[.ca] Bk1 Well Tempered Clavier

overpowering WTC:
Gulda's Bach playing is extremely aggressive and at times almost punishing. He opens fugue subjects in the most brash and brutal way but can have an interesting appeal to them in how bold his playing is. And although his lines are crisp and articulation is clear this playing is a bit to harsh for my tastes. But, at a bargain price this may interest some fans who are looking for something different in WTC interpretations. The sound is somewhat thin and dry but Gulda's thunderous approach at times makes up for this.

A Good Comparable to Richter:
If you're expecting something like Edwin Fischer, then certainly you may find Gulda harsh; or if you're are expecting something like Hofmann or Arrau, then Gulda may sound thin and dry. But if Gulda is thin and dry, where would Gound and Tureck be? We don't have Arrau or Hofmann playing WTC. And we don't have another Edwin Fischer ( even Brendel is miles behind ). Instead, we have Richter. But if we use the same yardstick, Richter is dry and thin too. He could even be crushingly harsh at times in his own way. It's, however, noteworthy that both are superb sight-readers, both are absolute masters of the keyboard each in their own way. Michelangeli once compared himself to Richter, but I would say Gulda would stand a better comparable. Yet I wouldn't say Richter played any better than Gulda. Along the tradition of Fischer, we also have Schiff who is so tender and gentle. He's comparatively young and there may well be further development. In any event, one couldn't really say his WTC is better than Gulda. Nikolayeva's WTC is nice, closer in sound to Arrau. But there are aspects which Nikolayeva weren't quite the equal of Gulda. For an alternative, I could only think of Horszowski. Highly recommended for those who intend to turn to WTC often.

Postmodern Bach:
Every time a pianist plays Bach on a modern instrument, they make an interpretive choice--the Well-Tempered Clavier is NOT the Equal-Tempered Grand Piano. I'm not so much a purist to claim that such an interpretive choice is wrong, but I raise the issue to point out that interpretation is inevitable. So to condemn Gulda for playing in an ahistorical style is wrong. Gulda is extremely aggressive, approaching the music like a pugilist, hammering every note in some of the fugues, treating the individual note with single-minded intensity, always playing without pedal (historically correct, of course), unrelenting and not at all Romantic. In spite of this intensity and clear committment to a personal vision of the work, one can question the particular choices he makes, and I find myself doing so all too often. The C minor fugue, for example, is as dry and staccato as a sun-bleached bone. (The "thinness" other reviewers speak of is not, I think, a quality of Gulda's performance but of the instrument he uses, the room acoustic, and/or the engineering. ) Gulda's approach deemphasizes the sense of line most modern performers take, but allows him to think more structurally--he certainly shapes the fugues overall with varying levels of dynamic intensities. The 5 voice C# minor fugue comes off beautifully in this respect--I think it's his most engaging performance, and Gulda's intensity matches the dissonant quality of the work wonderfully. in fact, all of the C# pieces are excellent--perhaps it's Gulda's key! But the C minor fares less well. I find the dynamic swell at the end too great and too sudden--not quite a terraced dynamic that might have occured in Bach's instrumental music, but neither a carefully controlled crescendo. The effect seems more like a student who suddenly realises he's at the end and should have been playing louder, so saves what he can and overcompensates. Furthermore, in this particular fugue some of the countersubjects are lost due to Gulda's overemphasis on the subject proper. In the C major fugue, Gulda takes an extraordinarily slow tempo--I've never heard another performer take this tempo, or even anything near it. The consequence is that the stretto entries of the subject are quite easily recognized--not an easy thing in this fugue, with its constant stretti, but again, a feeling of longer line is lost. Generally Gulda's approach is an excellent one for clarity of counterpoint, but I find the overall aesthetic almost completely unattractive. Clearly Gulda knows the notes, has made thoughtful choices about how to play this music, but it's not an approach that I prefer. Of course you should decide for yourself, but listen to the clips Amazon provides before you order.

Best WTC:
Remarkable recording of Bach's WTC. The fugues in D sharp minor and F minor alone warrants the price of the cd's. They're absolutely breathtaking in the slow tempo Gulda chooses (which he usually does for the minor key fugues). This is not a harsh recording as some may say; just listen to the preludes in C major and A flat major. SOME preludes may seem a little rough compared to other interpreters' versions, but Gulda uses his "attack mode" with sense and only when it fits the music. (Not like Gould with his inadequately fast tempos). Sound quality: superb. Do not miss this one. And by the way, Book II is just as good.

• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No. 1 In C
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No. 1 In C
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No.2 In C Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No. 2 In C Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No. 3 In C Sharp
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No. 3 In C Sharp
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No. 4 In C Sharp Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No. 4 In C Sharp Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No. 5 In D
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No. 5 In D
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No. 6 In D Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No. 6 In D Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No.7 In E Flat
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No.7 In E Flat
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No. In E Flat Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No. In D Sharp Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No. 9 In E
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No. 9 In E
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No. In E Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No. In E Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No. 11 In F
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No. 11 In F
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No. 12 In F Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No. 12 In F Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No. 13 In F Sharp
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No. 13 In F Sharp
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No. 14 In F Sharp Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No. 14 In F Sharp Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No. 15 In G
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No. 15 In G
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No.16 In G Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No.16 In G Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No.17 In A Flat
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No.17 In A Flat
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No.18 In G Sharp Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No.18 In G Sharp Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No.19 In A
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No.19 In A
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No.20 In A Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No.20 In A Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No.21 In B Flat
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No.21 In B Flat
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No.22 In B Flat Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No.22 In B Flat Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude No.23 In B
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No.23 In B
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Prelude no.24 In B Minor
• Book I: Preludes And Fugues, BWV 846 - 869: Fugue No.24 In B Minor