RE: non-gg bach piano?

[jerry and judy <jerbidoc@zianet.com>]

In article <6khhgc$spk$4@netnews.upenn.edu>, simon@dept.english.upenn.edu
(Simon Roberts) wrote:

> Mario Taboada (matrxtech@sprintmail.com) wrote:
> : Perhaps you should investigate the (supposedly) complete Bach series
> : recently finished by the great Joao Carlos Martins. He makes Gould sound
> : like a timid, unadventurous beginner. Superb as Gould's technique was,
> : Martins's is even better; and he is a far more imaginative and musical
> : pianist. Don't expect a "purist" Bach - Martins uses the music for his
> : own expressive purposes - it's very exciting. Martins plays with the
> : freedom that is so characteristic of the old pianists. Some call it
> : eccentricity, but in Bach the center is not at all clear...
>
> Except that I don't share Mario's (relatively) negative opinion about
> Gould, I agree with his positive opinion re. Martins.  To be avoided by
> those obsessed with "good taste" and allowing the composer to speak for
> himself" and who think Schiff and Hewitt are models of Bachian pianism,
> but anyone interested in a wild ride should investigate these, I think --
> though I'm surprised that previous endorsements from me and others haven't
> unleashed howls of protest about his crudeness, unstylishness, etc.  I
> would also note that the more conservative (well, who isn't?) but
> imaginative Schepkin on Ongaku is supposedly doing a complete series too,
> though he has only released the Goldbergs and Partitas so far.
>
> Simon

This is a stretch, but more listeners need to know about the availability of
Eunice Norton's recordings of Bach's complete keyboard Partitas BWV 825 -
830).  She won the 1927 London Bach Prize, though her approach has more in
common with today's manner of Bach playing.  Einstein reviewed her shortly
thereafter in Germany with, "She plays Bach as Bach would wish to hear it."
I should point out - considering that you mentioned "close to GG" (what does
that mean, in "quality" ???) - that these live recordings were taped between
1978 and 1995 and are what might be described as pure Bach playing.  No
simplistic staccato imitation of earlier keyboard sounds, rather a more
"absolute" treatment of this music in terms of quite a creative use and wide
variety of gradations between legato and staccato (I've found other
recordings of this material to sound comparatively stereotyped as a result
of a less sophisticated approach to this aspect of realizing Bach's keyboard
works on a modern piano).  Her treatment of Bach's ornaments involves a more
Gothic sense of their application (not in terms of an added Baroque
"externus;" arguably because Bach isn't really a typical Baroque composer -
or we'd hardly be as interested in his music today as we are...).  In other
words, fans of Schepkin's more improvisatory manner of realizing the
ornaments should look elsewhere if they favor that trivializing (IMO) kind
of sound.  Not that there isn't a sense of freedom to her ornaments, just
not to the same extent.

Norton's Partitas are so far only available through Norvard Recordings' mail
order (800 - 421 - 1868, based in Pennsylvania), but should be distributed
more widely soon.  Bernard Jacobson at Fanfare Magazine gave the two disc
set ($30.00) a great review in November/December 1996.  And, despite her
comparative purity of style, Jacobson particularly mentioned that her Bach
doesn't contain any of the "doctrinaire stiffness" of Rosalyn Tureck's
effect.

Ed Jasiewicz
"Edward Jasiewicz" <Norvard@worldnet.att.net>