John Smyth on me comparing Bach on the piano to the harpsichord:
>>One man's meat. I, on the other hand, have never heard a harpsichord
>>performance of Bach's solo keyboard music that has satisfied me as much as
>>the readings of any number of pianists.
>
>Surely you are familiar with Kenneth Gilbert's Bach? I don't particularly
>care for the harpsichord either, but I find Gilbert's choice of instrument,
>(and the Archiv recordings), very gratifying.
I have it. I also have van Asperen, Leonhardt, Landowska, Dreyfus,
Chorzempa, and a few others. Of these, I love Landowska above all, as
extravagant as she is. In fact, I can amend my statement from "never" to
"almost never" just because of her. Again, I've got nothing against any of
these players, and even find them wonderful when accompanied in a concerto
or accompanying in an instrumental sonata. But my favorite performance of
the WTC, for example, remains Rosalyn Tureck's (piano) on American Decca.
Steve Schwartz
|