Johann Sebastian Bach - English Suites Nos. 1, 3 & 6 (Murray Perahia)

Information

Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

• (01-08) English Suite No. 1 in A major, BWV 806
• (09-15) English Suite No. 3 in G minor, BWV 808
• (16-22) English Suite No. 6 in D minor, BWV 811

Murray Perahia, piano
Date: 1997
Label: Sony Classical

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Review

"...these gloriously played recordings of Bach’s First, Third, and Sixth English Suites are probably the most impressive I’ve ever heard. Everything I find fault with in Gould’s Bach is remedied by Perahia; and I mean everything. Perahia shines most consistently in the profound reverence with which he treats the sarabandes in all three suites. Where Gould always calls attention to himself, Perahia never does. In great contrast to Gould, Perahia uses lots of pedal, but he uses it very effectively. At times, I thought he may have over-relied on the sustaining pedal a little too much; but on re-listening, I realized that Perahia uses it to emphasize certain motifs or figurations that might get buried under the detail. And is there ever detail in the English Suites, especially in the preludes and the gigues! Perahia gives some of the courantes, especially in the First Suite, a soft-edged quality that makes them sound as though they have emerged in a kind of dreamy aural landscape. Much of his playing is the opposite of Gould’s spiky aggressiveness. The gigues are consistently buoyant and delightful. Though some listeners might accuse Perahia’s Bach of being soft-centered, his gentle caressing of the phrases creates an ethereally burnished sound. Is there another pianist around who plays Bach so beautifully? His sound is delicate and, at times, even sweet. Indeed, much the same thing can be said of Arthur Rubinstein’s Chopin, and yes, his Bach. Perahia’s pianism is the closest we have to Rubinstein’s affectionate urbanity. And there is a tradition that goes back to Paderewski and “beautiful” sound. We have certain pianists today, like Tamas Vasary, Adam Harasiewicz, and even Richard Goode who produce beautiful sound. Gould has so ruled the roost, even in death, that other approaches have had to elbow their way in.

If you like your Bach done with deep feeling, sensitivity, impeccable taste, and intelligence, these are for you. It seems to me that Perahia is emerging as the principal Bach performer (piano) of the day. He has, as Gould never could, left his ego at home. His performance of the Sarabande from the Third English Suite is alone worth the price of the disc. Highly recommended."

-- Patrick Meanor, FANFARE

More reviews:
http://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/bach-english-suites-nos-1-3-6
http://www.amazon.com/Bach-English-Suites-Murray-Perahia/dp/B0000062DF

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Johann Sebastian Bach (31 March [O.S. 21 March] 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. Bach enriched established German styles through his mastery of counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and his adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from Italy and France. He is known for instrumental compositions such as the Brandenburg Concertos and the Goldberg Variations, and vocal music such as the St Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor. Since the 19th-century Bach Revival he has been generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach

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Murray Perahia (born April 19, 1947 in New York) is an American concert pianist and conductor. Perahia studied with Mieczysław Horszowski at Mannes College, and also attended Marlboro Music School, where he studied with musicians Rudolf Serkin, Alexander Schneider, and Pablo Casals, among others.. Besides his solo career, he is active in chamber music and appeared regularly with the Guarneri and Budapest String Quartets. He is also Principal Guest Conductor of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, with which he records and performs. He is loved for his warm, gentle, smooth and lyrical qualities of playing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murray_Perahia

http://murrayperahia.com/

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