Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier (2008)

This is a reissue of recordings made of The Well-Tempered Clavier in New York in 1992 (Book I) and 1995 (Book II) by Russian-born pianist Vladimir Feltsman; originally released on the MusicMasters label, they have, along with other items from the MusicMasters catalog, been reissued by Nimbus. They're unique among versions made on a modern piano and well worth hearing. Feltsman's readings are of the old school. They're Romantic in inspiration, and they're pianistic, with a good deal of pedal and a tremendous variety of ... Read More

This is a reissue of recordings made of The Well-Tempered Clavier in New York in 1992 (Book I) and 1995 (Book II) by Russian-born pianist Vladimir Feltsman; originally released on the MusicMasters label, they have, along with other items from the MusicMasters catalog, been reissued by Nimbus. They're unique among versions made on a modern piano and well worth hearing. Feltsman's readings are of the old school. They're Romantic in inspiration, and they're pianistic, with a good deal of pedal and a tremendous variety of attack. But they possess these qualities without being monumental. With Glenn Gould playing Bach you get the impression of hearing two titans of intellect in a small room together, but Feltsman isn't like that at all; his preludes and fugues are quiet for the most part, and reflective. Their most distinctive characteristic is their variety; this is a four-disc set, covering both books, that you could, if you had but world enough and time, sit and listen to straight through without feeling... Read Less