Outstanding CD of great music
02/08/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is as wonderful as all the other installments in Angel Hewitt's Bach series on Hyperion. Her playing is always clear, but always enjoyable and never hard to listen to. The CD is 79 minutes and nicely presented, with good notes. This CD is a must for anyone who likes Bach's keyboard music, even if you prefer the harpsichord. I have many recordings of Bach which I enjoy, including Schiff, Gould, and Tureck. But I find myself returning to Hewitt most often. Her recordings of the Well-Tempered Clavier and the Goldberg variations are my desert-island discs. The new version of the Penguin Guide awarded the Rosette to both volumes of her WTC (replacing Schiff), and the award is richly deserved."
Angela Hewitt at her finest
Alan Lekan | Boulder, CO | 06/27/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you are newer to Bach's abundent solo keyboard music - or Angela Hewitt - then this CD is an excellent place to start. It features the popular "French Overture" and contains some of the more lyrical and "accessible" music Bach wrote for the keyboard. There is a delightful mix of Bach compositions here capturing the diverse musical styles from Italy, France, Germany and Spain. Bach shows himself to be a true "non-politico" as well as the master composer by skillfully combining these styles (namely from France and Italy) to produce works of great appeal and mastery - but in a style that is uniquely "Bach."
In the opening piece, Hewitt does great justice to Bach's tribute to the Italian concerto style with a convincing "dialog" between lighter solo episodes (tutti) and the fuller passages imitating orchestral effect (ritornello) - all on one keyboar of course. This piece is most famous for the Adagio which Hewitt infuses with much heart and soul by her delicate, thoughtful melodic lines that never approach over sentimentality. The main event of this CD must certainly be the monumental "French Overture" (aka: Partita in B minor) - a grand conception lasting some 30 minutes repleat with numerous movements of French courtly dance influence and rich in imaginative and decorative keyboard effects. Miss Hewitt wonderfully articulates these effervescent rhythms with supreme confidence and masterful result. Her ornamentations are always tasteful, seamlessly integrated and truly enthralling to hear. In the off-beat rhythms of the gigue, her semiquavers bounce off the page with great poise and the crispness of fresh-pressed linen. And she shows her masterful pianism to its fullest in the curious final "echo" movement, bringing an brilliant, orchestral quality to it.
Hiding in the shadows of these two main events are four charming little "duets." These are no mere "fillers" but delightfully catchy, two-part inventions that Hewitt plays to full effect. Rounding out the program is a most unique "program music" piece by Bach thought written around the story of his older brother's departure ("Capriccio on departure of his brother"). In it, Angela Hewitt communicates both its nostalgic sentiments with her gentle, poinant phrasing and dynamics along with the piece's festive celebratory ending with her effective creation of trumpet and horn effects. In this unique composition, Hewitt succeeds to create a wonderful range of emotive effects in one piece.
Indeed, her carefree yet tight-on-the-rails style truly seems to bring out the best of Bach's keyboard treasures - transforming them into music of great vitality and charm. Her approach to Bach is one of artistry, nuance and good taste (not unlike Schiff) but without the "directness" or the "rough edges" that can be found in other performer's approaches (Gould and Gulda, respectfully). The many great Bach performers through the last decades have given us many "pallates of color" to experience, and Hewitt's colors are most notably beauty of tone, a poetic flavor, and graceful fluidity of line at its heart. It is no wonder that Angela Hewitt has been heralded as "the premier Bach pianist of this generation." Just about any recording of Bach's keyboard music by Angela Hewitt is a safe bet for being among the top choices available, and this CD is certainly no exception. It received the highest marks from both Gramaphone and Penguin Guides while ClassicsToday gave it a perfect 10/10 for Artisty/Sound Quality. In all her Bach recordings from Hyperion, the sound quality of this recording is among the fullest and most realistically recorded (where some other recordings like her Couperin, WTC or French Suites are done with a touch more "spaciousness" but still with clarity). Also a highlight are the scholarly and detailed notes delineating the nuances of the various "dance" types that Bach encorporated into his compositions. In all, an emmensely satisfying recording from a top Bach pianist of our time. Highly recommended."
COLLEGE DAYS
GEORGE RANNIE | DENVER, COLORADO United States | 07/05/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"During my college days, I tried to learn, on the modern piano, some of the compositions contained in this compilation (i.e. French Overture, 4 Duets for keyboard, Italian concerto, Capriccio sopra la lotananza del suo fratello dilettissimo) as played by Angela Hewitt. Since that time, I've tried to be a so-called "purist" trying to only listen to J S Bach's keyboard works on the instrument that all indications are they were supposed to be written for (i.e. harpsichord, organ, clavichord, etc.). Therefore, until the purchase of this recording, my recording collection contained no transcription of Bach's keyboard works for the modern piano. After hearing so much about Angela Hewitt, I wanted to hear her play and I am so very glad that I relented. Angela plays Bach on the modern piano with clean articulation and most of all she plays dear Johann beautifully. I particularly enjoyed the French Overture in B minor (aka Partita in B minor)--I was reminded of many hours of my hard work trying to learn that composition. Angela does not sound labored in the least; she plays that work most beautifully with a keen sense of rhythm. I also loved the Capriccio sopra la lotananza del suo fratello dilettissimo written by Bach when his brother departed. I had never heard that work; nevertheless, Angela Hewitt plays it wonderfully.
All in all, I truly love this recording and it is most delightful to hear Bach on the modern piano again as played so magnificently by Angela Hewit.
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