Recordings of WTC and Goldberg Variations on piano

Below is a list of recordings I've collected over the years of the WTC and Golderg Variations. I prefer them performed on the piano. I'm wondering if there's anything out there that others might recommend. Also can someone provide me with any of the missing dates of recordings?

WTC: Rosalyn Tureck: Book I (1975-76) Richter Books I & II (1972-73) Koroliov; Book I (2000) E. Fischer; Books I & II S. Feinberg; Books I & II (1950s or 1960s?) R. Tureck; Books I & II (1952,53) Gould; Books I & II (1975) Gulda, Books I & II Jando, Books I & II (1994) Nikolayeva, Books I & II (1984) Horszowski, Book I (1980?) Martins, Books I & II (1994)

Goldberg Variations Gould (1955) Tureck (1957) Gould (1959) Kempff (1970) Gould (1982) Rosen Schiff Perahia Chen Pi-hsien (1985) Dershavina (1996) Hewitt

thanks,

says...

You may want to look for his live performance of Book I that used to be available on Russian Revelation.

Try his earlier recording (early 60s, I think) recently reissued - far superior performances.

Schepkin on Ongaku.

Re the WTC, I think . ..

Edwin Fischer's recording is from 1933-34; Horszowski's bk. I is from 1979-80; you should hear Loesser's 1964 version (so far issued on lp only) Martins 1981 account (Labor LAB 7001-2) is significantly more idiosyncratic than his later one, or anybody else's; Schepkin's 1998 recording (Ongaku 024-113) is my favorite version overall.

Re the Goldbergs, I think . . .

Rosen's is from June 1967; Perahia's is from July 2000; you're missing Yudina's (1968); Schepkin's (1995) is really good; Martins' (on Tomato 2696442) is pretty bad.

- Phil Caron

IMO Schepkin's WTC I & II are also worth adding to your collection.

-John Thomas

Hi Bob,

Could be either. From what I've read, Feinberg did a set in the early '50s, a later one around '59 and '60. The later one's supposed to be the better of the two; I personally couldn't say, since I only own the '59-'60 version. However, it's fabulous, IMO. If you have the Talents of Russia 4-CD set, you have the later version.

Don't have too much to add. My own experience with the WTC is less extensive than yours: in addition to Feinberg, I also own two Richter complete WTCs: the Salzburg (on LP

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I'd definitely pursue Koroliov's and Yudina's Goldbergs. Also, if you're at all interested in Gould, then his later recordings as well.

You have an excellent selection IMO. I would add Maria Tipo & Yudina (Goldbergs) and Sergey Schepkin (both WTC & Goldbergs).

I concur re Yudina's Goldberg Variations. Not the first or only version of this to have, perhaps, but you hardly have to worry about THAT. Yudina's performance will definitely give you a different approach. Same can be said-only more so

says...

His remake is weird. Some movements sound boldly imaginative, others merely aggressively mechanical, some pretty much blank; none are as well played as on the older set and they don't interrelate well, partly the result of jarring tempo and mood contrasts between the various numbers, almost as though each prelude and fugue was recorded separately and out of sequence and then thrown together at the end without anyone listening to the result to hear how it all hangs together. (Others make the opposite mistake, minimizing the contrast between preludes and fugues.)

What do you think of the Richter Innsbruck WTC vs the Salzburg? And also, is it available / where did you get your copy?

Victor Gan

Thanks to all for your suggestions. I forgot that I had Yudina's and Shepkin's Goldbergs. (Yudina was filed with Beethoven; Schepkin was misplaced like a veritable purloined letter.)

After refreshing my memory with another listen of Schepkin's Goldbergs I would like to hear his WTC. Are they still available? I know I ordered them once from CyberSurplus but they were no longer selling them.

Also, are the earlier Martins WTC available? I haven't been able to find any listings of them.

Thanks again,