This really makes me get what Harpsichords are supposed to be, its so clean here at times it sounds like the plucking of guitar strings 22:41 35:05 38:20 53:31 1:07:01
How did Bach write so much complex perfect music & raise 18 kids. The most stupendous miracle in all music. The distiller of the essence of musical craft. A culmination of all that preceded him & an influence on all who followed.
Background information on Six Partitas for Harpsichord BWV 825-830: At the time of writing, Bach was installed in the post of Cantor at the church of St. Thomas in Leipzig. Bach was well aware that his predecessor had made a significant contribution to educational works in his time as Cantor and it is reasonable to think that Bach will have been keen to celebrate this legacy with his own music. They were published originally under the title of “Keyboard Practice” giving a clear indication of their purpose. Their effect on the waiting world was nicely summarized by Forkel in his Bach biography [1]; “This work caused quite a sensation among his contemporaries in the world of music; such splendid keyboard compositions had never previously been seen or heard. Whoever learnt to perform any of these pieces to a high standard could make his fortune in the world”. Each of the Partitas follows a well-established format that would have been expected at the time: Allemande; Courante; Sarabande and Gigue. As you might expect, Bach varies this structure to include a Capriccio in Partita No.2 and the occasional Rondeau that brings a change in colour to the work. The influence of both the French and Italian styles are elegantly managed by Bach in a way that still maintains the foreign influence without losing his own craftsmanship and flair. - Excerpt from "4 Famous Keyboard Pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach" by Dr. Justin Wildridge - Article link: www.cmuse.org/famous-bach-piano-pieces/
I've heard several other mid-20th-Century harpsichordists play Bach, but this is a wonderful introduction to Karl Richter, whom I'm hearing for the first time. I prefer the harpsichord for Baroque keyboard music, and Richter certainly was a master of the music and the instrument. Thank you for posting this.
My favorite musician back in 80s & 90s. Sorry for short life. Among his recordings, this is one in Top 5 with Matthew's Passion. Nov. 1963. Thank you for uploading!!!
There is something velvety about this harpsichord, much more pleasant to my ears than most of period instruments or reconstructions I've heard. Karl Richter was an astounding musician who had a tendency to dot all the i's and cross all the t's as a conductor but who seems occasionally more relaxed (not in the 1st Partita's Sarabande though which he plays like a full blown chorus) as a harpsichordist, and even tolerate slight variations of tempo.
The videos on youtube with Richter have Serien Instruments (mass produced), the non-historically based (with construction more in common with modern pianos than harpsichords of the 18th century) with the disposition of 16' & 8' on the lower manual and 8' & 4' choirs on the upper manual. These 'revival' instruments have a common ground with the historical instruments; both share the name harpsichord, but the revival instruments aresometimes referred to as "plucking piano."
The instrument that Richter played fell into disfavor as more and more builders in US and Europe followed the work of Hubbard, Dowd, and Martin Skowroneck who went back to historical prototypes for their instruments. Richter plays with artistry than transcends the instruments he plays in this recording.
@ TheNimble Turtle, I could not disagree with you more as to your comment on the organ or for that matter the harpsichord. I have played both revival Harpsichords (inch thick sides, bottomless case, bracing on the sound board that could support a load bearing wall of a house, shoe leather plectra, actions that require the strength of a blacksmith, contorted scalings, overwound strings in the base) and historically based single manual harpsichords, an italian 2X8 , a Ruckers copy, and a simple, small one choir instrument (the latter three with either quill or quill equivalent of which I prefer the former and fast/light crisp actions) and frankly the historical have more complexity of tone, timbre, surprisingly louder, projected farther, and respond differently to the performer's touch which elicited tone quality (the quantity of tone) than the mid century revival behemoth with its 2 manuals two 8 foot plus 16 and 4 foot choirs which was as though someone have wrapped the harpsichords in woolen blankets. The electronic harpsichords (Baldwin), the harpsichord stops on electric keyboards, and the digital samplings of old harpsichords lack the harmonic aliveness and presence that a real harpsichord or for that matter any instrument has, in short they sound flat at best or a poor and unkind caricature at worst, in my experience. Of course some wizardry of a recording studio, microphone placement, and a virtuoso recording engineer can make a silk purse out of any sow's ear. As to the organ, I have played more than my share of electronic and digital sampled in churches at "concert" or church service volume and compared to any of the pipe organs I have played (several Aeolian-Skinner including the last instrument made by the company before it went bankrupt, and a back to Baroque Tracker Organ which require more strength than a blacksmith and the endurance of a marathon runner to play). Frankly, by comparison there is no comparison, the electric/digital instruments "are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting." (The digital are better, close but no cigar, than the epic failures that are transistor organs). In fact I would go as far as to compare with the analogy of a pipe organ is the same as having a person standing next to you versus a life size photograph. I would say the same for any orchestral instrument or piano and its "synthetic" equivalent. As to an organ, most classical or theater organists would be tempted to sell their soul to have a "real" pipe organ. Of course one is entitled to one's preference, many individuals have expressed they do not particularly like the sound of an organ (church, electronic, or theater) or harpsichord (regardless of vintage). However, people who like these instruments tend to prefer the type they first heard (especially as children, or as teens/young adults) in my experience. This also follows for Bach and Handel on historical instruments or vocal performances (any instrument or vocal ensemble). I may have fallen in love with the Addams Family TV show harpsichord sound (and Caroline Jones) as a child, 16 foot choir and all, but changed my opinion their first time I played Bach on a historical based harpsichord. You enjoy the sound of the electronic organ, and that's a different tonal palette no less valid than any other. I couldn't imagine Born to Be Wild by Steppenwolf played on a pipe organ. You might enjoy the performances of Cameron Carpenter, he is very talented and in the electronic organ camp similar to Virgil Thompson, but he lacks some taste in playing Bach. His own arrangements/transcriptions of other works is technically brilliant if some seem to lack a tad bit of "soul ." I believe his preference for non-pipe organs is of a practical nature, he travels to perform concert venues and he wouldn't be able to play as fast (or as too fast) on most pipe organs. Possibly, Mozart's criticism of Clementi would be apropos, he "plays well, as far as execution with the right hand goes. His greatest strength lies in his passages in 3rds. Apart from that, he has not a kreuzer’s worth of taste or feeling - in short he is a mere mechanicus." However, to each his own.
