Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Books 1 & 2
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J. S. BACH
Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Books 1 & 2
John Butt (harpsichord)
[ Linn Records / 4 CD ]
Release Date: Saturday 1 November 2014
This item is currently out of stock. It may take 6 or more weeks to obtain from when you place your order as this is a specialist product.
Prize-winning Bach specialist John Butt performs J.S. Bach's famous 'Das wohltemperierte Klavier' for his debut solo recording on Linn.
Perhaps best known as director of Dunedin Consort, John Butt has won two Gramophone Awards: the 2007 'Baroque Vocal' Award for 'Handel: Messiah' and the 2014 'Choral' Award for 'Mozart: Requiem'.
Dunedin's first instrumental release, 'Six Brandenburg Concertos', saw Butt's harpsichord solos singled out for their virtuosity and technical skill.
John Butt's performance of 'Das wohltemperierte Klavier' benefits from the highly insightful historical knowledge that has shaped his hugely successful work with Dunedin Consort.
The recording explores two aspects of Bach's collection: firstly Butt bases his performance on recent editions so he can present the latest possible stage of Bach's thoughts for each book; secondly Butt takes a unique approach to tempo and tempo relationships, which he explains fully in his comprehensive booklet note.
The Well-Tempered Clavier is a seminal work whose influence on composition and performance, as well as keyboard technique, is far-reaching.
John Butt has previously recorded eleven solo recordings, released on Harmonia Mundi, and performed in Germany, France, Canada, Belgium and Holland.
In January 2011 he became the fifth recipient of the Royal Academy of Music/Kohn Foundation's Bach Prize, for his work in the performance and scholarship of Bach.
In 2013 John Butt was awarded the medal of the Royal College of Organists and the OBE for his services to music in Scotland.
2013 also saw John Butt enjoy great success with two critically acclaimed Bach releases: 'John Passion' was named a 'Critics' Choice' by BBC Radio 3 'CD Review' and twice by Gramophone as well as being named 'Recording of the Month' by three separate publications, whilst 'Six Brandenburg Concertos' was named Gramophone 'Choice' and awarded five stars by both BBC Music Magazine and The Guardian.
"Listeners resigned to heavy, ponderous readings of the D major, E flat and B flat minor Fugues will be relieved at Butt's joyful speeds, as well as his fluid and flexible accounts of the ricecare-like F sharp minor and E major Fugues...Butt offers plenty of food for thought, along with his own extensive annotations discussing both the music and issues of performance practice" Gramophone
"Butt has the scholarly credentials to rethink how the 48 preludes and fugues of Bach's "Well-tempered Clavier" collection should be performed, and the nimble fingers to translate his theories into impeccable clear readings on the harpsichord. In particular, he argues convincingly for tempo relationships between succeeding movements and, overall, to the human pulse." The Times
