Search - Bach, Perahia, Amf :: Keyboard Concertos 3 5 6 & 7 (Sl)

Perahia doing Bach, as Perahia does Bach

Colin Rose | Sydney | 04/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Perahia doing Bach, as Perahia does Bach: very clean and very smooth. Very un-Gould. If Gould uses the piano to try and emulate the detached sound of a harpsichord (always sans pedal), Perahia is almost the opposite. Having said so, the sound Perahia achieves in the second movement (largo) of Concerto No. 5 (BWV 1056) is simply fabulous ... one of my favourite piano sounds on SACD (after the Tchetuev Schnittke SACD on Caro Mitis). Beautifully recorded.



I may be wrong, but it does sound to my ear as though the piano has been tuned below A = 440 Hz. The sound is slightly flat to my ear, though not to the extent that one would find in an authentic instrument recording. There is no mention in the programme notes to this effect.



Perahia's Goldberg variations on SACD is now almost impossible to find, and this SACD seems to be heading the same way, so grab it while you can. Highly recommended.



End-notes:

1.The so-called Concerto No. 6 is derived from the harpsichord continuo part in Brandenburg No.4 ... and I think it is the first time I have actually heard this played on the piano rather than the harpsichord. In this instance alone, I am not sure that the transition to pianoforte is successful."

The format is not a basis for a bad rating.

tillio | Florida | 01/05/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The first reviewer panned the CD because his player will not play a CD in the non-hybrid SACD format. That is nonsense. This CD is glorious in both sound quality and performance. Just make sure that your CD or DVD player can play an SACD non-hybrid recording. Hybrid simply means that the CD can be played on any CD or DVD player. If it is not hybrid, then it can only be played on a player with the SACD function. Highly recommended."