+TheNimble Turtle, Thank you for your thoughtful reply. You wrote, "I do not believe Bach has to be played on historical instruments. There is the underlying assumption that the instruments of a composer's time influenced his/her music making." There are two sides to this coin. One Bach's compositions transcend time and instrumentation, (I am a fan of J S Bach on the Moog Synthesizer), and Bach can be well served by contemporary instruments, but this rarely occurs, unfortunately. Take the Second Brandenburg Concerto. The Solo instruments Natural Trumpet, (Baroque) Violin, Recorder, and (Baroque) work exceedingly well together, as though singing in a choir, in easy to follow counterpoint. Substitute a Piccolo Trumpet, Orchestral Flute, Modern Oboe, and contemporary violin (as it has mutated from the 18th century) and the balance of volume are thrown out of kilter and the work becomes a trumpet concerto. This lack of balance between musicians (equally as loud) can occur in HIP performances; too many harpsichord concertos exist in which the tutti rather playing in support the solo harpsichord seem bent on which part of the orchestra can (Bass, Cello, Viola, Violin) can drown out the harpsichord. You can find extreme examples of this on UA-cam, and the 5th Brandenburg Concerto is probably the most obvious whether its modern or period instruments. Instead of an ensemble, the Flute and Violinist seem to be in a duel, again to see who can play louder than the other (and completely obliterate the Harpsichord's obbligato passages). I wonder if music education should make mandatory the participation in a choir as it was in the past. This is the fault of the conductor. I would wish someday to be the solo keyboard player for the 5th Brandy, only playing a church organ instead of harpsichord, and when the tutti, Flute or solo Violin players became overly loud, I would hit a preset so the organ's reeds' mixtures, etc., drowned out the whole orchestra to return the favor of what's good for the goose is good for the gander. However it's not just orchestras that are at fault. A few (very few) thoughtful pianist can play (or played, past tense, regrettably no longer with us, Dinu Lipatti comes to mind) Bach well on the Piano. However, too many pianists play a Bach Fugue this way, Subject, Answer belted out forte to fortissimo and Counter subject played piano, etc., etc., etc. Bach intended every line to be heard, in fact in some Fugues he almost secretively sneaks in the subject, but the pianists thinks, "Aha, the subject, pound it out, while the other lines should be played as quietly as the left hand accompaniment to a Chopin Waltz, and the effect of a trio (or quartet) playing is suddenly lost. Well the Brass Instruments (Natural Trumpets and Horns) of Handel's and Bach's time certainly influenced their music making, they made the most of what they had (Clarino Playing), and if you examine the scores of Bach's Cantatas, their are examples of genius (even an example of a 4 note descending chromatic scale), not the drum and bugle corp that the Trumpet becomes in a generation. Mozart re-scored Handel's Messiah as no trumpet player of his time could play the notes. Bach and Handel's Oboes shared more in common timbre wise with the trumpet or their day, than the modern oboe which is mostly a quiet solo reed that blends nicely with a Flute. I've yet to hear a Viola da Gamba passage played on a Cello to be as effective. The Natural Horn of Handel which was generally not hand stopped (intonation problems and all), by the time of Haydn has some hand correction, by Mozart stopped notes in the solos, by Beethoven stopped notes in the full orchestra. But these tones are lost when played on the modern F Horn or double horn. Beethoven may have seen the first valve trumpets, but the Natural Horn survived into the time of Wagner, who wrote for both Natural and Valve Horns. On the other hand, I have heard Clarinets in a period instrument performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, which sound no different than the modern instrument. I could make a case of playing Chopin or Clementi on a period 19th Century Pianos, (played the real deal at an antique show in Orange County when Container Ships used to be stuffed with anything old was being sold as antiques stripped wholesale from Europe) and yes the music made sense, and sounded better, clearer, than on a modern cross-strong piano. Especially the Clementi full chords in the lower bass. I remembered an Alfred Edition Chopin's Prelude commenting on a Prelude by Chopin, that couldn't be played with the damper pedal as written by Chopin as it wouldn't work on a 20th Century Piano (and they were right, one of the pieces I played with Chopin's pedal indications from memory worked better than any 20th century piano). That is the goal of any artist, know what the composer intended, what the composer's resources where, and then inflect some of himself into the work. I never though of the harpsichord as sounding harsh (except some modern ones being voice with overplucking plectrum), certainly not in the same category as certain organ stops (Bombardes which should only be used with a full organ otherwise these sound flatulent). The Art of Fugue, theoretical work, work for Organ similar to earlier works written in full score to follow the lines, or your guess is as good as mine. Only the works (duos) written with the words Zwei Clav., (Organ, as in one Manuscript of the Passacaglia and Fugue which E Power Biggs comments Zwei Clav mit pedal for Pedal on one manuscript, or Harpsichord as indicated in the Clavierubung part 2 and the Goldberg variations). Before they took up comedy, I heard a version by the Saxophone Group, The Nuclear Whales, that was most convincing. One recording I heard over the radio has Brass, Reeds, Strings, each taking a separate voice (in the 3 voice Fugues). A version for different woodwinds (no two instruments from the same family on two voices) would be instructive. As to Bach, in his manuscripts (and those copies of by his students or family members) you will see indication on occasion, Suite for Harpsichord (French Suites found in the 1725 A M Bach note booklet), and works for harpsichord by other composers, which have zero comments as to instrument as though it was understood. Other than the criticism and alleged and further approval of Silbermann's Fortepianos (as embroidered by Forkel on comments from Agricola ), the only known first hand document on J S Bach is he was involved with a piano sale as an agent for the seller. I still find it peculiar that Bach's Harpsichord Concertos get rolled out as Bach's Piano Concertos (completely false) or Bach's Keyboard Concertos (partially true as one previously exist for Organ as the solo instrument in Cantata Symphonia). However, I'd rather see Bach be played and appreciated regardless of the instrument. There are many who say one should use the full resources of the Piano. Only, Bach on the piano with the damper pedal robs the pianist of discovering Bach's fingering problems and solutions which I believe he intentional wrote in for the students.
Fun fact (from Wiki): The tonalities of the six Partitas (B♭ major, C minor, A minor, D major, G major, E minor) may seem to be random, but in fact they form a sequence of intervals going up and then down by increasing amounts: a second up (B♭ to C), a third down (C to A), a fourth up (A to D), a fifth down (D to G), and finally a sixth up (G to E). This key sequence continues into Clavier-Übung II (1735) with the two larger works: the Italian Concerto, a seventh down (E to F), and the Overture in the French style, an augmented fourth up (F to B♮). Thus this sequence of tonalities customary for 18th-century keyboard compositions is complete, beginning with the first letter of his name (B in German is Bach's "home" key of B♭) and ending with the last letter (H in German is B♮) while including both A and C along the way.
I had only listened to these partitas on piano until now and i must say they are equally exquisite on the Harpsichord or as i like to call it the "Electric guitar of the keyboard family" bravo!
Karl Richter has the best recordings of the Bach's partitas! I have been searching these recordings for so long. Finally someone uploaded them. Thank you for the upload!
Un insieme di opere gigantesche , meravigliose ed imperiture , che il genio di Ricther ci dona servendo Bach con una dedizione ed insuperata capacità ,gli dobbiamo tutti molto . Grazie di cuore Giorgio Decolori
Without a doubt my favorite recordings of these masterpieces played on harpsichord. I easily prefer Bach's solo harpsichord music on piano, but only Karl Richter has the ability to make me enjoy it on harpsichord and not for one moment make me long for the piano versions. I know some people prefer Ralph Kirkpatrick. For me he could not do it. Only Karl Richter can - what a musician he was! Much more than just a great player of the harpsichord - He knew how to MAKE music with Bach.
@TheNimbleTurtle That's the thing about keyboard instruments, they can only play in tune in one key. Some are tuned to be equally out of tune in all keys and some people think that is an advantage.
There are so many recordings of the Partitas that is quite difficult to deeply distinguish their artistic interpretation. Karl Richter, tempo, phrasing, clarity is with no doubt up there with the best, where he belongs.
Sehr geehrter Herr Tepper, sie haben ja so Recht. Ich finde Sie toll. Sie haben schon viele Kommentare abgegeben,mit denen ich mich voll identifiziere.
Bach tuvo una gran habilidad para escribir tan bellas composiciones, con una armonia tan hermosa y personal que sus composiciones casi se pueden distinguir de las de otros grandes maestros e la musica.
...per un disco Deutsche gramophon , 7500 lire....un mese senza merenda, il Magnificat e la cantata freue dich erloster schaar.....Grande Karl Richter troppo per quei tempi, anche per questi... Justum in misura et etiam magnus faber , sedulus discipulus.. soli Deo gloria!
Maravilhoso músico. Uma pena ter nos deixado tão cedo. Apenas 55 anos. Mas o tempo que esteve entre nós foi o suficiente para notarmos o seu grandioso talento. Obrigado amigo.
Sorry, but I dripped with slobber on Gigue from the sixth partita. Karl Richter really knows how to tune a harpsichord. Digging the bass notes here. ..Is it just me, or when I am listening to this music, I am afraid that it will end?
I like his tempos. Frequently these are played faster than I like. Saved to my favorites and I am playing these on the piano and use this for reference.
I always prefer Bach on piano over harpsichord, but this is so brilliantly and delightfully done by Richter that he has totally won me over here to listen to all the partitas on harpsichord. Magnificent!
უბრწყინვალესი მუსიკოსი:: დირიჟორი, ორღანისტი, კლავესინისტი..... ბახის უდიდესი შემსრულებელი, თავდავიწყებით მუშაობდა იმ ტაძარში სადაც გენიოსი ბახი ადრე მოღვაწეობდა
Een zeer interessante upload om meerdere redenen. Wat ten eerste opvalt als we dit vergelijken met opnamen uit deze tijd dat het hier allemaal in een mechanisch tempo wordt uitgevoerd en ik kan me niet voorstellen dat dat de bedoeling is. Maar als je hier doorheenluistert dan blijft er er heel veel schoons en leerzaams over. Voor mij als amateur is heel leerzaam om te horen hoe de meer ritmisch complexe delen uitgevoerd moeten worden. De structuur wordt ook duidelijk. K.Richter was zonder twijfel een meester op het orgel en de (of is het "het") clavecimbel. Wat ik van deze upload ook zo prachtig vind dat je zoals op een c.d. met één druk op de knop van het ene deel naar een heel ander kan gaan en dat tussen en bij alle 6 partitas. Met andere woorden een geweldige toolbox om al dit schoons beter te leren kennen! Nogmaals bedankt voor de upload. ik heb er heel veel aan ook door al die verschillende clavecimbelregistraties die je een idee geven van de klankkleuren die gebruikt kunnen worden bij al deze heerlijke stukken. En tot slot en dat houd ik echt op; Wat is Bach toch een heerlijk componist. Een toetsenbespeler moet wel van het houden, maar een violist ook, en een zanger ook, en alle andere instrumentalisten net zo goed, en dan vergeet ik nog de dirigenten, de musicologen en ........... Zend alles wat we weten en hebben van Bach de ruimte in en alles en iedereen wat zich daar bevind zál buigen !
Nicht viele seiner Werke sind uns bekannt, und was wir besitzen sind lediglich kleinere Stuecke fuer Tasteninstrumente und Suiten fuer Streichorchster. Ihre Erhaltung verdanken wir zwei grossen Verwandten des Komponisten.
Meine *EMPFEHLUNG* zur EQUALIZER - *Anpassung* 'Caruso Einstellung' (classical modified) -12,0 dB (60Hz) -12,3 dB (230Hz) -15,0 dB (910Hz) -15,0 dB (4kHz) +15,0 dB (14kHz) Der Eintrag wurde ergänzt, weil es sehr unterschiedliche Equalizer gibt. Profis brauchen den Hinweis nicht. Er bezieht sich hier allgemein auf eine 'Bass Booster' App 🎧, ohne Zuschalten des BASS BOOST. Die meisten können mit Bluetooth ja richtig umgehen: viel Erfolg!
The instrument is impressive too, isn't it; its ringing quality reminding me of Wanda's Pleyel. Does one of the notes mid-keyboard have a "tic" -- an overtone, perhaps mechanical in nature ? Or is it my inexpensive but remarkable little desk top speakers ? Anybody else hear it ?
ME ENCANTA LA BUENA MUSICA, PERO SIN ANUNCIOS, ES INSULTANTE ROMPER UN CONCIERTO CON UN ANUNCION, PONLOS AL PRINCIPIO O AL FINAL DE LA GRABACION, ES SOLO UNA SUGERENCIA, PERO CON MUCHO SENTIDO COMUN!!!!!!!
I don't like the instrument Richter is playing on: a modern piano would be far better, but the rendition of Karl Richter of those partitas is absolutely the best I've ever heard. Unsurpassed on whatsoever instrument one might play. Thanks unforgettable Karl Richter!
Very interesting to hear this! Many passages are lovely, but I can't get away from how very old-school it feels, both from the incredibly ponderous instrument (yes, very close to Wanda's Pleyel!) and Richter's four-square phrasing. I know many people revere him, but he's often a bit too metronomic for me. Arrivals crash into the station instead of ARRIVING. I'd rather hear the sensitivity to phrasing that you get with Scott Ross.
Isn't this wonderful. I've not heard this performance until now. I recently became acquainted with the Scott Ross recording, which I think is so good. Now to go back almost sixty years for this: hooray. I find the very occasional overly-slow, even ponderous or insecure sections distracting; the whole Sixth Partita strikes me as having had too little practice. Is that possible ? The final gigue, however, redeems the whole thing. The score of the second half of that final gigue is reproduced here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partitas_for_keyboard_(Bach)#/media/File:Clavier-Ubung-I-BWV830.jpg
QUERIDO TAKATAKA, ESTOY VIENDO TU VIDEO EN LA TV. SMART, Y CADA PUNTITO AMARILLO ES UN ANUNCIO, LO CUAL ES INSULTANTE, Y EN BASE A ESO TE AVISO PARA QUE COBRES TU DINERITO. UA-cam ES MUY INJUSTA, ASI QUE COBRA TU DINERO . YA QUE SOLO DEJE EL VIDEO PUESTO EN MUTE PARA QUE TE PAGUEN TOOODOOOS LOS ANUNCIOS,
Karl Richter, a precious , but short life for every Bach lover.
Thanks for uploading.
This really makes me get what Harpsichords are supposed to be, its so clean here at times it sounds like the plucking of guitar strings
22:41
35:05
38:20
53:31
1:07:01
The true BACH MASTER
How did Bach write so much complex perfect music & raise 18 kids.
The most stupendous miracle in all music.
The distiller of the essence of musical craft.
A culmination of all that preceded him & an influence on all who followed.
All great music is connected to Bach
pobinr And how!
After a brief look on the internet: "Only 10 of the 20 children lived to be adults".
geir øyvind eskeland That explains why he was a good musician then.
pobinr women weren't completey useless in those times compared to nowadays, that's how they did it ;-)
Background information on Six Partitas for Harpsichord BWV 825-830:
At the time of writing, Bach was installed in the post of Cantor at the church of St. Thomas in Leipzig. Bach was well aware that his predecessor had made a significant contribution to educational works in his time as Cantor and it is reasonable to think that Bach will have been keen to celebrate this legacy with his own music. They were published originally under the title of “Keyboard Practice” giving a clear indication of their purpose. Their effect on the waiting world was nicely summarized by Forkel in his Bach biography [1]; “This work caused quite a sensation among his contemporaries in the world of music; such splendid keyboard compositions had never previously been seen or heard. Whoever learnt to perform any of these pieces to a high standard could make his fortune in the world”.
Each of the Partitas follows a well-established format that would have been expected at the time: Allemande; Courante; Sarabande and Gigue. As you might expect, Bach varies this structure to include a Capriccio in Partita No.2 and the occasional Rondeau that brings a change in colour to the work. The influence of both the French and Italian styles are elegantly managed by Bach in a way that still maintains the foreign influence without losing his own craftsmanship and flair.
- Excerpt from "4 Famous Keyboard Pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach" by Dr. Justin Wildridge
- Article link: www.cmuse.org/famous-bach-piano-pieces/
I've heard several other mid-20th-Century harpsichordists play Bach, but this is a wonderful introduction to Karl Richter, whom I'm hearing for the first time. I prefer the harpsichord for Baroque keyboard music, and Richter certainly was a master of the music and the instrument. Thank you for posting this.
He succeeded Bach’s position after all.
My favorite musician back in 80s & 90s. Sorry for short life. Among his recordings, this is one in Top 5 with Matthew's Passion. Nov. 1963.
Thank you for uploading!!!
There is something velvety about this harpsichord, much more pleasant to my ears than most of period instruments or reconstructions I've heard. Karl Richter was an astounding musician who had a tendency to dot all the i's and cross all the t's as a conductor but who seems occasionally more relaxed (not in the 1st Partita's Sarabande though which he plays like a full blown chorus) as a harpsichordist, and even tolerate slight variations of tempo.
The videos on youtube with Richter have Serien Instruments (mass produced), the non-historically based (with construction more in common with modern pianos than harpsichords of the 18th century) with the disposition of 16' & 8' on the lower manual and 8' & 4' choirs on the upper manual. These 'revival' instruments have a common ground with the historical instruments; both share the name harpsichord, but the revival instruments aresometimes referred to as "plucking piano."
The instrument that Richter played fell into disfavor as more and more builders in US and Europe followed the work of Hubbard, Dowd, and Martin Skowroneck who went back to historical prototypes for their instruments. Richter plays with artistry than transcends the instruments he plays in this recording.
@ TheNimble Turtle, I could not disagree with you more as to your comment on the organ or for that matter the harpsichord. I have played both revival Harpsichords (inch thick sides, bottomless case, bracing on the sound board that could support a load bearing wall of a house, shoe leather plectra, actions that require the strength of a blacksmith, contorted scalings, overwound strings in the base) and historically based single manual harpsichords, an italian 2X8 , a Ruckers copy, and a simple, small one choir instrument (the latter three with either quill or quill equivalent of which I prefer the former and fast/light crisp actions) and frankly the historical have more complexity of tone, timbre, surprisingly louder, projected farther, and respond differently to the performer's touch which elicited tone quality (the quantity of tone) than the mid century revival behemoth with its 2 manuals two 8 foot plus 16 and 4 foot choirs which was as though someone have wrapped the harpsichords in woolen blankets. The electronic harpsichords (Baldwin), the harpsichord stops on electric keyboards, and the digital samplings of old harpsichords lack the harmonic aliveness and presence that a real harpsichord or for that matter any instrument has, in short they sound flat at best or a poor and unkind caricature at worst, in my experience. Of course some wizardry of a recording studio, microphone placement, and a virtuoso recording engineer can make a silk purse out of any sow's ear.
As to the organ, I have played more than my share of electronic and digital sampled in churches at "concert" or church service volume and compared to any of the pipe organs I have played (several Aeolian-Skinner including the last instrument made by the company before it went bankrupt, and a back to Baroque Tracker Organ which require more strength than a blacksmith and the endurance of a marathon runner to play). Frankly, by comparison there is no comparison, the electric/digital instruments "are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting." (The digital are better, close but no cigar, than the epic failures that are transistor organs). In fact I would go as far as to compare with the analogy of a pipe organ is the same as having a person standing next to you versus a life size photograph. I would say the same for any orchestral instrument or piano and its "synthetic" equivalent. As to an organ, most classical or theater organists would be tempted to sell their soul to have a "real" pipe organ.
Of course one is entitled to one's preference, many individuals have expressed they do not particularly like the sound of an organ (church, electronic, or theater) or harpsichord (regardless of vintage). However, people who like these instruments tend to prefer the type they first heard (especially as children, or as teens/young adults) in my experience. This also follows for Bach and Handel on historical instruments or vocal performances (any instrument or vocal ensemble). I may have fallen in love with the Addams Family TV show harpsichord sound (and Caroline Jones) as a child, 16 foot choir and all, but changed my opinion their first time I played Bach on a historical based harpsichord.
You enjoy the sound of the electronic organ, and that's a different tonal palette no less valid than any other. I couldn't imagine Born to Be Wild by Steppenwolf played on a pipe organ. You might enjoy the performances of Cameron Carpenter, he is very talented and in the electronic organ camp similar to Virgil Thompson, but he lacks some taste in playing Bach. His own arrangements/transcriptions of other works is technically brilliant if some seem to lack a tad bit of "soul ." I believe his preference for non-pipe organs is of a practical nature, he travels to perform concert venues and he wouldn't be able to play as fast (or as too fast) on most pipe organs. Possibly, Mozart's criticism of Clementi would be apropos, he "plays well, as far as execution with the right hand goes. His greatest strength lies in his passages in 3rds. Apart from that, he has not a kreuzer’s worth of taste or feeling - in short he is a mere mechanicus." However, to each his own.
+TheNimble Turtle, Thank you for your thoughtful reply. You wrote, "I do not believe Bach has to be played on historical instruments. There is the underlying assumption that the instruments of a composer's time influenced his/her music making." There are two sides to this coin. One Bach's compositions transcend time and instrumentation, (I am a fan of J S Bach on the Moog Synthesizer), and Bach can be well served by contemporary instruments, but this rarely occurs, unfortunately. Take the Second Brandenburg Concerto. The Solo instruments Natural Trumpet, (Baroque) Violin, Recorder, and (Baroque) work exceedingly well together, as though singing in a choir, in easy to follow counterpoint. Substitute a Piccolo Trumpet, Orchestral Flute, Modern Oboe, and contemporary violin (as it has mutated from the 18th century) and the balance of volume are thrown out of kilter and the work becomes a trumpet concerto. This lack of balance between musicians (equally as loud) can occur in HIP performances; too many harpsichord concertos exist in which the tutti rather playing in support the solo harpsichord seem bent on which part of the orchestra can (Bass, Cello, Viola, Violin) can drown out the harpsichord. You can find extreme examples of this on UA-cam, and the 5th Brandenburg Concerto is probably the most obvious whether its modern or period instruments. Instead of an ensemble, the Flute and Violinist seem to be in a duel, again to see who can play louder than the other (and completely obliterate the Harpsichord's obbligato passages). I wonder if music education should make mandatory the participation in a choir as it was in the past. This is the fault of the conductor. I would wish someday to be the solo keyboard player for the 5th Brandy, only playing a church organ instead of harpsichord, and when the tutti, Flute or solo Violin players became overly loud, I would hit a preset so the organ's reeds' mixtures, etc., drowned out the whole orchestra to return the favor of what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
However it's not just orchestras that are at fault. A few (very few) thoughtful pianist can play (or played, past tense, regrettably no longer with us, Dinu Lipatti comes to mind) Bach well on the Piano. However, too many pianists play a Bach Fugue this way, Subject, Answer belted out forte to fortissimo and Counter subject played piano, etc., etc., etc. Bach intended every line to be heard, in fact in some Fugues he almost secretively sneaks in the subject, but the pianists thinks, "Aha, the subject, pound it out, while the other lines should be played as quietly as the left hand accompaniment to a Chopin Waltz, and the effect of a trio (or quartet) playing is suddenly lost.
