Johann Sebastian BACH (1685-1750)
Johann Sebastian Bach als Europäer
Musikalisches Opfer BWV 1079: I. Ricercar a 3 voci [5:44]; IX. Ricercar a 6 voci [8:38]
Concerto nach italienischem Gusto in F-Dur BWV 971 [12:51]
Ouverture nach französischer Art in h-moll BWV 831 [32:42]
Vier Duette BWV 802-805 [12:01]
Thomas Günther (piano)
rec. 20-22 September 2015, Stadthalle Meinerzhagen.
CYBELE RECORDS SACD 131518 [71:57]
This recording takes on the complete second part of J.S. Bach’s
Clavier-Übung, and with the Four Duets and Ricercari
from The Musical Offering turns the programme into something which
demonstrates Bach’s referencing of different European styles –
inevitably filtered through his German perspective.
This SACD recording includes a binaural layer intended for headphone listeners,
and with a decent set-up you get a remarkable wrap-around sensation which
very much puts you “in the room” as a listener. There is enough
resonance and ‘air’ in this nevertheless detailed piano recording
to create a fine listening experience through any of the other layers –
standard stereo and 5.0 multi-channel, and with sound quality assured we can
move on to the musical content.
I have become familiar with Thomas Günther more through his recordings for
Cybele of the Russian Futurists, now available as a complete four disc set.
Günther’s Bach is stylish and not without its subtleties, but his approach
is firm, allowing the music to speak for itself, but not really taking on
the more lyrical style which makes Angela Hewitt’s fairly recent release
of The Art of Fugue so attractive (review).
The Andante of BWV 971 for instance is quite measured and
vertical in its feel, the melody not so much floating as providing adornment
to a fairly unyielding accompaniment. The following Presto has plenty
of precision and clarity in its voicings and the tempo is energetic, but it
even with some dynamic shading here and there it can become something of a
wall of sound after a while.
Günther has been preoccupied with Bach’s keyboard works since the late
1980s and is known for his workshops and performances. There are however no
actual notes on performance here, but the full and fascinating notes by Dr.
Stefan Orgass go into each work in some detail.
What will dictate if you like this recording is, I think, connected to how
much ‘weight’ you want from your piano in Bach. I’m not
exactly sure how much of this is due to the lively acoustic or to Günther’s
touch, but even with the transparency of the Four Duets I find the
almost symphonic impression a bit much to take. The French ornamentations
of BWV 831 are nicely done, but going back to Angela Hewitt and her
big Bach box (review)
I was reassured to find my memory of her playing hadn’t been deceiving
me. Take the first Gavotte, in which Günther contrasts the central
section, but aside from this entirely legitimate stepwise change like a shift
in register on a harpsichord, taking few inner expressive dynamics. Hewitt
on the other hand relishes change in each of the repetitions and developments
of the theme in the outer sections, taking the central section more a as continuation
of the narrative than a different space entirely. You may find this micro-management
of the material less appealing than I do, but with a softer touch there is
more space for colour contrast, and more room to point out flashes of brilliance
like the sparkle in the eye of a good portrait.
Günther by no means lacks expression and interest in the way he approaches
these pieces, but even in the lovely Sarabande I feel there could
be a bit more elasticity in the forward motion of the music – a point
in which I now feel Hewitt goes fractionally too far in her recording, sometimes
advancing and receding in tempo like a boat on heavy seas. These points are
all questions of taste, and subjective to the point at which I would be reluctant
to put people off. My main issue with this recording it would seem is that
it is as much about the piano as it is about Bach. If you
love good piano playing then there is plenty to revel in here. If you prefer
your Bach a little more organic or jewel-like then this might come across
as a bit too machine-milled – very fine and demanding of nothing but
respect, but missing those perspectives that shimmer beneath the surface.
Dominy Clements
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