I had reported that Richter's WTC Book 1 on Russian Revelation was an
outstanding performance in poor sound.  The sound did distract from my
enjoyment.  I was listening on headphones the first few times I listened
to the set and never did I have the smarts to figure out that "keeping my
distance" might well improve matters.  And it did.

Listening on my primary loudspeakers or cd-rom has resulted in my being
able to concentrate fully on the music.  Lesson learned, although rather
late in the game.

Richter does not dawdle with these pieces.  Some might consider his
readings on the hasty side with a resulting loss of pathos on one end and
serenity on the other.  Others will revel in his "granite" control, superb
technical skills, and forward momentum.  I'm in the latter camp, and
Richter still provides much lyricism.

So, I have to revise my conclusion which was to sample for sound quality
before buying.

Don's Second Conclusion (and last) - Unless you like your Bach very slow,
grab this recording and stay away from those headphones.

Don Satz
[log in to unmask]