Re: landowska

[Jim Morrison <jim_morrison@sprynet.com>]

Daniel wrote:

>  To me, perhaps the most essential quality of a great Bach player
> is a strong sense of rhythm, but without sounding mechanical.

Great point and one I'm sympathetic with, though I am learning to appreciate
other pianists who stress different aspects of the music. But its a slow
learning process, esp when just about the only Bach keyboardist I've been
listening to for the last three years is Gould.  Someone like Rubsam, with
his staggered sense of rhythm, sounds nearly incomprehensible at times.  See
his prelude to the Second English Suite and compare it with Gould's.

 I love the way Gould combines a strong sense of rhythm with a powerful
ability to bring out the polyphonic voices.  This two elements, along with
his "dry/lean" recordings, I think, are a major part of the sound of his
"Bachian weave."

>In this
> dimension of her art, I think Landowska is second to none; she is
certainly
> on a level with GG.

Ultra-high praise because I don't know of anyone who plays Bach with a more
powerful rhythm than Gould, and I don't mean just in the fast movements
either.  I will definitely have to check out more of Landowska.  I think my
introduction to her, the Italian Concerto, was not the place to start.
Extreme use of registration and a bad sounding recording on a harpsichord
that really clangs when she hits the chords in the concerto.

On the other hand, Roselyn Tureck has, to my ears, a wonderful way with the
IC, esp the slow inner movement.
But no one that I've heard has Gould's exuberance in the final presto.  I
love the way he plays that movement.  It's also on video, in the On The
Record section of Two Portraits.  There's an awkwardness, as Gould says, to
this movement, that he's somehow about to perform more smoothly than others.
"I think this is it,"  Gould says of his recording.  "Extremly good."  And
he's right.


>
>         One of the best places to start is with a Pearl CD called
"Landowska
> Plays Bach;" it contains close to 80 minutes of music, including a
fabulous
> version of Partita No.1, as well as a complete French Suite (I forget
> which), and assorted other goodies, include a live perf of the c minor
> prelude and fugue from WTC 1.
>
>
Here's the album info from tower, thanks Daniel


Catalog#: GEMM 9489
Label: Pearl
Dist: Koch
Spars: ..D

 CD - $14.99
(Add To Bag)
On Sale! (Regular Price: $17.99)
There is Low Stock on hand for this title.

. Partita No.1 in B Flat: Prld
2. Partita No.1 in B Flat: Allemande
3. Partita No.1 in B Flat: Courante
4. Partita No.1 in B Flat: Sarabande
5. Partita No.1 in B Flat: Menuets I And II
6. Partita No.1 in B Flat: Gigue
7. Fants: Fant in c (BVW 906)
8. French Ste No.6 in E: Allemande
9. French Ste No.6 in E: Courante
10. French Ste No.6 in E: Sarabande
11. French Ste No.6 in E: Gavotte
12. French Ste No.6 in E: Polonaise
13. French Ste No.6 in E: Menuet
14. French Ste No.6 in E: Bouree
15. French Ste No.6 in E: Gigue
16. Little Prlds: in C (BVW 933)
17. Little Prlds: in c (BVW 934)
18. Little Prlds: in d (BVW 935)
19. Little Prlds: in D (BVW 936)
20. Little Prlds: in E (BVW 937)
21. Little Prlds: in e (BVW 938)
22. Little Prlds: in C (BVW 924)
23. Little Prlds: in C (BVW 939)
24. Little Prlds: in c (BVW 999)
25. Little Prlds: Fughetta in c (BVW 961)
26. English Ste No.2 in a: Prld
27. English Ste No.2 in a: Allemande
28. English Ste No.2 in a: Courante
29. English Ste No.2 in a: Sarabande
30. English Ste No.2 in a: Bourees I And II
31. English Ste No.2 in a: Gigue
32. English Ste No.3 in g: Gavotte
33. English Ste No. 5 in e: Passapieds
34. Well Tempered Clavier, Book I: Prld and Fugue in c
35. Toccatas: Toccata in D