Alternate Interpretations of J. S. Bach’s music!
For those of you (like me) who adore the music of Bach, here’s what you might like: How do different artists perform the same work?
Certainly this is a matter of personal taste, and I thought you may enjoy to compare how several well-known pianist approach Bach’s masterpieces. Click below to hear Sviatoslav Richter, Glenn Gould, Angela Hewitt, and others explore the Prelude and Fugue number 17, in A-flat Major, from the Well – Tempered Clavier Book 1 of Johann Sebastian Bach:
Pay particular attention to the Fugue, and see if you can hear the recurring theme of La-mi-do-la-fa-re-me…
Enter your own comments at the bottom of this Blog.
First, here’s Sviatoslav Richter:
Now compare that with Friedrich Gulda:
And here is Angela Hewitt:
What do you think about Joanna MacGregor:
And last, let hear what Glenn Gould does with this music:
The idea of comparison is entertaining as well as educational. Too bad someone goofed and had Hewitt playing the other A-flat prelude and fugue, i.e., from WTC II.
Richter’s performance was awash in pedal. Gould’s fugue was a relief from the seriousness of the previous renditions.
For me, Hewitt’s elegance, shaping of structure, clarity, and individuality make her a winner, even if she’s not playing the same prelude and fugue as the others!