Johann Sebastian Bach’s Mass in B minor is regarded by many as one of the supreme achievements of Western classical music. And this is the best version IMO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So704KMhspk |
Everything I mention here is a recommendation. There are two well-known Starker recordings of the suites. The one that gets audiophile attention is the Mercury. I prefer the one on RCA, both for sound and for musicality. The recent Thedeen recording in BIS is also great musically and in nice sound. Pieter Wispelway has a different approach on period instruments. The Bach Collegium Japan series of cantatas on BIS is marvelous. The Goldberg Variations - if you like harpsichord, the Pierre Hantai earlier recording on Opus 111. The later one on Mirare is also very good, but I do recommend the earlier one. On piano, consider Ekaterina Dershavina or Andrew Rangell. Gould of course is a standard recommendation, though I find the sound faded and the playing overly mannered. Piotr Anderszewski has a new CD with selections from the Well-Tempered Clavier. This is beautifully thought out and played, and I found it a lot more interesting than other versions of WTC I’ve heard. Several good complete organ editions. Chapuis is very free and enjoyable musically, but the sound can be a little shrill in places. I also like the set by Marie-Clair Alain. And for less Bach on organ, the series by Anthony Newman on Newport Classic, though old, is still highly worthwhile. There is much more of Bach, but I’ll stop there. P.S. If you find something of Bach you really like, don’t hesitate to explore more than one interpretation. The music lends itself to differing visions, and it’s quite possible to love more than one. |
