Bach WTK ... my favourite subject
I just had a look at my collection. Right now I have:
- Glenn Gould
- Wanda Landowska
- Andras Schiff
- Angela Hewitt
- Angela Hewitt 2008
- Edwin Fischer
- Gustav Leonhardt
- Roger Woodward
Before I go on, I should state my biases: I prefer the performer to be more Bach than himself. No room for self-indulgence here. This immediately strikes Gould off my list of favourites - I can not stand his dry, staccato tone. Some performers make the WTK sound like a "set" (e.g. the earlier Hewitt, Leonhardt), and some emphasize the individual differences (e.g. the later Hewitt, Richter). I also have less tolerance for taking liberties with the music - e.g. leaving out the ornamentation (Fischer) or unusual phrasing (Landowska).
My favourite tends to wander between Hewitt 2008, Leonhardt, and Richter. All the others can be dismissed for one reason or another - can't stand Gould, can't stand Landowska's Pleyel harpsichord, the earlier Hewitt is somewhat boring, Woodward has no character, and the sound quality of the Fischer is very poor.
The Richter first. I have bought this set four times - the first time was in 1992. I misplaced it then bought another. Gave it away as a gift, then bought another. Scratched one of the discs badly, then bought my fourth. It is five years now and still going strong! The reason I love this set is Richter's characteristic hypnotic sound. Each piece emphasizes their differences - Richter clearly put a lot of thought into how the pieces should be played. Amazing, considering his wide repertoire. The C-major prelude is dreamlike, while the following prelude in C-minor is aggressive and warlike.
The Leonhardt is the complete opposite of Richter. Leonhardt's harpsichord is crystal-clear, and he plays with all the restraint of a gentleman. He imbues the work with a certain wisdom and a zen-like inner peace. When you get tired of all the angst of Mahler and Wagner, putting the Leonhardt on is tremendously calming. As a bonus, the sound quality of this disc is stonkingly good - it is demonstration disc material. I love it.
The 2008 Hewitt is probably the safest choice of my 3 favourites. The sound quality is very good, she has a more traditional approach than Richter, and her piano is less likely to polarize than Leonhardt's harpsichord. She has noticably matured since her earlier recording, with fresh insights.
Some might think the Hewitt sounds boring, given that she seems to have put so little of her own personality into the recording. But I think that is a good thing. She serves Bach, not herself.