Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2 [Import]

Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Angela Hewitt (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Angela Hewitt
• Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
• Audio CD (July 13, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Hyperion UK
• ASIN: B00000JLKC
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #256,930 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available.
Genre: Classical Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 6-JUL-1999

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars PREDICTABLY EXCELLENT, December 6, 2004

By 

DAVID BRYSON (Glossop Derbyshire England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2 (Audio CD)

If forced to it at knifepoint I would probably have to admit that Angela Hewitt's account of the second volume of Bach's 48 doesn't make quite the impact on me that the first did. All the same characteristics are here as before. Everything is 'right', and absolutely nothing should give the slightest problem to anyone who is prepared to accept the piano as an appropriate instrument for Bach. The very first prelude begins with a pedal-point in the bass, and on a modern grand it seems natural and right to me to use a certain amount of sustaining pedal. Elsewhere the pedal is used with tact and restraint, exactly as I had expected; and the part-playing is a model of clarity without exception, exactly as I had expected again. The level of tone that Hewitt uses is natural and unaffected, not played-down in any self-conscious way but with very careful discrimination in building up the volume, as she does to great effect in the fugues in E minor and A minor. As in the first set, she provides her own commentary in the liner, and as before it is nearly as good as the performances themselves. If a performing artist of this stature can write with such unpretentious clarity and helpfulness it may not be too much to hope that certain others will take the hint and learn how the thing can be done.

Where I felt this set was not absolutely the equal of its predecessor was in a certain sense of freshness and alertness. There's not a lot in it, and I'm perfectly open to the possibility that the lack is in the listener rather than in the performer or the recorded quality. She hits completely top form in the fugues in G, G minor and A flat just to take some instances that impressed me particularly, and in a number of the preludes she hints that the player has to be watchful not to let them sound dull -- a danger that nobody listening to her would even suspect, I'm quite sure. To some extent it may be a matter of the steely machine-tooled clarity in the trills and other ornaments that Gould got us used to. Others of the younger generation of Bach pianists are at some pains to replicate this, Hewitt less so, and of course it's arguable how important, even how desirable, this is in the first place.

The preludes in the second set of the 48 are on average longer than those in the first. If they weren't too long for Bach they are certainly not too long for me, and I'm completely behind Hewitt's decision to repeat both halves of the prelude in B flat. One particularly interesting point that Hewitt makes in her commentary is that Bach kept tinkering with these pieces, usually to make them longer, and at several points she tells us where there are variant readings of the score, and why she opts for the ones she does. One has a distinct impression that if Bach had lived longer a number of these masterpieces, seemingly incapable of improvement as we have them, would have been quite significantly different.

The recorded quality is unexceptionable and the piano tone is superb throughout. As in the first volume, a listener new to the works will find here the best and least idiosyncratic introduction to them that I know of. Other great interpreters have a different vision of the 48, but whether there is a better one anywhere I greatly doubt.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Natural, mellifluent, March 25, 2000

By 

Sen Peng Eu "ESP=Math+Music+Literature" (Kaohsiung, Taiwan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2 (Audio CD)

So far, almost every interpretaion of Bach's well-tempered clavier involves the radical faith about music and music performance, and every one tried their best excavating the great depth hidden in this reportoire. Hence we can easily recognize every pianist's deep thought,as Gould reflected his extraordinary and shining charecter, Richter both contemplated and composed, Landowska sang, Schiff focused on acoustic sweetness, Goula insisted on clean, unpedaled line. Here Herwitt gives us a new scope, a natural structural thinking of Bach. Every prelude and fuge is kept in a very natural tempo and articulation, without strange over-emphasized theme and contertheme. The progression of Hewitt's music is mellifluent, sometimes you will find these Bach's preludes and fuges sound so sweet, even seem to be a whole new work! If you do not expect to find or receive some serious meaning of life or faith in Bach's well-tempered klaviea, then is is a very good performance indeed.

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful interpretation, April 4, 2001

By 

Eugene Chamson (Oakland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 2 (Audio CD)

I love this CD. Hewitt's interpretation is lyrical, almost romantic, bringing out a sweetness and intimate warmth that was completely surprising to me in this music. I have Gould's version of WTC II, which in comparison seems dry and almost mechanical. Some purists may complain that the Gould interpretation is the more correct one, but I found Hewitt's to be more engaging and moving. Highly recommended!