Fischer's WTC I: Pearl vs. Naxos
Ramon Khalona
2-CD set) of Edwin Fischer's recording of Bach's Well Tempered Clavier
(Book I only). First about the Pearl: It is transferred by Seth
Winner and it contains, in addition,
- Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in D minor, BWV 903
- WTC I, Prelude and Fugue No. 5, BWV 850
- Adagio from Concerto in D minor (after B. Marcello), BWV 973
- Fantasia in A minor, BWV 922
- Toccata in D Major, BWV 912
- Chorale Prelude, "Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ", BWV 639
The Naxos (restored by Stuart Rosenthal and produced by Marina and
Victor Ledin)
contains only the WTC I. Fans of Fischer's Bach will be happy to have
the additional pieces included by Pearl, so I definitely give the edge
to Pearl on content.
Pearl's notes are by Teri Noel Towe and are more extensive than Naxos' ,
which are provided by Farhan Malik, a well known pianophile in this
newsgroup. Farhan concentrates more on Fischer the artist (although he
includes technical discussion with pointers to some of the Preludes and
Fugues to illustrate his point), whereas TNT includes more discussion on
Fischer's interpretation of the particular works on the Pearl set.
Now for the sound comparison: The first thing you'll notice is that the
Pearl has significantly more surface noise, in the form of a uniform
curtain of swish from the 78s.
The payoff is good piano tone, better overall ambience (you hear more
"air" about the piano) and extended frequency range, especially in the
upper frequencies.
Naxos' transfers are extremely clean, but definitely not brutally
overfiltered in the way the original EMI set was (where the piano
sounded as if it was covered by tin foil).
While the piano tone is less bright and very slightly more muffled than
in the Pearl transfer, the cleaner sound may prove to be more attractive
to the average listener.
This was confirmed time and again by listening to about half of the
preludes and fugues in sequence (prelude after prelude and fugue after
fugue) from both transfers, with perhaps the 2nd prelude and fugue
providing the most vivid difference.
Bottom line: if surface noise bothers you, go for Naxos and you will be
very happy.
If you would like slightly better piano tone and are willing to put up
with significant surface noise and spend about 2 to 2.5 times as much,
go for Pearl. You will be rewarded with the wonderful additional pieces
and slightly more in the way of annotation. I am happy to have both and
look forward to the Naxos release of Book II.
N.B. I have not heard how the 2nd EMI reissue compares to the two above
and would be interest in what others think.
Ramon Khalona
Vadim Batitsky
our that the GP series' Fischer's Bach set contains virtually all the
Pearl's none-WTC selections (except Dmaj Tocatta and adagio from
concerto after Marcello) on cd 2. Moreover, the transfer of the
fantasias (newly made for the issue, I'd think) is much better than the
selections from WTC on disc 1 (more metallic, brittle). So, one could
augment this GP issue with Naxos to complete WTC book I with better
sounding transfers.
Vadim.
In article <39E3FC99...@adnc.com>,
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Vadim Batitsky
Namely, that their transfer of BWV 639 (Ich ruf zu dir..) is extremely
low-level compared to other selections on Vol.1, and kind of dim too compared
to the GP series transfer. The latter is not filtered at all (in fact very
noisy by EMI standards), but the piano sound is brighter and richer, and the
level setting is comparable to the rest of selections on that CD. Vadim.
Dan Koren
Ramon Khalona <rkha...@adnc.com> wrote:
>
> N.B. I have not heard how the 2nd EMI reissue
> compares to the two above and would be interest
> in what others think.
