作曲家盒裝系列31
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巴哈：平均律全集、郭德堡變奏曲(5CD)
瓦爾哈，大鍵琴
簡介:
巴哈的第一冊平均律和第二冊發行時間前後相隔20年，第一冊是在1722年發行，這是他為了競逐萊比錫樂長一職而集結的作品，該冊第一頁就說明了這是為了有心精進彈奏技術，以及技術已經成熟，希望當作消遣的人而創作的作品。對巴哈而言，第一冊曲集是他希望建立自己身為教師和學者地位的作品，畢竟作為一位沒有接受過正統大學教育的音樂家，巴哈不能靠學歷證明自己，而要靠作品來幫他說話。20年後他出版第二冊時，情形已經不同了，這時的巴哈已經不用再靠作品證明他的實力，也因此他在這冊曲集中更放得開，在風格和樂曲的篇幅上都更加的多變而長大，其中可以見到他甚至採用文藝復興時代的古風複音技法來創作，也可以看到他採用最新流行的嘉蘭特技法來創作。這套曲集可以用管風琴、大鍵琴或是古鋼琴演奏，但巴哈個人似乎較青睞大鍵琴。巴哈在鍵盤作品中最偉大的一套作品，應該屬長達近一小時的郭德堡變奏曲，在這套錄音中，將巴哈的鍵盤原作和後世的改編作交雜互陳，讓我們一次瞭解巴哈詮釋的多層面風格。
瓦爾哈是20世紀戰後最偉大的管風琴家之一，他是一位失明的演奏家，在巴哈曲目的詮釋上特別受到推崇，前後兩度受邀灌錄巴哈管風琴作品全集，其中第二次的錄音前後共進行了15年的時間，可謂極大的工程。這套他以巴洛克時代安梅爾兄弟所製的古大鍵琴、於1961年間以立體聲於漢堡灌錄的巴哈平均律錄音，在近年來才再度被法國EMI挖掘出來重新發行，讓許多人驚訝於瓦爾哈在大鍵琴上彈奏巴哈的另一種風貌，也呈現了這位失明管風琴名家的另一種巴哈見解。

'It is a remarkable achievement, arguably the best to appear on disc since Glenn Gould's second celebrated recording from 1981 ... [It] is the sheer technical command of her playing, coupled with such elegantly supple musicianship, that makes the performance so compelling ... Everything is right, everything is natural - this is Bach on the piano of the highest quality imaginable' (The Guardian)
'After five days of recording sessions last August, Angela Hewitt returned in the small hours of September 1 to give a complete "performance" for a few friends of the Bach's Aria with Diverse Variations. Fortunately, the engineers decided to keep the tapes rolling, for this, according to Hyperion's executive director, Ted Perry, is the "take" Hewitt and Hyperion decided to release. The resulting record is a miracle of music-making at its most instinctive and spontaneous. Even by Hewitt's exalted standards it is extraordinary: in the brilliant toccatas, she creates, with her amazing articulation, the illusion of the music being plucked by the modern piano's hammers; her virtuosity and joie de vivre in the fast variations - try 1, 14 and "the most dangerous of all the toccatas", No 20 - take the breath away. She also penetrates the heart of the great 13th and 25th variations without false romantic sentiment. The reprise of the Aria at the close - after a majestic variation 29 - is shattering. If you only buy one Bach album in this anniversary year, let it be this one. A desert-island disc!' (The Sunday Times)
'Outstanding...Hewitt's disc, exquisite artistry commingling with infectious exhilaration gives me the most pleasure' (BBC Music Magazine)
'Beautifully co-ordinated Bach playing, with all voices colourfully defined and spontaneity as a constant virtue. In my view, she has never made a better CD. Strongly recommended' (Gramophone)
'This is as fine a version of Bach's inventive Goldberg Variations as there is' (The Express)
'Hewitt is one of the very finest Bach interpreters around. She possesses all the mechanical skills needed to master the difficulties facing the soloist, but never loses sight of the humanity that is evident in every note ... Playing of the highest order, and one of the finest recordings of this work you're ever likely to hear' (The Scotsman)
'The most recent in a series of wonderfully compelling Bach recordings by pianist Angela Hewitt. She seems to do everything right ... simply one of the best piano versions available' --(Fanfare, USA)