Bach: The Six Partitas / Angela Hewitt

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Sometimes it helps not to specialize. As Angela Hewitt expands her horizons beyond Bach, her Bach, paradoxically, has ripened tenfold, as revealed in this magnificent set of partitas. One listens in vain for a single slip-up in timing or voicing. Articulation is marvelously varied, but never for the sake of variety itself. More to the point, the music's dancelike subtexts bring out a more deeply felt, emotionally three-dimensional music-making than encountered in Hewitt's previous Bach efforts. This gifted pianist has come into her own. Hear her. --Jed Distler

Tracks:

Partita No. 1 In B Flat Major, BWV 825: Praeludium
Partita No. 1 In B Flat Major, BWV 825: Allemande
Partita No. 1 In B Flat Major, BWV 825: Corrente
Partita No. 1 In B Flat Major, BWV 825: Sarabande
Partita No. 1 In B Flat Major, BWV 825: Menuet I - Menuet II - Menuet I da capo
Partita No. 1 In B Flat Major, BWV 825: Giga
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: Sinfonia: Grave adagio - Andante - Allegro
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: Allemande
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: Courante
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: Sarabande
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: Rondeaux
Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826: Capriccio
Partita No. 4 In D Major, BWV 828: Ouverture - Allegro
Partita No. 4 In D Major, BWV 828: Allemande
Partita No. 4 In D Major, BWV 828: Courante
Partita No. 4 In D Major, BWV 828: Aria
Partita No. 4 In D Major, BWV 828: Sarabande
Partita No. 4 In D Major, BWV 828: Menuet
Partita No. 4 In D Major, BWV 828: Gigue

Tracks:

Partita No. 3 in A Minor BWV 827: Fantasia
Partita No. 3 in A Minor BWV 827: Allemande
Partita No. 3 in A Minor BWV 827: Corrente
Partita No. 3 in A Minor BWV 827: Sarabande
Partita No. 3 in A Minor BWV 827: Burlesca
Partita No. 3 in A Minor BWV 827: Scherzo
Partita No. 3 in A Minor BWV 827: Gigue
Partita No. 5 in G Major BWV 829: Praeambulum
Partita No. 5 in G Major BWV 829: Allemande
Partita No. 5 in G Major BWV 829: Corrente
Partita No. 5 in G Major BWV 829: Sarabande
Partita No. 5 in G Major BWV 829: Tempo di Minuetta
Partita No. 5 in G Major BWV 829: Passepied
Partita No. 5 in G Major BWV 829: Gigue
Partita No. 6 in E Minor BWV 830: Toccata - (Fugue)
Partita No. 6 in E Minor BWV 830: Allemande
Partita No. 6 in E Minor BWV 830: Corrente
Partita No. 6 in E Minor BWV 830: Air
Partita No. 6 in E Minor BWV 830: Sarabande
Partita No. 6 in E Minor BWV 830: Tempo di Gavotta
Partita No. 6 in E Minor BWV 830: Gigue

Amazon.com

Sometimes it helps not to specialize. As Angela Hewitt expands her horizons beyond Bach, her Bach, paradoxically, has ripened tenfold, as revealed in this magnificent set of partitas. One listens in vain for a single slip-up in timing or voicing. Articulation is marvelously varied, but never for the sake of variety itself. More to the point, the music's dancelike subtexts bring out a more deeply felt, emotionally three-dimensional music-making than encountered in Hewitt's previous Bach efforts. This gifted pianist has come into her own. Hear her. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Another Amazing Angela Album.......2007-07-19

Ms. Hewitt has once again managed to blow us away with another stunning perfect interpretation of Bach's Partitas. This is an excellent record for anyone learning Bach (especially those having problems with phrasing and counterpoint) or simply for enjoyment.

Good work without much personality.......2005-07-12

This was one of the first collections of Bach's Partitas I purchased on CD, having been promoted by British critics. Hewitt's playing in this music is linear, inoffensive, crystalline and lacking in personality. These are good performances but I don't believe this pianist is the final word in this music. The sound on these full priced CDs is fine.

I've tested a number of individual performances (Argerich, Pires, Wolf Harden, Anderszewski,others) and complete sets (Glenn Gould, Richard Goode, Andras Schiff, Roselyn Turek and Christopher Sager on piano and Igor Kipnis & Trevor Pinnock on harpsichord, Richard Troeger on clavichord) and have found some of the same shortcomings in all the sets or CDs recorded individually. A newer set by Craig Sheppard has gotten universally good reviews by U.S. critics; I haven't heard it.

In particular, Gould can be impatient and is poorly recorded part of the time. Sager is the epitome of blandness and Goode is not far behind. Turek is a unique voice in Bach and anything she does should be given utmost consideration. Her recordings of the Partitas contain all her typical characteristics -- deliberate approach, heightened elocution and near new discovery of the counterpoint. However, her approach is not always dynamic and will not suit all tastes.

On harpsichord, Pinnock's recordings are fascinating but don't wear well over time because they all sound so much alike. Only Kipnis, it seems to me, understands the difference between each Partita and how to project those differences in Bach's individual voice and humanity. Of the sets I've tested, his comes closest to portraying the unique qualities of the each of the six Partitas. Troeger's clavichord recording is a disaster -- slavishly metrical, unimaginative and ugly sounding.

I continue to cling to individual favorites (see my past reviews) including Elena Kuschnerova's fabulous performance of the titantic Partita No. 6, Gould's remarkable performance of Partita No. 4 and the unbelieveable performance of the Partita No. 1 by Dubravka Tomsic, included in a dirt cheap CD that I called "Best Bach CD on the Planet" in my Amazon review. It is a crime more people don't know about this remarkable CD, which is available for $4.98.

I hope a piano set arrives someday that mimics some of the individual creativity from Kipnis with the drama of Kuschnerova and uncanny musical understanding of Tomsic. Until that time, I wouldn't recommend you spend the better part of $30 for this collection, although this one better than overrated groupings by Richard Goode and Andras Schiff.

One woman and a piano..........2004-03-31

I first heard Angela Hewitt playing Bach on the radio, and immediately sought out a recording. This is what I ended up with, and months later it is still revealing new riches. The music, of course, is vast and rich, and Hewitt breathes life into every note. This is not the cold mathematical playing that some advocate for Bach (and that his music survives), this is Bach that sings and dances, contemplates and exults. Try this out if you want to hear how one slender woman, a piano, and a long dead composer can collaborate to create an entire world.

Superb Performances of Sublime Music.......2003-07-12

It is amazing that Bach's Partitas are the first compositions that he published, though he had written hundreds of others before them. It is also sobering that he had to pay for their publication, as he did for many of the 12 works that were published in his lifetime. [About 1080 compositions have survived, but it is thought that Bach probably wrote about 2000.]

These pieces are among the best of Bach's keyboard works and are played beautifully by Angela Hewitt. I enjoy hearing them played on harpsichord, too, but when they are played on the piano, I want the performer to treat it like a piano as Ms Hewitt does.

She plays stylistically, but is not afraid to occasionally use the pedal and to use the dynamic resources of the piano. I also recommend her set of French Suites.

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