Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, Alexis Weissenberg :: Alexis Weissenberg plays Bach: Variations Golberg / The Six Keyboard Partitas / Italian Concerto / Ouverture Francaise BWV 831 / Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, BWV 903

One of the Best Bach Interpretations

BLee | HK | 01/18/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Weissenberg definitely possesses a very formidable technique.



Here you can expect a lot of virtuosity different from Glenn Gould, but rather reminiscent of Rachmaninov (instead of his teacher Schnabel). Or if you like Hewitt sort of playing, a greater part (but not altogether) of the playing may not for you. He enjoys a greater command of the keyboard and has obviously captured the essence of Bach even better.



Coming to the contrapuntal lines, Gould is perhaps even more interesting, but Weissenberg's polyphony also shines. His sense of structure is very clearcut. Some critics even said Weisennberg is unmannered and straightforward and hailed him as the Pianist of To-morrow.



In his Goldberg, he combines both extremities, day-and-night: at some variartions he is so soft and tender and yet at others he is so loud and so fast, quite beyond the enjoyment of the average's sleepless nights. Yet his Italian Concerto and Fantaisie Chromatiques are fantastic. And I like his Partitas best, which alone is well-worth the ticket.



The recorded sound here is very good by the standard of the 60s. And somehow his records are sold at a discounted rate by some local shops in HK which made them a windfall. One of the best Bach interpretations and perfect comparable to Kempff. Recommended.



PS: Despite the fact that he doesn't cherish his collaboration with Karajan ( available in DVD), I like his Rachmaninov too. And it is so exciting to watch his fingers at work than just listening."

Straightforward readings at neck-breaking speeds

Noam Eitan | Brooklyn, NY United States | 07/12/2010

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I have lived with these recordings for several years now. I liked them at first, but as the years went by and comparisons to other performers multiplied, my disillusionment and hostility have grown to the point that playing them today all I hear is straightforward readings at neck-breaking speeds, devoid of any imaginative phrasing, and which do not give you any idea of what these works are about. The Goldbergs are the best and the Italian Concerto is the worst (it's an insult to Bach), but overall in my humble opinion it's a waste of time. You can find several reviews on line (not only on Amazon) that praise this set to high heaven. De gustibus."