[.ca] English Suites Bwv806-11

True Musicianship Not Smoke and Mirrors:
I have read previous reviews of this interpretation and I was saddened to see comments from people who must have very little musical training judging by how badly they miss the boat on this marvelous recording. Yes, if you are for smoke and mirrors you'll like other interpretations, but if you truly know and appreciate the SPIRIT in which Bach wrote these pieces you can never like any other interpretation (of those released to date, of course) better than Schiff's. There is an inner beauty in Shiff's subdued approach that perfectly exemplifies what Bach had to say in these suites. So, if you can only appreciate the flashy style--which is so foreign to Bach and this particular music--then yes, by all means, look somewhere else.

This is piano music for life.:
I've had this Schiff recording for nigh on ten years and have yet to hear a better one. Bach's English Suites, particularly number three, are so ahead of their time it's scary. So personal, so emotional, and yet technically not his most sophisticated or respected works. Why?? Whatever can be said of them I think them sublime. Schiff, perhaps better known for his flawless treatment of Schubert's revered piano sonatas (London), gives a magical rendering to some of the great composer's more thoughtful music. If you're not convinced of the romantic and ground-breaking aspect of these suites, listen to the "Courante" and "Sarabande" of suite three in G minor. These brief movements are unutterably beautiful. Although sometimes a little too technical for his own good, Schiff is more than faithful to what I think Bach had in mind. Again, this is piano music for life.

Schiff's Weakest Bach:
I agree with the other reviewers here that this recording is a mystery. Schiff's Well-Tempered Clavier is amazing, likewise his French Suites. These are bland. All the more amazing since I find English Suites 2 and 3 among the greatest keyboard works in the world. I strongly disagree with some of the stuffy dimwits who claim that Pogorelich's recording on DG (now out of print, but available in Europe) are 'inhuman' or disregard the true 'SPIRIT'. Get a life! They are the best renditions available and Pogorelich's best disc.

Schiff pleases, but doesn't win me over.:
Andras Schiff is, without a doubt, one of the greatest Bach keyboard players of our day. By "keyboard," of course, I mean pianoforte, since his snobby disdain of the venerable harpsichord is well-known, and even notorious to some listeners (including me). Nevertheless, unlike the simpler French Suites, the English Suites were written with greater complexity and they therefore call for the more versatile expressive range of the pianoforte, which is one reason why Schiff would be a preferred performer (as this mode is his element). This being the case, I am all the more disappointed by Schiff's rather insipid rendering of many of the movements on this 2-CD recording. Surely, he could put forth a more inspiring effort into his performance. Whereas some reviewers are touched by his 'understated elegance,' I find myself reaching for the volume knob instead. The opening A-E7 arpeggios of Track 1 are eked out as if played by a mouse, not so delicate as they are muffled. Perhaps it was the acoustics, I don't know, but I would expect more drive from Schiff, especially for the recording's opening bars! Nonetheless, his well-measured pace and vitality shines through when it is needed most emphatically, as in the final Gigue of BWV 810 and (even more graciously) in the long and complex prelude of BWV 811. In short, this recording is a mixed bag. If one cannot tolerate Gould's humming, however, this is your best bet.

Quality recording.:
I realise that many people do not appreciate Schiff's interpretation of this piece. I have listened to many other pianists' version of the English Suites, including Gould's, Peraiha's (spelling?), etc. but I still think that Schiff's interpretation of this work is excellent enough to be worth buying. Maybe not Schiff's best, but that's still better than a lot of others'!

• English Suites BWV 806-811: Prelude
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Allemande
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Courante I
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Courante II Avec Deux Doubles
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Sarabande
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Bourree I And Bourree II
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Gigue
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Prelude
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Allemande
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Courante
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Sarabande Et Les Agrements De La Meme Sarabande
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Gavotte I Alternativement & Gavotte III Ou La Musette
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Gigue
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Prelude
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Allemande
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Courante
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Sarabande
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Passepied I En Rondeau & Passepied II
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Gigue
• Suite No. 2 In A Minor, BWV 807: Prelude
• Suite No. 2 In A Minor, BWV 807: Allemande
• Suite No. 2 In A Minor, BWV 807: Courante
• Suite No. 2 In A Minor, BWV 807: Sarabande Et Les Agrements De La Meme Sarabande
• Suite No. 2 In A Minor, BWV 807: Bourree I Alternativement & Bourree II
• Suite No. 2 In A Minor, BWV 807: Gigue
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Prelude
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Allemande
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Courante
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Sarabande
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Menuet I & Menuet II
• English Suites BWV 806-811: Gigue
• Suite No. 6 In D Minor, BWV 811: Prelude
• Suite No. 6 In D Minor, BWV 811: Allemande
• Suite No. 6 In D Minor, BWV 811: Courante
• Suite No. 6 In D Minor, BWV 811: Sarabade & Double
• Suite No. 6 In D Minor, BWV 811: Gavotte I And Gavotte II
• Suite No. 6 In D Minor, BWV 811: Gigue