Customer Reviews

The Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach

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Anna Magdalena Bach's notebook is a wonderful collection of music by J.S. Bach, his son C.P.E., and various other composers, including lesser-knowns and many peices which have not been attributed to anyone. The credits above are a little misleading in this respect, but it's consistently great music all the way through. The Rondeau (track 6) is a particularly stunning work, tuneful and beautiful, clocking in at around 5 minutes. It was written by Couperin and comes from his second book of harpsichord works. Kipnis' performance is excellent, and while his style (decoration, rubato, etc.) is distracting on a few other selections, here it is marvelous and perfectly suited to the work.

The set makes a nice introduction to Bach's keyboard works, featuring the famous aria from the Goldberg Variations as well as the C major prelude from the well-tempered clavier book one. You'll recognize a few other tunes in here as well, as some famous (overused?) little minuets originate from this collection, even though many of them aren't Bach's. Kipnis' playing, while at times idiosynchratic, is for the most part very enjoyable. The harpsichord and clavichord both are 1970's models. I've heard bad things about harpsichords from that decade but it really isn't bad sounding. The harpsichord is not very resonant but isn't awful and clanging. While I enjoy the intimate choice of clavichord on many selections, the set could use some sequencing help as the volume difference between the two instruments is so great that for the most part it requires constant adjustment for the listener. The vocalists are also not the best in the world but there aren't too many songs here. I'd have to recommend McGegan's single disc recording on Harmonia Mundi for sound and value (all the "hits" are on it) but if you want the full picture then this is the way to go.

These pieces, originally written by Bach for his wife as lessons for their children is delightful. Some of the pieces will be familiar, while others are just simply romps through the keyboard. I found some of the pieces a bit unfinished, and unpolished, yet still enjoyable! The pices are played on Harpsachord and Clavechord, two instruments that will quickly take any listener back to the times of Bach. These instruments lend themselves to give a light and airy rendering of the music. While I am not particularly a fan of operetic styles, there are a few of these scattered through-out. I tend to skip these, though even these are easy to enjoy. Overall, I highly reccommend this version as one of the best and well composed renderings of the little known notebook of Anna Magdelana Bach!

These works give the listener a little peek into the life of Johann Sebastian Bach and his second wife, Anna
Magdalena Bach. In the Bach household, music was at its core. Most of these "lessons" were composed by Bach for
Anna Magdalena, though she included works to reflect her musical taste; besides the fragment pieces from
his French Suites, there are works composed by Bach's sons and other composers of French nature, and also included are sacred and secular arias(all sung beautifully in German by Judith Blegen and Benjamin Luxon).This 2 disc set is one of the most complete Notebook recordings. The playing of Igor Kipnis on the harpsichord and clavichord is expressive yet controlled. The reason I did not give this charming display five stars is the change in sound recording between the uses of the harpsichord(louder and clearer) and the clavichord(lower and thinner), and the booklet which is printed for those having exceptional sight. I needed my magnifying glass to read it. Overall, it is the music that really counts and it is charmingly presented. 4.5 stars.

This is a beautiful recording but Igor Kipnis needs to slow down. He plays the short, easy keyboard pieces as fast as he can and with strange trills and extra notes. The rhythms are wierd too. I liked this recording but could have liked it better if Igor Kipnis did not ruin it with his wierd playing.

Both CDs are beautiful. The recording is good though the sound output changes among tracks. I enjoyed it very much!