Bach: Keyboard Concertos Nos. 3, 5, 6, 7

Johann Sebastian Bach (Artist), Murray Perahia (Artist), Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 12, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00006310M
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #24,895 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

91 of 92 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Murray Perahia's Bach, June 5, 2002

By 

Barry Katz (Westport, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bach: Keyboard Concertos Nos. 3, 5, 6, 7 (Audio CD)

The first thing one notices about Murray Perahia's latest recording of Bach keyboard concertos is the brisk tempo, the ebullient phrasing, and rhythmically incisive orchestral playing that carries the listener along from note to note in breathless anticipation. At the helm of the impeccable Academy of St. Martins in the Field, Murray Perahia's conducting skills are as impressively arrayed here as his keyboard virtuosity. Which brings us to the second thing: Murray Perahia as soloist, and the dawning awareness that we may quite possibly be hearing the greatest Bach interpreter of our day.

Both as piano soloist and conductor, Perahia deals elegantly with issues of balance that inevitably arise when performing early music on modern instruments. Concertos written for harpsichord take on a very different texture when played on a modern concert grand; the ringing tone and sheer volume of the piano can easily dominate the strings in ways not envisioned by the composer. But in these performances the relationship of strings to keyboard solo has been deftly re-calibrated. The piano and orchestra become equal partners, parts of an integrated whole, woven together as seamlessly as if this were chamber music.

As well, Perahia has edited the score with subtlety and wit. The moment that knocks me off my chair arrives in the finale of the Concerto No. 5 in F minor when the propulsive opening phrase, scored for keyboard and the full compliment of strings, is answered by a two note descending figure in the strings alone. Ordinarily these two notes are bowed, but on this disc they are played with a robust pizzicato, standing out in sharp relief against a momentary background of silence. The sound is so startling, so fresh and unexpected, one's ears are put on full alert. This device is used to great effect throughout the movement; many of the normally bowed phrasings are rendered as pizzicato, making the rhythms and texture of the piece sound newly minted. After repeated hearings, I began to wonder if this might not be a sly nod to the absent harpsichord, an instrument whose strings are plucked as the keys are depressed. Here, in a textural turn-about, the orchestra's plucked strings serve as counterpoint to the full, round, sustained tones of the Steinway concert grand.

Another suggestion of the harpsichord's coloration can be heard in the addition of a theorbo, a kind of 16th century bass lute, to the orchestra. At strategic moments its gentle, harpsichord-like twang provides a delicate crease at the edges of the tonal fabric that I haven't heard on any other recording of this music.

I like this disc even better than Perahia's pervious, and highly praised recording of Bach's keyboard concertos Nos. 1, 2, and 4 with the same orchestra. As good as that recording is, I find the playing on the new disc is freer and more invigorating. The collaboration between soloist and orchestra sounds here even more assured, more intimate, almost as if they had merged into one instrument. The sound on this recording is also more immediate, more alive.

The gold standard for these concertos - as played on a modern piano - has for decades been Glenn Gould's groundbreaking recordings of the late 1950's. Gould's Bach performances were a revelation. He blew the dust off scores nearly a quarter of a millennium old and made them sound - well - sexy. For the generation of listeners who cut their teeth on his recordings, Gould's iconoclastic interpretations, to say nothing of his personal eccentricities, raised him to the level of a cult hero whose mystique has barely diminished.

But Perahia has upped the ante. His performances have all the clarity of line, all the visceral excitement of Gould's, but with an added dimension of warmth and nuance. Gould's recordings are highly cerebral. With Perahia, we get not just the brain, but the whole body.

It is difficult to adequately praise Murray Perahia's piano playing. That he is currently hailed as the most important American pianist of his generation only begins to do him justice. His playing is at once lyrical and precise. Every note is perfectly weighted. Each detail has been thought through with great care, but the details never distract from the sweep of the music; embellishments are elegant and executed with great beauty - and always supportive of the broader musical ideas. Perahia draws us into the heart of the music with phrasing as natural as breathing, and a warmth of tone that wraps us in a cashmere blanket of sound.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classical Bach staples performed by traditional favorites at a great price, August 8, 2009

By 

Sherri L. Miller "cheresherri" (Palm City, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bach: Keyboard Concertos Nos. 3, 5, 6, 7 (Audio CD)

These Bach keyboard concerti are staples for every classical music collection, and as performed by technical and traditional favorite Murray Perahia with the ever popular Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, at the current price of $8.98 are a steal! Newcomers or fans of any of the above, as well as classical musicians needing to replace or add these Bach keyboard concerti to their CD collections will love the crisp, clean, and lively interpretations of these classics. I doubt that a better quality for the price of CD can be found, and while Amazon currently has several other classics at similar prices under $10, buy a few CDs and get free shipping in the bargain.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bach with eyes wide open, November 17, 2006

By 

Collector 7 "Collector 7" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bach: Keyboard Concertos Nos. 3, 5, 6, 7 (Audio CD)

Some Bach keyboard interpretations feel like they're lagging an infinitely small amount behind the intended tempo, and are like nails on a blackboard. This disk felt comfortable and rich -- received it as a gift and love it.