Search - Johann Sebastian Bach, Edward Parmentier :: Bach: The Six Partitas

I strongly recommend this recording to you for the music, th

Craig Matteson | Ann Arbor, MI | 12/27/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This set of Bach's six great suites of Partitas is a must have for several reasons. First and always is the music of J. S. Bach. He was so proud of this music that he went to the great expense of having it published. It is for us to understand what a difficult and expensive such publication was in Bach's time, but the notes tell us that a good clavichord could nearly have been purchased for the price of the printed edition, and it sold well. These pieces are all magnificent and delightful. All keyboard players want to play them and renditions such as provided here help every listener to understand the music more clearly with each listening.



There is also the keyboard artistry of Ed Parmentier. He plays with such confidence and intimate knowledge of the music that we can hear each piece with fresh ears no matter how many times we have heard it performed. Parmentier's playing is a great example of why harpsichord playing is different than piano playing. Listen to how he lets the musical rhythm breathe according to the needs of the music to speak to us. Notice the great color in the way he articulates the notes, using every aspect of the way the harpsichord begins, sustains, and ends notes to draw ever greater expression from the music. The tempi also feel very natural and in character for each work. Brilliant and full of virtuosity at times while dense and full of pathos at others.



The instrument also shines here. Parmentier uses all its features: the multiple choirs of strings, the lute stop, and as I said earlier, the full means of articulation available to the sensitive harpsichordist. The notes point out that the instrument is authentic to the point of using quill to pluck the strings. It is recorded carefully to allow us to hear all the action of the harpsichord making its sounds. Some recordings see the action sounds as a negative and suppress too much of the music for my taste.



The notes are almost worth the price of the disk by themselves. Full of information about these works and the recording, they allow the listener to appreciate the music provided here more richly.



A terrific recording of some marvelous playing. I recommend this two disk set highly."