Re: Schepkin "vs" Gould WTC

["john grant" <dohgrant@idirect.com>]

Reconfess that I have found a recording of WTC 2 which in some respects
prefer to GG's! It is the recording by Sergey Schepkin ....

Schepkin is firmly and avowedly, I would say, in the Russian school of Bach
playing (which is an approach to playing Bach on the piano, of course).   I
happen to love that way of playing Bach, but as I'm sure Schepkin, Feltsman,
and other Russians now playing Bach would readily admit, they remain in the
huge shadow cast by Richter.

Gould is not in that shadow.  He created a whole new way of playing Bach
which, in my view, cannot easily be compared or contrasted with other
approaches, not least the Russian approach.

I continue to feel, in any case, that Richter and Feinburg said all there
was, in essence, to say about playing Bach in the Russian style.   The
others are footnotes, sometimes very interesting footnotes, but footnotes
nonetheless.

I have yet to observe any playing in what might be called the "Gouldian"
tradition.  His approach to music is one of a kind.   Indeed, I haven't
observed any "footnotes" to his playing either.   Gould's Bach is unique in
the truest sense of the word.   It can't be copied or emulated, except in a
very superficial way.

John Grant
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/42/john_lewis_grant.html