Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1

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

Product Details

• Performer: András Schiff
• Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Decca
• ASIN: B0000041Q7
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,577 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #37 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Improvisation

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Music From Heaven, June 5, 2000

By 

Örn Leifsson (Reykjavik Iceland.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 (Audio CD)

I think the Well Tempered Clavier by Johann Sebastian Bach is THE best music ever written by anyone ever! It's just perfect, I've been listening to and playing some of this music for about 15 years now and I never get tired of it, there is so much variety and so many brilliant musical ideas here that you never really understand all of it and so it is constantly surprising you, on the surface this music may not be complex it is just a prelude and a fugue in all the major and minor keys, but it has the same kind of perfection as you find in nature it is like looking at water or a fire or a beautiful tree, the basic form is simple but it has an endless variety to it so you never get bored.

But when I first herd this music I was a bit dissapointed it all sounded the same, but after a few more listenings I slowly discovered it's beauty and perfection.

I have many recordings of the WTC (Richter, Jarrett, Gould, Jando) all good but this recording by Andras Schiff is my favorite, his playing is deep and smooth and he brings out the calmness and the spiritual side of this masterpiece, just perfect.

For those who would like to play this Masterpiece check out the books by Siglind Bruhn which cover both books one and two of the WTC, they are realy good and go deeply into the work covering technical formal and performing aspect of the work.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Natural wonder.., November 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 (Audio CD)

Schiff plays Bach in the most wonderfully natural manner there could possibly is.... the voicing is incredible as each voice in J.S. Bach is brought out, as if it were really 4 or 5 voices singing. The natural beauty of the melody is truly unparalleled. Schiff recently performed both Book I and II in Carnegie Hall, and this CD (book I), although not as good as his live performances (as they were recorded over a decade ago), still show a very mature and musical performance that cannot be missed. As for people who are more of a Glenn Gould fan, I think that is a very subjective opinion and by no manner should one discriminate one over another. After all, Gould was playing about 30 years before this CD recording.... and if Gould fans ever realised that even Mr. G himself played many versions of the each (Bach) piece, then one should really have no excuse putting Schiff's version down. Schiff brings out a version of Bach's pieces which I'm sure J.S. Bach would most adore for its natural beauty.....

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully played, July 9, 2002

By 

Craig Matteson (Saline, MI) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1 (Audio CD)

This is a very fine version of the WTC bk I. The tone is luminous and intellectually sound. I love the fact that the playing is so sung rather than frenetic - for example the C sharp major prelude and fugue - and listen to the descending bass melodies in the d minor prelude - then enjoy the languorous Eb major prelude and fugue and it just goes on from there.

This is first rate musicianship and awfully fine keyboard playing. Some might wish for a more idiosynchratic approach, but that can get awfully tiresome unless you are a very special kind of genius. Schiff is a fine musician and I have heard him live playing a Bartok piano concerto - he has all the technique he needs to make all the music he cares to.

You could do a lot worse than this recording.