Date: |
Thu, 5 Aug 1999 08:05:28 -0500 |
Subject: |
|
From: |
|
Parts/Attachments: |
|
|
Felix Delbruck wrote:
>While not having heard Tureck's new Goldberg Variations, I have read a
>number of reviews of them which said how clear and heavy and earnest they
>are. All this seems to indicate that her playing may have somehow changed
>over the years. All that I have ever heard of her is an earlier Bach
>partita (1950's) which was broadcast over the radio as part of her Philips
>Great PIanists disc. ...
Not heard the Partitas. However, her WTC (American Decca) of the early
stereo era is indeed one of my favorite recordings. In fact, I haven't
heard Bach played any better - superb clarity of inner voices, changing
balances of voices, as if she could emphasize any voice she cared to, and
superb line. Poetic and clear-minded, not scholarly, is how I would have
described them.
>I have heard several people regard her (earlier) G. variations as one
>of their desert island discs, whereas my piano tutor heard her do the
>variations twice in one recital in the '70s - once on pianoforte, once on
>harpsichord - slow, with all repeats taken and taken identically. She
>couldn't stand it.
I heard her live performance of the Goldbergs in London in the 70s - first
half of the concert on piano, second on harpsichord. I did not care for
her harpsichord version, but her piano version was the best I've heard,
including Gould, etc. The two versions were indeed different, which I
naturally assumed was due to the performance characteristics of the
different instruments.
Tureck has generated controversy throughout her career. I think that -
at least her younger self - was a wonder. I don't care for her later
recordings.
I also have a CD with a very, very young Tureck playing stuff other than
Bach. Superb.
Steve Schwartz
|
|
|