Perahia Mendelessohn

During the 1720s, Bach grouped his harpsichord suites into two sets of six each and assembled a third, that was newly composed. These compositions have survived as the English Suites, French Suites and Partitas. Only the Partitas were published in Bach's lifetime. The English Suites are the earliest of these keyboard works and three of them are the focus of this recording by pianist Murray Perahia. There is nothing especially "English" about these works and their misleading title is one that was never known by Bach. Dubious titles notwithstanding, the works are marvels of invention that marry intellectually challenging contrapuntal lines to sublime melodies. Perahia wisely says the suites are "heart and mind connected."

Living legend of the piano Murray Perahia records two benchmark sonatas by Beethoven for the first time in his career. Long renowned for his performances of this composer, Perahia’s brand new recording pairs together two of the most radically ground-breaking of Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas, in a release that is sure to be a crown jewel of the Beethoven discography.

It is difficult to imagine a better introduction to the piano music of Bartók than this splendid disc. Murray Perahia’s musicality is justly famous - most notably perhaps in the music of Mozart - and it is everywhere evident here. The disc begins with the Sonata of 1926. Immediately one is struck by the intelligence of the playing as well as by the characteristic lightness. In keeping with this view of the music, sforzati are accorded weight without unnecessary violence. For the slow movement (‘Sostenuto e pesante’), it is harmonic colour that is to the fore before a cheeky finale, very much alive, rounds the work off.

Murray Perahia's Bach recordings are low-key, somewhat in the vein suggested by Bach's modest use of the words "Clavier-Übung," keyboard exercise, to describe the partitas played here in their published form. There is none of the eccentricity of Glenn Gould and none of the hard monumentality of András Schiff. Perahia is content to be straightforward and simple, choosing his points of emphasis with care. At first his playing, like Bach's title, seems too modest, but soon you realize that for sheer clarity in polyphonic textures he is unexcelled.

Murray Perahia - Bach: Goldberg Variations (2002)
PS3 Rip | SACD ISO | DSD64 2.0 > 1-bit/2.8224 MHz | 73:29 minutes | 3,22 GB
FLAC 2.0 Stereo (PS3 ISO extract / Weiss Saracon conversion) 24bit/88.2 kHz | 1.34 GB
Japan Import | Year: 2002 | Full PDF Scans | 5% Recovery Info

A peerless conception and realization of Bach's Goldberg Variations. Perhaps the most telling aspect of listening to Perahia's recording for me is that when it is finished, I want to start again at the beginning. It is as if a "world" is contained in this piece, and I am reluctant to leave it.

There are many listeners who have come to cherish Murray Perahia's Bach, to treasure the fleetness of his fingers, the delicacy of his touch, and the beauty of his tone. There are many listeners who are deeply moved by Perahia's recording of the Goldberg Variations, who hear tragic depths in its first groups of variations, consummate wit in final variations, and heartbreaking nostalgia in the return of the theme.

Johann Sebastian Bach - Keyboard Concertos Nos. 3, 5-7
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields / Murray Perahia
SACD ISO (Stereo): 2,16 GB | 24B/88,2kHz Stereo FLAC: 917 MB | Artwork
Label/Cat#: Sony Classical # SS 89690 | Country/Year: Europe 2002 | 5% Recovery Info
Genre: Classical | Style: Baroque

"Perahia doing Bach, as Perahia does Bach: very clean and very smooth. Very un-Gould. If Gould uses the piano to try and emulate the detached sound of a harpsichord (always sans pedal), Perahia is almost the opposite. Having said so, the sound Perahia achieves in the second movement (largo) of Concerto No. 5 (BWV 1056) is simply fabulous … one of my favourite piano sounds on SACD (after the Tchetuev Schnittke SACD on Caro Mitis). Beautifully recorded. Perahia's Goldberg variations on SACD is now almost impossible to find, and this SACD seems to be heading the same way, so grab it while you can. Highly recommended." ~sa-cd.net

This lavish box set contains a whopping 68 discs, a hardcover book, and five DVDs; in short, it's Murray Perahia's entire recorded career through 2010. Although the title says "The First 40 Years," the final disc in the set is a Vox Turnabout disc of Mozart chamber music that Perahia recorded with Boris Kroyt and Harold Wright in 1967, but not released until 1976. Chamber music is not something Perahia is usually known for, nor is vocal music.

This is the best recording of both Schumann's and Schubert's fantasies. Perahia plays Schubert Fantasy with such clarity, delicacy and sophistication that Pollini's Wanderer Fantasy sounds flat and bland. (well, all the recordings by early Pollini are super flat without any depth anyways). Richter's Schubert Fantasy is one of the best around, yet Perahia does it with extra flair and depth. Perahia sounds even better with Schumann as his Schumann always sounds impeccable. Perahia gives so much air to the fantasy and the music flows just so naturally. Richter's Schumann sounds a bit too self-indulgent to me.