Classical Music | Piano Music

This a stunning recording of this well-known prelude and fugue from Book 2!  The Prelude is rendered with utter simplicity, even tempi throughout, yet dramatic: it speaks to me.  Superb, really.   Very, very few pianists manage this with Bach.  Ditto with the fugue.  I think of all the top recordings (on piano) of this prelude and fugue, Richter, Loesser, Feinberg, and Demus, and it must be acknowledged that this performance ranks easily with them.  

I agree with this appraisal. Too many nowadays rush hectically through these movements as with everything else, an unfortunate and frankly deplorable trend nowadays. This provides a refreshing contrast to what are too often subjected to.

But what is that very brief comment, cut off, at the very beginning? It has no place here. Perhaps this should be reposted to eliminate that.

I absolutely love the tempo of the Prelude and the way the artist sings it with simplicity, while telling us a story. With him, Bach's supposed dryness is as juicy as a Chopin work in the most expert hands. The buildup of the Fugue, its coherence, the sincerity of the feelings it conveys is not less spellbinding. Excellent!

Further response to johnlewisgrant: I just listened to Feinberg on another site playing this Prelude and Fugue set, and made a scathing comment of his performance. This one that you have here is vastly superior, and I have returned to it to listen to these movements as I feel they should be presented.

What a lovely performance. Introspective and lovely performance that lets Bach's humanity shine through.