A family affair
Biberfan | Virginia, USA | 09/13/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Il Suonar Parlante (the Ghielmis and friends) have recorded Bach's ultimate work, the Art of Fugue, on the Winter and Winter label. Bach never really specified how to perform this work... some play it on keyboard, some on individual instruments. I have so many recordings, from viols, to piano, to several baroque instrument ensembles (among them Concerto Italiano and Musica Antiqua,Köln). My favorite has been, Goebel's reading from 1984 with MAK on DG Archiv. They read that piece up and down and their interpretation simply wins for me. More recently, before the ensembles disbanding, they recorded a video/DVD production (with some different members) as well, using combinations of strings with harpsichord.
This version uses harpsichord, early piano, and a consort of viols. Mr. Ghielmi put out an excellent recording earlier with colleague Enrico Onorfi on W/W (Anno 1630). I thought I'd enjoy this one, too.
It's musical in ways that the other offerings by Fretwork and Phantasm are not.
One thing I don't like about this recording was their decision to end the unfinished fugue - I like it trailing off. It's one thing if you finish it off with some amazing contrapuntal ability, but in this case, I thought the ending ended up being anticlimactic.
The recording is nicely done, with good stereo separation between the viols and keyboard. These viol players are simply a little more gutsy and passionate with their bowing then the other two I mentioned. Intonation is good, too.
The one thing that pulls back on giving this an all-out "Great Job all around," with 5 stars, is the use of the piano. It may have been in use for several years by the time Bach passed, but it just doesn't sound right. And if you are going to use an instrument that would have been the most modern in Bach's time, does it make sense to combine that with one of the older, the viol played against the leg?
They took that Goebel approach here: mix up some movements with strings, with others using keyboard(s). I just miss some of the better tracks (like Contrapunctus 9) on strings in this one. This would have been better played on all viols, or all on piano. Both contributions, when separated, are done well. Together, a mixed bag."
