Brendel Plays Bach

Editorial Reviews
Album Details
Alfred Brendel Unfortunately Recorded Very Little Bach and It's a Shame Since as Evinced Here He Clearly Has an Affinity for this Repertoire. His Exceptional Contrapuntal Clarity and Imaginative Use of Embellishment in the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue for Instance is Remarkably Well Considered If Not Unique. His Performance of Busoni's Transcription of Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland as Well is Equally Stunning, Reminiscent of the Efforts of Another of the Great Bach Pianists of his Generation Wilhelm Kempff. Unlike Most of Brendel's Philips Recordings as Well, this One Sounds Seamless Instead Edited to Death. Those Looking for a Distinguished Alternative to Glenn Gould Are Strongly Encouraged to Give Brendel Here a Listen.

Tracks:

Italian Concerto in F, BWV 971: (Allegro)
Italian Concerto in F, BWV 971: Andante
Italian Concerto in F, BWV 971: Presto
Chorale Prelude 'Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ,' BWV 639
Prelude (Fantasia) in a, BWV 922
Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in d, BWV 903
Chorale Prelude 'Nun komm' der Heiden Heiland,' BWV 659
Fantasia and Fugue in a, BWV 904

Album Details

Alfred Brendel Unfortunately Recorded Very Little Bach and It's a Shame Since as Evinced Here He Clearly Has an Affinity for this Repertoire. His Exceptional Contrapuntal Clarity and Imaginative Use of Embellishment in the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue for Instance is Remarkably Well Considered If Not Unique. His Performance of Busoni's Transcription of Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland as Well is Equally Stunning, Reminiscent of the Efforts of Another of the Great Bach Pianists of his Generation Wilhelm Kempff. Unlike Most of Brendel's Philips Recordings as Well, this One Sounds Seamless Instead Edited to Death. Those Looking for a Distinguished Alternative to Glenn Gould Are Strongly Encouraged to Give Brendel Here a Listen.

Customer Reviews:

Top-Notch.......2005-08-06

One of my favourite recordings of anything, here Brendel rejects all attempts at historically informed authenticity and gives full rein to the possibilities of playing Bach on a modern concert grand piano. The results are utterly musical and as 'right' in their own way as performances of Bach on the harpischord. But there is no 'right or wrong' when great music is made to resound with such conviction and truthfulness as Brendel achieves on this disc. The opening fantasia of the 'Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue' storms and surges with a truly elemental power as does the wonderful A minor Prelude.

I really cannot recommened this CD highly enough (and the sound is wonderful too)

An incredible collection.......2003-11-20

Brendel is an incredible pianist, and a scholar of music as much as a virtuouso. This is a beautifully played and beautifully CHOSEN collection of music. In an interview included in the notes, Brendel points out that many of Bach's works seem to be written for instruments of the future: some pieces like the Chromatic Fantasy seem to be failures as written for the harpsichord but are wonderful played on the piano.

I don't miss whatever authenticity might be lost, then, by playing these on the piano. I loved how simple it was to hear the different strands of melody that wind their way around each other in the first movement of the Italian Concerto, and to hear how clearly Brendel articulated the rushing melody of the Prelude in A Minor. He's amazing: I started with his recordings of Schubert but am starting to prefer his versions of Beethoven and Bach as well.

Even his choices of what to play are revelatory. The Busoni arrangement of Ich 'ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ is astounding. It was only after I ran out, got a book of the Busoni arrangements and tried to play the prelude myself that I realized how hard it was to play this (technically) fairly simple piece as beautifully and delicately as Brendel plays it.

Anyone who thinks that Bach is a dry, academic composer - or who wrote music that is coldly beautiful but not heartfelt - needs to hear these three minutes of music to know how much love went into everything he wrote.

Brendel Plays Back.......2001-08-27

A treat of Bach's most innovative piano works. The Fantasia and the two Fantasia & Fugues are powerfully played. Brendel has a very consistent and rounded sound, yet he plays Bach with an original and sparkling flair. He captures much intensity with these pieces without succumbing to eccentricity.

Brendal plays Bach...brilliantly.......1999-06-16

Although many purists may have their doubts about the suitability of playing Bach's keyboard works on the modern piano, in this instance there is no question of the success of the performance. It's stunning. It is definitely 'Brendal' playing Bach as he makes sure that each piece is defined by his own personal combination of great virtuosity and profound interpretation. The intensely powerful rendering of the 'Chromatic Fanatasia' is worth the price of the disc alone and the other fantasias are similarly astounding. For the interaction of sheer concentration of thought with deep-felt feeling this is a disc which fan of Bach or Brendal should be without. Classics of the keyboard repertoire played by one of the greatest pianists of the century..go and buy.

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