Well the Brass Instruments (Natural Trumpets and Horns) of Handel's and Bach's time certainly influenced their music making, they made the most of what they had (Clarino Playing), and if you examine the scores of Bach's Cantatas, their are examples of genius (even an example of a 4 note descending chromatic scale), not the drum and bugle corp that the Trumpet becomes in a generation. Mozart re-scored Handel's Messiah as no trumpet player of his time could play the notes. Bach and Handel's Oboes shared more in common timbre wise with the trumpet or their day, than the modern oboe which is mostly a quiet solo reed that blends nicely with a Flute. I've yet to hear a Viola da Gamba passage played on a Cello to be as effective.
The Natural Horn of Handel which was generally not hand stopped (intonation problems and all), by the time of Haydn has some hand correction, by Mozart stopped notes in the solos, by Beethoven stopped notes in the full orchestra. But these tones are lost when played on the modern F Horn or double horn. Beethoven may have seen the first valve trumpets, but the Natural Horn survived into the time of Wagner, who wrote for both Natural and Valve Horns. On the other hand, I have heard Clarinets in a period instrument performance of Beethoven's 9th Symphony, which sound no different than the modern instrument.
I could make a case of playing Chopin or Clementi on a period 19th Century Pianos, (played the real deal at an antique show in Orange County when Container Ships used to be stuffed with anything old was being sold as antiques stripped wholesale from Europe) and yes the music made sense, and sounded better, clearer, than on a modern cross-strong piano. Especially the Clementi full chords in the lower bass. I remembered an Alfred Edition Chopin's Prelude commenting on a Prelude by Chopin, that couldn't be played with the damper pedal as written by Chopin as it wouldn't work on a 20th Century Piano (and they were right, one of the pieces I played with Chopin's pedal indications from memory worked better than any 20th century piano). That is the goal of any artist, know what the composer intended, what the composer's resources where, and then inflect some of himself into the work.
I never though of the harpsichord as sounding harsh (except some modern ones being voice with overplucking plectrum), certainly not in the same category as certain organ stops (Bombardes which should only be used with a full organ otherwise these sound flatulent).
The Art of Fugue, theoretical work, work for Organ similar to earlier works written in full score to follow the lines, or your guess is as good as mine. Only the works (duos) written with the words Zwei Clav., (Organ, as in one Manuscript of the Passacaglia and Fugue which E Power Biggs comments Zwei Clav mit pedal for Pedal on one manuscript, or Harpsichord as indicated in the Clavierubung part 2 and the Goldberg variations). Before they took up comedy, I heard a version by the Saxophone Group, The Nuclear Whales, that was most convincing. One recording I heard over the radio has Brass, Reeds, Strings, each taking a separate voice (in the 3 voice Fugues). A version for different woodwinds (no two instruments from the same family on two voices) would be instructive.
As to Bach, in his manuscripts (and those copies of by his students or family members) you will see indication on occasion, Suite for Harpsichord (French Suites found in the 1725 A M Bach note booklet), and works for harpsichord by other composers, which have zero comments as to instrument as though it was understood. Other than the criticism and alleged and further approval of Silbermann's Fortepianos (as embroidered by Forkel on comments from Agricola ), the only known first hand document on J S Bach is he was involved with a piano sale as an agent for the seller. I still find it peculiar that Bach's Harpsichord Concertos get rolled out as Bach's Piano Concertos (completely false) or Bach's Keyboard Concertos (partially true as one previously exist for Organ as the solo instrument in Cantata Symphonia). However, I'd rather see Bach be played and appreciated regardless of the instrument. There are many who say one should use the full resources of the Piano. Only, Bach on the piano with the damper pedal robs the pianist of discovering Bach's fingering problems and solutions which I believe he intentional wrote in for the students.
Das ist grosse Glück im allgemeinen Mangel an Kultur, zu geniessen solche Musik !!! Tepper Michael.
What do you mean lack of culture? We have lady Gaga and Tayler Swift?😂
Fun fact (from Wiki): The tonalities of the six Partitas (B♭ major, C minor, A minor, D major, G major, E minor) may seem to be random, but in fact they form a sequence of intervals going up and then down by increasing amounts: a second up (B♭ to C), a third down (C to A), a fourth up (A to D), a fifth down (D to G), and finally a sixth up (G to E). This key sequence continues into Clavier-Übung II (1735) with the two larger works: the Italian Concerto, a seventh down (E to F), and the Overture in the French style, an augmented fourth up (F to B♮). Thus this sequence of tonalities customary for 18th-century keyboard compositions is complete, beginning with the first letter of his name (B in German is Bach's "home" key of B♭) and ending with the last letter (H in German is B♮) while including both A and C along the way.
GRACIAS POR BACH, GRACIAS POR KARL RICHTER!!
I had only listened to these partitas on piano until now and i must say they are equally exquisite on the Harpsichord or as i like to call it the "Electric guitar of the keyboard family" bravo!
A masterpiece of a performance!!
Karl Richter has the best recordings of the Bach's partitas! I have been searching these recordings for so long. Finally someone uploaded them. Thank you for the upload!
I really like these, but you might try Blandine Verlet's. Hoomeyow!!
I mean - you could buy them, couldn't you :-)
Or better yet, try Gould.
@@martinsweaney5325 thanks for the tip! You are so right!
Un insieme di opere gigantesche , meravigliose ed imperiture , che il genio di Ricther ci dona servendo Bach con una dedizione ed insuperata capacità ,gli dobbiamo tutti molto . Grazie di cuore Giorgio Decolori
The best BACH interpreter of all time
He made the harpsichord sounds like a grand piano.
Grandioso Karl Richter ejecutando obras del inmortal Bach. Gracias por compartirlas. Saludos desde México!!!
