Comments on: Pierre Hantaï performs Bach’s Le Clavier bien tempéré http://www.biberfan.org/2010/02/05/pierre-hantai-performs-bachs-le-clavier-bien-tempere/ the exploration of baroque music on the Web Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:41:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: peter shavney http://www.biberfan.org/2010/02/05/pierre-hantai-performs-bachs-le-clavier-bien-tempere/comment-page-1/#comment-6687 peter shavney Sun, 07 Nov 2010 03:43:12 +0000 http://www.biberfan.org/?p=441#comment-6687 <p>At an early age I discovered Lansowska's harpsichord recordings of the WTC and have since acquired several piano versions. While in Philadelphia I acquired a harpsichord and enjoyed playing much of books one and two. I now find her interpretations rather boring compared to the faster tempos taken by others such as Fredrich Gulda whose tempos even in the most intricate passages are rock solid. His vision of the book 2 fugue (#13) in G# minor BWV887 I have to characterize as "perky" with and unfailing pulse throughout. Andras Schiff and others fail to see the humor and jocularity in this peice and loose continuity in many places. </p> <p>Gulda's apoggiaturas in Fugue (#18) BWV 882 in F# minor are perfectly articulated and lend a nice note of pathos to this rather somber composition one of my favorites. </p> <p>On the rather clangorous harpsichord with its inability to support much expression I prefer the piano for this music although composed before the modern piano was widely available.</p> <p>Peter</p> At an early age I discovered Lansowska’s harpsichord recordings of the WTC and have since acquired several piano versions. While in Philadelphia I acquired a harpsichord and enjoyed playing much of books one and two. I now find her interpretations rather boring compared to the faster tempos taken by others such as Fredrich Gulda whose tempos even in the most intricate passages are rock solid. His vision of the book 2 fugue (#13) in G# minor BWV887 I have to characterize as “perky” with and unfailing pulse throughout. Andras Schiff and others fail to see the humor and jocularity in this peice and loose continuity in many places.

Gulda’s apoggiaturas in Fugue (#18) BWV 882 in F# minor are perfectly articulated and lend a nice note of pathos to this rather somber composition one of my favorites.

On the rather clangorous harpsichord with its inability to support much expression I prefer the piano for this music although composed before the modern piano was widely
available.

Peter

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