Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, Angela Hewitt :: Bach: The Six Partitas / Angela Hewitt

Good work without much personality

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 07/12/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"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 J.S. Bach: Toccata, Partita, English Suite 2/ Martha Argerich, Pires Maria João Pires ~ Bach - Partita No. 1 · English Suite No. 3 · French Suite No. 2, Wolf Harden Bach, J.S.: Partitas Nos. 3-5, Bwv 827-829, Anderszewski Bach: Partitas Nos. 1, 3, 6, others) and complete sets (Glenn Gould Bach: Partitas BWV 825-830; Preludes and Fugues, Richard Goode, Andras Schiff, Roselyn Turek and Christopher Sager on piano and Igor Kipnis & Trevor Pinnock Bach: Six Partitas, BWV 825-830 (Edition Bachakademie Vol 115) /Pinnock (harpsichord), others 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 found it a little too in my face and unsubtle.



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 including Elena Kuschnerova's fabulous performance of the titantic Partita No. 6 Elena Kuschnerova, Gould's remarkable performance of Partita No. 4 and the unbelieveable performance of the Partita No. 1 by Dubravka Tomsic Bach: Italian Concerto BWV 971; Partita No. 1 BWV 825; Toccata in D BWV 912, 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.



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 Richard Goode."

Superb Performances of Sublime Music

Gontroppo | Bathurst, NSW Australia | 07/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

One woman and a piano...

M. Fulton | Bemidji, Minnesota United States | 03/31/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."