Bach's French Suites
Bach's French Suites
The Gramophone Choice
Six French Suites, BWV812-17. Sonata in D minor, BWV964. Five Preludes, BWV924-28. Prelude in G minor, BWV930. Six Preludes, BWV933-38. Five Preludes, BWV939-43. Prelude in C minor, BWV999. Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV894
Angela Hewitt pf
Hyperion CDA67121/2 (149' · DDD) Buy from Amazon
Even the most out-and-out purists who blench at the thought of Bach on the piano will find it hard not to be won over by Angela Hewitt’s artistry. Eschewing all hieratic pretentiousness on the one hand and self-regarding eccentricities on the other, she gives us Bach performances that aren’t only admirable in style but marked by poise, and what used to be called a ‘quiet hand’: ‘chaste’ might not be too fanciful a term, so long as that does not suggest any lack of vitality. There’s intelligence in her carefully thought-out phrasing and subtle variety of articulation: gradations of sound are always alive without their becoming precious. The bulk of this recording is devoted to the French Suites. Particularly enjoyable is the lightness of her treatment of the Airs of Nos 2 and 4, the vigour of No 5’s Bourrée and the freshness of No 6’s Allemande; the extra decorations she adds in repeats everywhere sound properly spontaneous and are in the best of taste; ornaments are always cleanly played and matched up in imitative voices.
DVD Recommendation
French Suites, BWV812-17. Overture (Partita) in the French Style, BWV831. Italian Concerto, BWV971
András Schiff pf
EuroArts DVD 205 8138; Blu-ray 205 8134 (134’ · NTSC · 1080i · 16:9 · PCM stereo & DTS 5.1 · 0) Recorded live 2010. Buy from Amazon
In a bonus DVD accompanying András Schiff’s Bach recital at Leipzig’s Protestant Reformed Church, the pianist explains how the French Suites were likely conceived to be played at home, on the clavichord, for perhaps four people in the room, whereas the Overture in the French Style is essentially orchestral music recast for keyboard. A church and a small audience may not exactly constitute house music, yet the intimate scale of Schiff’s performances certainly reflects his words. Although Schiff’s tempi generally differ little when compared alongside his 1991 Decca versions, the phrasing boasts more finely tuned legato/detached differentiation, with leaner textures and more specificity in regard to following contrapuntal lines through to their final destination. You particularly notice that in the Sarabandes, which are less rounded and tapered now, and more line-oriented, without sacrificing one iota of expressivity. The Gigues remain just as buoyant, yet with an added sense of ‘air’ around the notes, as if Schiff were not interpreting Bach on the piano so much as through the piano.
The bottom line is that Schiff can play all six suites and the more demanding French Overture in one concert and sustain a level of artistry, concentration, stamina and attention to detail as few pianists of his or any generation have accomplished. And if that weren’t enough, Schiff plays the entire Italian Concerto as an encore. The varied and unobtrusive camerawork serves the music, the artist and the occasion well, as does the clear and resplendent surround-sound audio.
