(Grigory Sokolov | 1995 | Live) Bach: 8 Preludes & Fugues from Das Wohltemperierte Klavier, Book 2

Not known to many today, but like Feinberg (previous video) Sokolov has traversed the entire Well-Tempered Clavier as well - a project which took him 8 years to complete 1990-1997. Despite that I love them both Sokolov’s Bach is in many ways everything Feinberg’s is not. Objective, structured, stable, and with deep thought and learning behind the notes - but nonetheless equally creative and imaginative, and benefiting from two generations worth of development in Bach playing. Sokolov can in some sense be thought of as an evolution and union of Gould’s mind and Gilels’ aesthetics. His Bach rests largely on Gould’s ideas of objectivity, form, and characterization of voices, but in Sokolov’s hands the music is shaped by a more down to earth playing style, with a richer sound and a more varied range of touch which makes even these little academic studying pieces spring to life in a way they rarely have elsewhere. And that astonishing intelligence of his playing. Has Bach’s voice writing ever danced and spoken as gracefully as it does here? The music sounds of divine profundity on the one hand, and worldly warmth and playfulness on the other. Not a bad description of Bach’s own musical personality, making me feel we’re on to something here. This recording comes from a damaged DAT and omits the initial C major Prelude as well as small parts from the ones in D major and E-flat minor. One day I might get round to patch it with a cassette recording my index tells me I also have of the broadcast - but it is not this day. Johann Sebastian Bach Das Wohltemperierte Klavier, Book II Prelude & Fugue No.1 in C major, BWV 870 00:00 - II. Fugue in 3 voices Prelude & Fugue No.2 in C minor, BWV 871 01:46 - I. Prelude 04:03 - II. Fugue in 4 voices Prelude & Fugue No.3 in C-sharp major, BWV 872 06:10 - I. Prelude 07:36 - II. Fugue in 3 voices Prelude & Fugue No.4 in C-sharp minor, BWV 873 09:46 - I. Prelude 17:01 - II. Fugue in 3 voices Prelude & Fugue No.5 in D major, BWV 874 19:17 - I. Prelude 21:48 - II. Fugue in 4 voices Prelude & Fugue No.6 in D minor, BWV 875 25:38 - I. Prelude 27:09 - II. Fugue in 3 voices Prelude & Fugue No.7 in E-flat major, BWV 876 29:07 - I. Prelude 31:40 - II. Fugue in 4 voices Prelude & Fugue No.8 in E-flat minor, BWV 877 34:20 - I. Prelude 37:59 - II. Fugue in 4 voices Grigory Sokolov, piano Source: Radio Broadcast ------------ Sokolov’s pages: