Bach: The Six French Suites

Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), András Schiff (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: András Schiff
• Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
• Audio CD (August 10, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B0000041ZG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,815 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is Schiff in his best mood!, November 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bach: The Six French Suites (Audio CD)

Superb recording by one of my favourite Bach performers. This time even Glenn Gould's interpretation falls short. Schiffs delightful, bouncy style, fits the French Suites just perfectly and is more enjoyable than Gould's more powerful playing for these works. Just listen to the Gigue of #1, Gavotte of #5 and the Bourrees of the Ouverture. Good job Andras, your best Bach!

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, delightful CD, January 13, 2000

By 

Kalle Kuusava (Lahti, Finland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bach: The Six French Suites (Audio CD)

András Schiff is one of the best Bach players among Gould, Rosalyn Tureck and Wanda Landowska. On Schiff's French Suites, every part from every suite has a different color and gives you different feeling. Every harmony is taken to its end with care, and dynamic balance is always delightful to listen. Articulation of the notes is excellent, full of humour, and in some places you surely start to smile and you feel very happy when you listen to Schiff. He also plays the slow parts very deeply and warmly, which is for some artists a big problem when playing Bach. There are also Italian Concerto and French Overture on the CD's, played brilliantly, so this set is really worth buying. Recommended for everyone.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Schiff not quite his best, but nevertheless most enjoyable, August 5, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Bach: The Six French Suites (Audio CD)

I must admit that despite admiring most of Schiff's version(s) of J.S. Bach's works, I don't think that he has most of these pieces as highly refined / polished as some of his other pieces. Nevertheless, despite being slightly off his peak doesn't mean that he's any less than Gould; in fact, the amount of thought put into his playing (including embellishments!) is considerably more intelligent than Gould's. This recording merits the full 5 stars, but not the special 6 stars that Schiff so obviously deserves with some of his other recordings of other works.