Rosalyn Tureck - Pianist and Harpsichordist

Rosalyn Tureck (1914-2003) -

American pianist and harpsichordist was particularly associated with the music of J.S. Bach all of her career. Her various interpretations/recordings of his keyboard works (both harpsichord and piano) are, to me, quite marvellous. Full of poetry, always featuring simplicity and grace.

When asked by a journalist on her last performance tour of Europe why she had such an intimate relationship with Bach’s music she answered, ‘Simply because I became aware that it somehow loved me first and, in the end, there is nothing more honest to say than that‘.

J.S. Bach
Keyboard Partita No. 4
BWV 828
4th Movement
Aria
Soloist - Rosalyn Tureck (Piano)

http://www.mediafire.com/?mjzmjyajmdd

Interesting!

J.S. Bach
Keyboard Partita No 2
Allemande
BWV 826/2
Soloist - Rosalyn Tureck (Piano)

http://www.mediafire.com/?2o2ii4tnjyz

This beautiful and little known Siciliano in the reconstructed concerto BWV 1059 -

J.S. Bach
Siciliano
Concerto No. 8 in D Minor for Keyboard
BWV 1059/2
Soloist - Rosalyn Tureck (Piano)
(Live Concert, 1984)

http://www.mediafire.com/?ndnmximgzhr

For me, Bach on the piano is as enticing as Debussy's piano music played on the Bagpipes.

Contratrombones,

Thank you for your opinion. I won't reply with the same sarcasm.

The reason is rather simple. Music, you might learn, has both Form and Substance. You are deflected from liking this great musical performance of a virtually unknown Bach movement by matters of Form. But others love this music for its Substance. Which, after all, is more important.

Since Rosalyn Tureck was one of the great Bach interpreters of our time and a wonderfully sensitive and gifted keyboard player (both on piano and harpsichord) I'm sure the silent majority will have appreciated this post, just as a few will appreciate your own.

Regards

Robert

Robert Newman said:

Contratrombones,

Thank you for your opinion. I won't reply with the same sarcasm.

The reason is rather simple. Music, you might learn, has both Form and Substance. You are deflected from liking this great musical performance of a virtually unknown Bach movement by matters of Form. But others love this music for its Substance. Which, after all, is more important.

Since Rosalyn Tureck was one of the great Bach interpreters of our time and a wonderfully sensitive and gifted keyboard player (both on piano and harpsichord) I'm sure the silent majority will have appreciated this post, just as a few will appreciate your own.

Regards

Robert

Click to expand...

Yes, Rosalyn Tureck is/was regarded internationally as a great Bach interpreter, but personally I have never cared for her style: her performances are almost always too slow for my taste and fail to excite me.
So, whilst recognising a widely held view, I must beg to differ.

Best wishes.
rk

rk,

The subject of tempo in Bach's music (and in music of the baroque as a whole) is fascinating, since there are often no obvious indications, no metronome marks of course, and little more than general description. And even general descriptions of a movements tempo is often missing in Bach as you know. There's a good argument I read recently that key signature may have been important in such things.

Anyway, regards

RN