Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, Richard Goode :: Bach: Partitas Nos. 1, 3 & 6

Straight ahead Bach.

Ed Brickell | 06/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I enjoyed the understated, slightly rough-hewn elegance of Goode's set of Beethoven sonatas, and figured his Bach would be worth a go. It has all of the qualities I appreciated in his Beethoven playing: no fuss, no muss; perhaps more head than heart, but certainly not imposing or dry; and, above all, a willingness to let the music speak for itself. Sometimes it seems a bit lacking in dynamics, but I would much prefer this to turning Bach into churning melodrama, as some pianists are wont to do. The recorded sound seems slightly on the dry side, but perfectly listenable.This is as good as Bach gets on the piano, and it's very good indeed. I also bought Volume One based on this, and it's just as satisfying -- these are now my preferred listening for the Partitas on piano. To get the best set on harpsichord, try Trevor Pinnock's recent recording, which I found to be an equally pleasing performance."

Reflection of the Performer's Heart and Mind

mollym | College Station, Texas USA | 03/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you know Richard Goode, you know his impeccable intellectual integrity based on deep exploration of the ideas behind his chosen music. Richard's open heart, curiosity, kind acceptance of the world, and generosity of spirit grant him a rare ability to penetrate immediately to the hearts of other people--or music. His rare balance of mind and spirit may help explain his world-scale success. But his world-conquering spirit was always there in his person. When we studied Chinese together in the early 1970's (when China was still closed to outsiders), he expected to tour one day in China. More than most students, he sought to understand the character of Chinese thought embedded in the language. Similarly, his deep understanding of the classical view of life was never more clear than in his insightful performance of a Stravinsky piano sonata: The delicacy and symmetric structures of Mozart were transparent behind the playful modernisms. I'm almost sorry he has become especially famous for his interpretations of Bach. I admire deeply his profound and yet slightly aloof interpretation of Partita 6--as though Bach were playing the piano. Still, I believe he's at his most profound on the cusp of Romanticism. Late Beethoven, Schubert. ... Will he play the Brahms clarinet sonata with David Shifrin one day? His refined, elegant and deeply intellectual restraint holds in check his extravagent and open emotionalism. Perfect for Brahms."