover.
In the Fugue, the immediate impacts of destruction have passed.  Survivors
can't believe what has been unleashed upon them; it's a new world without
any foundation to hang on to.  The music is bleak and closed.  The fugue's
subject in all four voices struggles to rise to the surface but is beaten
down constantly.

Hewitt's Prelude is my favorite.  She excellently conveys the nature of
the music and also provides the most beautiful reading; her accenting is
superb.  Feinberg is much quicker and reaches the music's core, but he
can't provide the beauty of the piece as Hewitt does.  Richter's Fugue
is a powerful reading without sentiment; the doors are fully closed and I
can almost smell the carnage from the blasts and the fear from the living.
Feinberg again is on the quick side and less severe than Richter.  The
reduced severity puts him in Schepkin's category, but Feinberg's poetry is
not as fully realized.  Overall, Feinberg's relatively fast tempos in both
the Prelude and Fugue are not advantageous to conveying the themes
presented.

Update:  The one and only problem I have with Feinberg's WTC continues
to hold his set back from being an essential acquisiton -a penchant for
quick speeds which either do not well suit the music or do not play into
Feinberg's strengths.  However, even when this condition exists, there is
no doubting Feinberg's intimate connection with Bach's sound world.  The
basic interpretations are spot-on; the approach to deliver the messages
could sometimes be better.

Prelude & Fugue in A major - The Prelude is serene, delicate, and joyful.
Jarrett best brings out these qualities, and Feinberg isn't far behind.  He
is more interesting in the Fugue which begins with eighth notes and then
switches to sixteenth notes.  Feinberg is highly distinctive during the
first section as he smooths out the zig-zag motion but provides strong and
decisive notes in a bell-like manner.  Unfortunately, the sixteenth notes
present a problem at Feinberg's speed; I had the feeling that the reading
becomes too frenetic and loses focus.

Prelude & Fugue in A minor - The Prelude is graced with danger and
excitement.  Although Feinberg's performance doesn't measure up to Rosalyn
Tureck's where every note cuts like a knife, it is exciting and ominous.
Feinberg's reading of the Fugue is one that I find inconsistent and too
fragmented.  He flows along one moment, then jumps up and down the next.
There's a fine line between expressiveness and willfulness, but I think
that Feinberg crosses it in the Fugue.

Prelude & Fugue in B flat major - The Prelude is a frenetic-paced toccata
which makes me think of chases, races, and guys hot on the heels of
fast-walking women.  Suddenly, the music gets heavier and improvisatory as
energy continuously is built-up to great force and then released.  Tureck
is the personification of excitement and drama with her sharp delivery.
Feinberg can't match her but does equal the better versions.

In the Fugue, a strong legato with skips in the subject make for a joyous
experience tempered by increasing levels of worry as the Fugue progresses.
Feinberg flies through this music; the projection of increased concern
works well at this speed, but the music's joy has little depth.  Check out
Schiff's performance which is more uplifitng than any other version I've
heard.

Prelude & Fugue in B flat minor - Both the Prelude and Fugue are among
Bach's most outstanding WTC pieces; they have great emotional depth, an
extremely heavy negative weight, and rays of light that seem to come from
out of nowhere.  The music is tailor-made for Feinberg, and he responds
with exceptional performances.  In the Prelude, the "funeral" aspect is
strong, and the sinking of spirit is complete at the conclusion.  For the
Fugue, Feinberg excellently captures through stretti the inevitability and
repetition of misery.  In this series, Feinberg is every bit as good as the
superb preludes from Gould and Aldwell, and the fugues of Gould and Tureck.

Prelude & Fugue in B major - Both are joyous, transparent, and share the
same first four notes.  For comparison, I listened to Bernard Robert's
exceptionally comforting reading of the Prelude and the equally fine fugues
of Richter and Schiff.  Feinberg is at their high level.  Initially, his
fast pace in the prelude was not to my liking, but I was won over through
additional listenings.  Also, Feinberg's conclusion of the prelude is of
one of majesty.

Prelude & Fugue in B minor - This series concludes Book I.  The Prelude
has a walking bass and two upper voices for imitation.  Feinberg is
surprisingly on the slow side with accenting and legato to die for; this is
easily the best piano version I've heard.  Unfortunately, it's back to the
quick approach for Feinberg in the Fugue.  Although an excellent version,
I feel that Tureck's slower tempo results in greater impact of this music
of great burden.

Summary for Book I:  Strongly recommended for the idiomatic interpretations
and a quite a few readings that are the best on record.  My only
reservation is that Feinberg sometimes travels at speeds faster than the
music can well absorb.  If he had reined himself in, his Book I would be as
exceptional as Tureck's.  As it stands, the set is one of the best ever
recorded and as rewarding as the Gould and Gulda Book I issues.  Tureck
still is the commanding figure for this repertoire.

Don Satz
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