Customer Reviews

Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just received this in the mail, and I have to say that this recording is a fantastic feat of historical scholarship (not to mention that the performances are top-notch, and the pieces themselves are beautiful). For anybody who thinks that Bach's WTC wouldn't sound any different in the historical tunings, this will open your eyes. For example, the Prelude to No. 22, right near the end, lands on a diminished chord, and what you hear is WAH-WAH-WAH-WAH-WAH. It's like nothing you've heard on a modern piano.

The expressive variety that this affords far surpasses the bland, monochromatic quality that anachronistic equal-temperament recordings provide. I agree with the previous poster, that this should be required listening for every music history professor and student.

The music is set in the actual tuning for the instruments that J.S. Bach played - you really can hear subtle differences in this performance. I would requre this for all music history professors!

This is about the best way to get into Bach's Well Tempered Clavier. The performances are top-notch, and the variety of different instruments are insurance against aural monotony. And as for the other reviewer's problem with occasional mechanical noise from the organ, it didn't bother me at all - that's what organs sound like.

This could be a five star performance...it really could! It pains me to say this, but the organ Mr. Levin performs on, has.... well, very sticky keys.

Example-The wonderful prelude in C sharp minor, with it's entrancing mystical and ethereal nature, sounds here really reaalllyyy bad! Boo hoo hoo. This is not the fault of Mr. Levin. No, nor is it poor recording quality. No. It's the organ which goes *click clack click*! To me, this is very distracting, and really ruins the selections he chooses to play on an organ.

On the harpsichord and clavichord, however, this album rocks.

SO...you could do worse, but this isn't the hands down best recording available. I reccomend Angela Hewitt's recording on the piano.