Track Listing

1. Ouverture
2. Allemande
3. Courante
4. Aria
5. Sarabande
6. Menuet
7. Gigue
8. Sinfonia
9. Allemande
10. Courante
11. Sarabande
12. Rondeaux
13. Capriccio
14. Praeambulum
15. Allemande
16. Courante
17. Sarabande
18. Tempo di Minuetta
19. Passepied
20. Gigue

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #60132 in Music
• Released on: 1999-02-16
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Anyone who thinks Glenn Gould's riveting, ascetic approach changed Bach piano playing forever should listen to this disc. Richard Goode is too fine a musician to blur Bach's textures or to mess up the music with romantic tempo fluctuations. But he does play Bach as piano music, with plenty of dynamic gradations and a predominantly lyrical approach. His tempo for the Allemande of the Fourth Partita is daringly slow, although he can toss off a gigue like the wind, if he likes. While this is not the most stylish Bach playing by contemporary standards, every movement is strongly characterized and every note carefully considered. Call Goode a throwback, if you like, but even if you have second thoughts about his playing, it's completely convincing while you're listening. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews

Back to Bach?
Goode plays simply, elegantly, and clearly. No unwanted striving for effects. If Bach is to be played on a modern piano, this is without a doubt preferable to the staccato harpsichord-like immitative style of, say, Tureck and can be favourably compared to Schiff. The lack of pretention is refreshing and Goode never forgets that these are dance suites. The absence of any audible groaning and crooning is a very welcome bonus.

Inflected, vital Bach
Goode does a great job of rescuing Bach from the Early Music folks and making him come alive on the piano. His playing is lively, with a beautiful sound and a flexible sense of rhythm. If you're tired of uninflected, rhythmically static Bach, you will definitely enjoy this album.

The spirit of the composer captured
Richard Goode's recording of the 2nd, 4th, and 5th partitas of Bach can be analyzed, compared, contrasted, etc. but what really matters is the way this pianist communicates the spirit of Bach. This is playing neither of false piety nor self glorification.
Goode's thorough concept of these pieces is put at the service of the composer and communicates the genuine human nature, faith, and life affirmation which are the hallmarks of Bach's music.
More importantly than this or that tempo or such a phrasing, Goode gets through to the meaning of the music. That's why I listen to this recording.