First and still best recording of The Well-Tempered Clavier
Kalle Kuusava | Lahti, Finland | 03/19/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"German superpianist Edwin Fischer made first complete recording of this work in 1930's. In my opinion, it's still truly best performance. Other excellent choices are Rosalyn Tureck's, Glenn Gould's and Andras Schiff's recordings. If one wants to listen legendary cembalo version of this work, excellent choice is Wanda Landowska's recording. Edwin Fischer's recording is magical. You can't stop listening to it. After you have heard the first prelude in C major, you have to listen the whole first book of preludes & fugues. And after that, you automatically start the second book. Fischer has very beautiful singing tone. While you listen, you can imagine yourself sitting in a huge church, where a beautiful soprano sings the melody, and a small chamber orchestra makes a great accompanist. Fischer also makes the dynamic differences and the so important thing in Bach, articulation, in natural places. The sound quality is very good, and EMI has managed to put this work in three CD's, each holding up to 80 minutes of this fantastic playing. And it's mid-price. Warmly recommended to every pianist, everyone who likes Bach, and everyone who wants to get to know his music and style. Mind-blowing performance!"
Great old recording! Timeless! 4.5 stars
Kalle Kuusava | 11/30/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Great old recording, but it has a "78" sound to it. However, the playing is so full of life you almost feel as if you're hearing the piano sing, you get over the fact that it wasn't recorded with today's technology. I'd say Fischer's version of Bach's towering masterpiece belongs in the library of every Bach fan and, yes, every fan of Western art music. This man won me over only after 5 minutes. Wish I could have seen him live. I buy about 1 version of the WTC every year, like Gould, Tureck, Levin, and I still hold Fischer in high regard. Warmly recommended recording. (Not 5 stars because of the sound quality. 4.5 stars then.)"
Timeless gold
Kalle Kuusava | 04/02/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is not the EMI References release, but a Chinese-language offering with minimal documentation in English. Nevertheless, the production values seem to be on an acceptable level, and the transfer is quite fine. A word of caution, though: Monopoly has used the CEDAR process to eliminate -- to an excellent extent -- most of the surface noises; on the other hand (as is usual with this technique) the process has altered somewhat Fischer's tone and timbre. It is not a disastrous alteration, but noticeable when compared to the old LPs. But rest assured that the magnificence of Fischer's playing comes through hypnotically: he is to the keyboard what Furtwaengler is to the podium, and the unfailing concentration, the warm human wisdom, the powerful intuitive grasp of the music's architectonics -- all these qualities plus many more come through loud and clear. Along with the Busch Quartet's late Beethoven, and Furtwaengler's Bruckner, and Beecham's Mozart, this is "must-have" music-making for the ages."
Track Listings (38) - Disc #1