Without a doubt my favorite recordings of these masterpieces played on harpsichord. I easily prefer Bach's solo harpsichord music on piano, but only Karl Richter has the ability to make me enjoy it on harpsichord and not for one moment make me long for the piano versions. I know some people prefer Ralph Kirkpatrick. For me he could not do it. Only Karl Richter can - what a musician he was! Much more than just a great player of the harpsichord - He knew how to MAKE music with Bach.
B-flat major Sarabande is played with soo much power, wow. Gould plays it pp, both make sense 100%.
Damn Gould always makes sense :D
Came here for 42:15. Sounds absolutely wonderful. I'm sure he is playing on the highest quality harpsichord as well.
@TheNimbleTurtle That's the thing about keyboard instruments, they can only play in tune in one key. Some are tuned to be equally out of tune in all keys and some people think that is an advantage.
This is the most beautiful recording I have ever heard of this work.Thankyou for uploading it.
There are so many recordings of the Partitas that is quite difficult to deeply distinguish their artistic interpretation. Karl Richter, tempo, phrasing, clarity is with no doubt up there with the best, where he belongs.
I came here for 17:39, 22:41 and 24:56! Damn - that sound, unforgettable!
Listen to Anatoly Vedernikov play this Capriccio on a piano. It's... .jauntier...
😍
Why listen to anyone other than Richter (?) Beautiful....although the Partitas are not my favorite, I can still listen over and over and over. Damn!
I take it back.....omg, these are fantastic.
Inolvidable Karl Richter en J:S:B.sobretodo, tanto dirigiendo como en el piano, GRANDE
après 50 ans de baroqueux, Richter, ça tient vraiment la route !!
Это Великое Счастье в повальном безкультурье наслаждаться такой Музыкой !!!
Sehr geehrter Herr Tepper, sie haben ja so Recht. Ich finde Sie toll. Sie haben schon viele Kommentare abgegeben,mit denen ich mich voll identifiziere.
Bach tuvo una gran habilidad para escribir tan bellas composiciones, con una armonia tan hermosa y personal que sus composiciones casi se pueden distinguir de las de otros grandes maestros e la musica.
...per un disco Deutsche gramophon , 7500 lire....un mese senza merenda, il Magnificat e la cantata freue dich erloster schaar.....Grande Karl Richter troppo per quei tempi, anche per questi... Justum in misura et etiam magnus faber , sedulus discipulus.. soli Deo gloria!
Sublime, fantástico, incomparável!!!
SENSATIONAL!
Maravilhoso músico. Uma pena ter nos deixado tão cedo. Apenas 55 anos. Mas o tempo que esteve entre nós foi o suficiente para notarmos o seu grandioso talento. Obrigado amigo.
Desculpe, apenas 54 anos.
great,......................................................
Fantastic music, it sounds a bit like an electric guitar or a strange old keyboard. Recording in the 60's was very different from today. Great player.
Have you ever heard an electric guitar? I have never heard one that sounds like a harpsichord!
Música maravilhosa para se ouvir num dia de domingo, chuvoso como o de hoje.
Flawless performance and with such life one could imagine Bach playing.
This is the Great Happiness in the general lack of Culture all around to listen such Muisic !!! Tepper Michael.
გენიალური ბახის წინაშე
ვალმოხდილი საოცარი
მუსიკოსი კარლ რიხტერი,
უბადლო კლავესინისტი,
ორღანისტი და დირიჟორი!
I prefer the harpsichord to the piano for the partitas.Wonderful musicality and mastering the claviers of the gravicembalo.
This is gold
best part, the gigue from the 1st partita... starts at 9:31
Muchas gracias por compartirlas.
Я чувствую, что это Живая Музыка !!! Теппер Михаил.
I kind of wish he did the repeats.
Так только может играть тонкая ясновидящая натура !!! Теппер Михаил.
que lastima que los anuncios son tan irrespetuosos de la musica. gracias por tan bella musica KARL RICHTER.
Είμαι συγκλονισμένος από την ερμηνεία του μεγάλου Richter!
1:07:31 He plays c# instead of c in the right hand.
Good catch!
Sorry, but I dripped with slobber on Gigue from the sixth partita.
Karl Richter really knows how to tune a harpsichord.
Digging the bass notes here.
..Is it just me, or when I am listening to this music, I am afraid that it will end?
Proving you made it all the way to the end ? :)
I like his tempos. Frequently these are played faster than I like. Saved to my favorites and I am playing these on the piano and use this for reference.
+cellestialX Please don't play them on the piano. :)
How about electronic harpsichord
Bach master supreme!
Архитектоника любой музыки отражает соответствующее устройство социума, и наоборот !!! Теппер Михаил.
I always prefer Bach on piano over harpsichord, but this is so brilliantly and delightfully done by Richter that he has totally won me over here to listen to all the partitas on harpsichord. Magnificent!
უბრწყინვალესი მუსიკოსი::
დირიჟორი, ორღანისტი,
კლავესინისტი..... ბახის
უდიდესი შემსრულებელი,
თავდავიწყებით მუშაობდა
იმ ტაძარში სადაც გენიოსი
ბახი ადრე მოღვაწეობდა
So sweet
Een zeer interessante upload om meerdere redenen. Wat ten eerste opvalt als we dit vergelijken met opnamen uit deze tijd dat het hier allemaal in een mechanisch tempo wordt uitgevoerd en ik kan me niet voorstellen dat dat de bedoeling is. Maar als je hier doorheenluistert dan blijft er er heel veel schoons en leerzaams over. Voor mij als amateur is heel leerzaam om te horen hoe de meer ritmisch complexe delen uitgevoerd moeten worden. De structuur wordt ook duidelijk. K.Richter was zonder twijfel een meester op het orgel en de (of is het "het") clavecimbel. Wat ik van deze upload ook zo prachtig vind dat je zoals op een c.d. met één druk op de knop van het ene deel naar een heel ander kan gaan en dat tussen en bij alle 6 partitas.
Met andere woorden een geweldige toolbox om al dit schoons beter te leren kennen!
