Bach: Complete Keyboard Works, Volume 14

Advantages: Elegant, refreshingly stimulating, articulate Goldberg Variations.
Disadvantages: (For US residents) Import CD from British Hyperion label costs more than the average.

...the way to the final bar of Variation 13, while Perahia’s tends toward a rather dreary sameness throughout. When Hewitt returns with the thematic passage it is in hushed tones, giving it a slightly different hue from its first appearance. Similarly, she renders a more nuanced, less uniform and dull description of Variation 20 with mere changes in volume. Hewitt's Goldberg Variations are some of the most stimulating I have yet encountered--an impressive achievement given the strong competition out there, and the inherently mathematically rigid structure of Bach's work. It is a piece that relies heavily on the interpreter to bring forth its beauty. Without this sensitivity in the pianist, a soporific and mechanical rendering results. Although Bach had only the harpsichord and no concert grand to play or compose on during his lifetime (he may... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Brilliant, stirring, excitingly unpredictable, fresh performance; "genius" is not hyperbole in Argerich's case.
Disadvantages: Reflecting its LP origins, the CD lasts only 50' 16"!

...statement to the next, even within the very same phrase. You can’t help but give up and surrender completely to the emotional pull and richness of the music. Her control of the keyboard is amazing. Following the emphatic introductory chords in the Grave.Adagio of the Partita’s Sinfonia, listen as Martha drops the volume precipitously, beginning the Andante in a whisper, her notes now light and perfectly balanced. The Sinfonia (Partita) and the Allemandes (Partita and English Suite) mesmerize in they way they gently wash over you like liquid waves. In contrast, she attacks the English Suite Bourées with a relish and vitality that’s positively infectious. She commands your full attention from the first note to the last. She keeps things from growing monotonous and dull, something which can befall Bach’s works in lesser hands, given the somewhat... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Exquisite
Disadvantages: 1950s recording remastered in 1981

...to the despair of any recording engineer involved in the process. In spite of their very best efforts, it was often suggested that the only way to cut this out would have been to put his head in an airtight soundproof box! Far from detracting from the experience, it is that one ‘fault’ that really brings these recordings to life. It’s true to say, that unless you are aware of these noises, most people would be completely oblivious to them, but they still manage to weave a subliminal magic thought the recording, and to be honest, I rather like them. It’s also a pretty good test of your Hi-Fi kit, the clearer they are, generally the better your system is. The Gould Recordings are available under a number of labels, the most common being the Sony mid-price CD range at around £14 each, although I’ve seen some as cheap as a fiver a throw. I’ve only... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful