Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, Murray Perahia :: Bach: Partitas Nos. 2-4

Exactly what you'd expect from Perhaia

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 05/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In my opinion, nowhere in the entire output of Johann Sebastian Bach does this very, very great composer display his mastery over counterpoint and harmony better than in the mighty six keyboard partitas. Here is keyboard composition of such stature that only the great late keyboard sonatas of Beethoven are their peer. Working from a group of French dances popular in the era, J.S. developed a half-dozen of the world's most fully realized and fulfilling keyboard exhibitions, complete with virtuosity, magnificent voicing for both hands, and a strain of compositional expertise not matched by another composer since Beethoven.



Murray Perahia returns to Bach's creations after a three-year hiatus due to ill health owing to inflammation in the right hand. His return to recording, and especially to the work of Bach -- where he previously set down excellent versions of the English suites, Goldberg variations and keyboard concertos -- has excited critics on both sides of the Atlantic and probably in the rest of the world's continents. And, once you hear this recording, you will know why such anticipation exists worldwide.



Perahia is, again, a marvel at prestidigitation, voicing, harmony, counterpoint, ornamentation and every other musical affectation you want to name that fits the scores. He plays the left-hand figures, so important in this body of work as a counterbalance to the right-hand melody, equisitiely and, when called for, forcefully. Compared to the often harsh and machinelike manner of music school graduates influenced by a half-century of Glenn Gould worship, Perahia shows the listener there is more to Bach than mere speed and precision. There are, among other assets on display here, vestiges of Bach's own humanity, elegance befitting French dance music, and, perhaps most important, technique second to none mated with an intelligence that makes us think what these may have sounded like had Richter recorded them.



I've spent much of the past decade purchasing, borrowing, checking out from the library and listening to Bach's six partitas. They speak to me anew each time I hear them, especially in advocacy as alternately strong, gentle, brightly sprung and humanistic as put forward here by Perahia. A brief rundown of each sonata reveals:



-- That wonderful Bach counterpoint, so immediately recognizable in the opening phrase of Partita 2's Sinfonia, bowls you over with easygoing persuasion under Perahia. Compared to my reference recording by the great lady of Bach -- Roselyn Tureck, in her concert recording from St. Petersburg in 1995 -- he is equally as authoritative without any of Tureck's idiosyncracies.



-- The flights of fancy that open Partita 3's Fantasia with neither stress nor grief take you to another world, one without the problems of high fuel prices or a presidential election without a candidate good enough to manage outrageous times. You bounce along on his rhythm and are engulfed by the music. Compared to my all-time favorite in this music, by Swede Kristian Svanberg from an out of print Swedish Society CD, Perahia is just as fine and even more intellectual.



-- That fantastic opening Overture in Partita 4, which was the linchpin of Gould's old CBS/Columbia/Sony set, begins in equal metrics and with similar rubato and perhaps more ornaments. So many performers that record the fourth partita take Gould's recording as a reference and Perahia may have too. Still, for the parallel to Gould in the opening, Perahia becomes his own man in the following Allemande and shows you he has plenty to say about this, playing repeats each time as if the music is entirely new, not just a rehash of something we just heard. In this measure, Perahia is the epitome of masterly Bach pianism.



Sony captures these renditions in three-dimensional sound and space that give you an idea of the Berlin auditorium where they were taped in 2007. There are two minor blemishes to this production -- a scant two pages of notes written by Julian Haylock that talk about the music (there are four pages of photos of the pianist) and no track listings on the outside of the back page of the booklet, making reference inconvenient and, in the car, impossible. Otherwise, here is a Bach performance that stands with any ever recorded and begs the question about how soon we will see the other three partitas come from this source and be able to hear Murray do the best of them, the titanic Partita 6. It is so wonderful to have this to look forward to!"

Superb!

Leslie W. Guinn | 05/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have yet to hear any of Murray Perahia's playing, whether live or recorded, which was anything less than superbly musical. His profound musicality is always what one hears, no matter the technical demands of a piece. His technique, though astonishing, is there to serve the music, not wow the listener. This cd is filled with illuminating insights and many, many moments of incredible beauty."

Played With Striking Keyboard Style, Energy, And Abundant In

Raymond Vacchino | Toronto, ON. Canada | 06/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The six partitas BWV 825-830, the third and last collection of suites, are certainly Bach's most mature achievement in this sphere. The opening movements on their own are sufficient to demonstrate Bach's fertile imagination.



Murray Perahia has chosen to perform the second, third and forth partitas, and his approach conveys a stylistic maturity, structural energy, abundant invention, and a strikingly auspicious style that is almost unequalled in accomplishment.



He retains the traditional framework of the German suite in shaping the four regular movements, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, and Gigue, yet takes on magnificent liberties with the form.



In the second Partita, prefaced by a Sinfonia in three sections, Perahia begins the first by establishing an atmosphere filled with pathos that surrounds the big chords and dotted rhythms. This is followed by an 'Allemande' in two-part harmony. Perahia conveys its character with unfolding melodic charm, varied sonorities, and musical clarity.

The 'Courante' is presented with a sense of pianistic command which allows the spirited character of the dotted rhythms to unfold. Perahia beautifully allows each theme to "speak", then blending them well within the polyphony, creating an enjoyable experience.

The 'Sarabande', is superbly paced by Perahia, and offers warmly expressed playing that purely respects its musical priorities. The energetic mood and rapid finger work of the 'Rondeau' and 'Capriccio' is both incisive and refined. In each of them, Perahia maintains remarkably clear texturing, and his non-legato touch never becomes harsh or out of character.



In the third Partita, the 'Fantasia' is an expansive two-part invention. Once again Perahia maintains a steady pace throughout and shapes the sense of long line with fluency and cohesion. The 'Allemande' captures every ounce of serenity and compelling sensitivity. Once the 'Courante' begins, Perahia produces the necessary dramatic spirit allowing the dotted rhythms to unfold with a sense of assertiveness, thus creating a thrilling effect.

The 'Sarabande' is conveyed with a solemn, inner-warmth and melancholy atmosphere. As a result the 'Burlesca's' pulsating character becomes most vivid and conveys Perahia's high-wired pianism which continues throughout the 'Scherzo', bringing it to a thrilling close.

Perahia leads into the 'Gigue' with a well chosen tempo, allowing the spirit and temperament of its character time to be enjoyed.



The fourth Partita, begins with a French 'Overture.' Its character is majestically grand, and Perahia makes magnificent use of pedal-points and spacing to convey the opening grandeur.

In the 'Allemande', Perahia projects the harmonic coloring, and the playing is notable for its passion and finesse. The rapid ornamentation is filled with clarity and charm, and the entire performance is shaped as if it was one long phrase.

The same may be said of all the other pieces in these Partitas.



In the hands of Perahia there are never any "holes", never any awkward padding. He makes each movement a complete work of art, and his vibrant and varied sonorities are consistently lyrical.



Througout all three 'Partitas', Perahia chooses tempi that are unhurried, allowing each and every musical detail time to "speak", time to be expressive, and time to be cherished as one of the leading performances ever recorded.



Author: Raymond Vacchino M.Mus. Classical Music Critic"