Nogmaals bedankt voor de upload. ik heb er heel veel aan ook door al die verschillende clavecimbelregistraties die je een idee geven van de klankkleuren die gebruikt kunnen worden bij al deze heerlijke stukken. En tot slot en dat houd ik echt op;
Wat is Bach toch een heerlijk componist. Een toetsenbespeler moet wel van het houden, maar een violist ook, en een zanger ook, en alle andere instrumentalisten net zo goed, en dan vergeet ik nog de dirigenten, de musicologen en ...........
Zend alles wat we weten en hebben van Bach de ruimte in en alles en iedereen wat zich daar bevind zál buigen !
1:30:00 is my favorite part.
Nicht viele seiner Werke sind uns bekannt, und was wir besitzen sind lediglich kleinere Stuecke fuer Tasteninstrumente und Suiten fuer Streichorchster. Ihre Erhaltung verdanken wir zwei grossen Verwandten des Komponisten.
This is really great stuff! I like Richter's mostly dark and heavy take on the 2nd and 3rd partitas. Thanks a bunch for uploading.
Merci !
Thanks!!
We came a long way since then.
The best execution ever!
Heavy!!!
Gigue 53:30
Gigue 1:27:24
Meine *EMPFEHLUNG* zur
EQUALIZER - *Anpassung*
'Caruso Einstellung'
(classical modified)
-12,0 dB (60Hz)
-12,3 dB (230Hz)
-15,0 dB (910Hz)
-15,0 dB (4kHz)
+15,0 dB (14kHz)
Der Eintrag wurde ergänzt, weil es sehr unterschiedliche Equalizer gibt. Profis brauchen den Hinweis nicht. Er bezieht sich hier allgemein auf eine 'Bass Booster' App 🎧, ohne Zuschalten des BASS BOOST. Die meisten können mit Bluetooth ja richtig umgehen: viel Erfolg!
The instrument is impressive too, isn't it; its ringing quality reminding me of Wanda's Pleyel. Does one of the notes mid-keyboard have a "tic" -- an overtone, perhaps mechanical in nature ? Or is it my inexpensive but remarkable little desk top speakers ? Anybody else hear it ?
THANK YOU!!...
Wat is deze man een goed clavecimbel speler
Zeker, maar Scot Ross blijft wat mij betreft altijd de beste.
ME ENCANTA LA BUENA MUSICA, PERO SIN ANUNCIOS, ES INSULTANTE ROMPER UN CONCIERTO CON UN ANUNCION, PONLOS AL PRINCIPIO O AL FINAL DE LA GRABACION, ES SOLO UNA SUGERENCIA, PERO CON MUCHO SENTIDO COMUN!!!!!!!
Karl Richter the absolute best ;)
Richter. que bien lo comprende 🌹🕐
GREAT!!!!!!!
1.25x speed is absolutely perfect for partita no 5
divine
what kind of hsrpichord he plays? sounds so awesome
An old Neupert from the 20th century with 16'8'8'4'
Virtuoos deze uitvoering
la version D.Lipatti est bien plus inspirée.
Richter interptre comme une boite à musique.
❤
Comme gould en mieux ....
Génial
Richter was a gift from god to humans, and I give a damn if bastian bach got 18 children.
you give a damn or you don't? Either way this is totally irrelevant, just listen!
françois Arnaud That was precisely the point. Nevertheless Bach doesn't exist without players like him. You are wellcome.
Cr Varela We give a damn about your opinion.
finally some well paced Bach on a proper harpsichord
Karl der Große!!!
sinfonia top da brividi
35:05 inLove
Miguel alonso martinez 😍
reza gholamipour i played that giga
Miguel alonso martinez I really enjoyed your performance.. good job👍👌..
This piece of music reminds me of many memories.. I just love it..
Richter est l'inspiration de Bach
Écoutez
Le summum
Et comparez avec Blandine Verlet la typographiste
ah y a vraiment des nuls parfois
which stop is he using at 17:50?
I believe it is the lower-manual 16', coupled with the upper-manual 8' + 4'.
37:07
leuk
Hands talking
I don't like the instrument Richter is playing on: a modern piano would be far better, but the rendition of Karl Richter of those partitas is absolutely the best I've ever heard. Unsurpassed on whatsoever instrument one might play. Thanks unforgettable Karl Richter!
35:05...el origen de la chacarera
a que te refieres ?
Harpsichord is a period instrument. There is no modern harpsichord, only replica of the old.
7:00
Very interesting to hear this! Many passages are lovely, but I can't get away from how very old-school it feels, both from the incredibly ponderous instrument (yes, very close to Wanda's Pleyel!) and Richter's four-square phrasing. I know many people revere him, but he's often a bit too metronomic for me. Arrivals crash into the station instead of ARRIVING. I'd rather hear the sensitivity to phrasing that you get with Scott Ross.
чело концерт от фр.гулда
Isn't this wonderful. I've not heard this performance until now. I recently became acquainted with the Scott Ross recording, which I think is so good. Now to go back almost sixty years for this: hooray. I find the very occasional overly-slow, even ponderous or insecure sections distracting; the whole Sixth Partita strikes me as having had too little practice. Is that possible ? The final gigue, however, redeems the whole thing. The score of the second half of that final gigue is reproduced here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partitas_for_keyboard_(Bach)#/media/File:Clavier-Ubung-I-BWV830.jpg
Richter IS a master of JSB'Music. But the sound of this Nuepert IS too hard. And 825 IS too fast. Anyway Richter IS a legend
QUERIDO TAKATAKA, ESTOY VIENDO TU VIDEO EN LA TV. SMART, Y CADA PUNTITO AMARILLO ES UN ANUNCIO, LO CUAL ES INSULTANTE, Y EN BASE A ESO TE AVISO PARA QUE COBRES TU DINERITO.
UA-cam ES MUY INJUSTA, ASI QUE COBRA TU DINERO . YA QUE SOLO DEJE EL VIDEO PUESTO EN MUTE PARA QUE TE PAGUEN TOOODOOOS LOS ANUNCIOS,