Bach, J S - Six Partitas - Schiff, András (piano)
4 AV 5 MÖJLIGA I BETYG I DAGENS NYHETER4 AV 5 MÖJLIGA I BETYG I NERIKES ALLEHANDA"Efter sina uppmärksammade inspelningar av Ludwig van Beethovens samtliga sonater har András Schiff kommit till ett annat av musikhistoriens mäktigaste verk. J S Bachs sex partitor för klaverinstrument som är ett fascinerande utforskande av den franska sviten, en av 1700-talets viktigaste flersatsiga former. En nästan overklig upphöjelse av en musik som från början baserades på enkla dansformer som allemande, courante, saraband, gavott och jig. Och som Schiff tar sig an med samma prövande temperant och blixtrande klarhet som i Beethoven. Sex partitor på raken kan tyckas mastigt. Men variationerna är nästan oändliga så det blir aldrig enahanda. I synnerhet inte när Schiffs slängighet och skärpa i de lite mera drömska satserna (särskilt i allemanderna) får Bach att låta lite som jazzgeniet Bill Evans."
(Dagens Nyheter)
His interpretive approach eludes definition. An artful blend of intuition and analysis has gone into his preparation. Yet the results are constantly surprising.(Anthony Tommasini, reviewing Schiff's Carnegie Hall recitals with late Beethoven sonatas in the New York Times, April 2009)
- András Schiff's new live-recording of some of the most beautiful piano music by Johann Sebastian Bach
- "András Schiff is probably the most ingenious and resourceful performer of Bach on the modern piano around today."
(San Francisco Chronicle)
- Schiff's playing on stage combines spontaneity and intellectual depth, ravishing sound with flawless technical finish
- Follow up to Schiff's hugely successful Goldberg variations from Basel
- The booklet includes an extensive essay on the recorded repertoire and a peformer's note by András Schiff
The Music Following last year's completion of his highly-praised Beethoven cycle András Schiff returns to Bach with a superb interpretation of the six "Partitas". It was recorded live in September 2007 at Neumarkt Reitstadl, one of the best piano music venues in Europe. The cycle, which in 1731 was the first group of works to be published by Bach himself, represents a unique stylistic synthesis of the suite form with a particular emphasis on most varied and imaginative opening movements. In his 1802 biography of Bach, Nikolaus Forkel famously wrote that "such splendid compositions for the clavier had not been seen or heard before... so brilliant, harmonious, expressive and constantly novel are they." Compared to his London studio recording of 1983 this second rendering on disc demonstrates Schiff's stylistic development towards more freedom, sonic depth and sheer pleasure of phrasing. In his personal note for the present recording Schiff writes: "I made my first recording of Bach's six partitas a quarter of a century ago, in London's Kingsway Hall in 1983. Since then I've continued to study his great keyboard works and often performed them in cycles. Conducting the St. Matthew Passion and the B-minor Mass several times were experiences that have left an indelible mark on my piano performances: we frequently find dance movements in Bach's church music, and his instrumental works were often inspired by his sacred compositions." Schiff's rather unorthodox sequence of partitas - 5 - 3 - 1 - 2 - 4 - 6 - draws an ascending line of keys leading from G major to e minor and reflects a long experience with the pieces on stage.
Artist BackgroundAndrás Schiff, born in Budapest in 1953, puts a strong focus on cyclic performances of the important piano works by the masters from Bach to Bártok. His wide-ranging discography on ECM includes works by Janácek, Schubert, Bach, Schumann, Mozart abd many others. Schiff's most ambitious project to date, the complete Beethoven sonata cycle in more than 15 major musical centers worldwide. was finished in April with two triumphant recitals in New York's Carnegie Hall. Betweem 2005 to 2008 the Beethoven sonatas were released in eight volumes on ECM New Series to enormous critical acclaim.