>
As usual, the Japanese remastered/pressed Toshiba
LP's leave all the CD reissues in the dust.
dk
Andy Evans
includes Fischer's WTC (and please note the price....):
Bach, J.S. "Meisterwerke in historischen Einspielungen: Das Wohltemperierte
Klavier, Matthäuspassion, Goldberg-Variationen, Orchester- und Klavierwerke
, Kammermusik, Magnificat, Kunst der Fuge, Orgelwerke, Brandenburgische
Konzerte, Klavierwerke"
Mit Edwin Fischer, Dinu Lipati, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Vladimir
Horowitz/Klavier, Albert Schweitzer/Orgel, Wanda Landowska/Cembalo,
Sebastian Caratelli/Flöte, Pablo Casals/Cello, Andrés Segovia/Gitarre,
Yehudi Menuhin, Adolf Busch, Frances Magnes/Violine, Marta Schilling,
Gertrude Pitzinger, Heinz Marten, Gerhard Gröschel, Gérard Souzay, Hans
Hotter, Tiana Lemnitz, Friedel Beckmann, Karl Erb, Gerhard Hüsch, Siegfried
Schulze, Orchestre De Radio Beromünster/Hermann Scherchen, Philharmonia
Orchestra/Anthony Bernard, Thomanerchor Leipzig, Gewandhausorchester
Leipzig/Günther Ramin, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble De
Solistes/Fritz Reiner, Wiener Philharmoniker/Hans Knappertsbusch, Liverpool
Philharmonic Orchestra/Malcolm Sargent, Orchestre Symphonique De
Paris/George Enescu, Kammerorchester Adolf Busch, Kammerorchester Edwin
Fischer. Aufnahmen 1927-1950.f History. AAD. 20 CDs 39.95 DM. Nr. 49898.
http://www.zweitausendeins.de/
--
Andy Evans: an...@artsandmedia.com
Visit our website: www.artsandmedia.com
Matthew B. Tepper
<s87F5.6389$IR4.10317@news1-hme0>:
>Now hear ye, now hear ye. Comments please on this almighty package,
Bah! It's missing the JSB 3-Keyboard Concerto in D Minor, with pianists
Pavel Serebriakov, Dmitri Shostakovich (deputizing for a sidelined Maria
Yudina), and Tatiana Nikolayeva, with Kyril Kondrashin conducting.
--
Matthew B. Tepper: WWW, science fiction, classical music, ducks!
My personal home page -- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/index.html
My main music page --- http://home.earthlink.net/~oy/berlioz.html
To write to me, do for my address what Androcles did for the lion
"Compassionate Conservatism?" * "Tight Slacks?" * "Jumbo Shrimp?"
Andy Evans
> Pavel Serebriakov, Dmitri Shostakovich (deputizing for a sidelined Maria
> Yudina), and Tatiana Nikolayeva, with Kyril Kondrashin conducting.>
could expect the WTC to originate from and what sort of transfer policy?
Given the price I'd bet on tubby with not much hiss, but I might be being
cynical here....
TD
"Andy Evans" <arts.ps...@cwcom.net> wrote in message
news:s87F5.6389$IR4.10317@news1-hme0...
> Now hear ye, now hear ye. Comments please on this almighty package, which
> includes Fischer's WTC (and please note the price....):
<snip long list>
Aufnahmen 1927-1950.f History. AAD. 20 CDs 39.95 DM. Nr. 49898.
> http://www.zweitausendeins.de/
'History' is the key word. This set, as with anything on this label, is
grossly overpriced.
Andy Evans
> grossly overpriced.
TD
> > Aufnahmen 1927-1950.f History. AAD. 20 CDs 39.95 DM. Nr. 49898.
> > > http://www.zweitausendeins.de/
> > grossly overpriced.
> 40DM in Germany - (2 DM per disc), 100DM in the UK. Overpriced?????
Yes. How much do you normally pay for garbage?
Hou Fang-Lin
in any case? It may be so that I will find it out myself. Fang-Lin
"Andy Evans" <arts.ps...@cwcom.net> wrote in message
news:3gpF5.3714$QO4.1783@news2-hme0...
> > Aufnahmen 1927-1950.f History. AAD. 20 CDs 39.95 DM. Nr. 49898.
> > > http://www.zweitausendeins.de/
TD
news:bkpF5.109$x3.2194@uchinews...
> Did TD mean to say that the transfers are so bad that they are overpriced
> in any case?
Yes. I bought the Furtwangler 1 box:
recordings were misdated
recordings were misattributed
transfers were poor (even by pirate standards)
in Beethoven symphony 5 the track break between mvts 3 and 4 was in the
wrong place, and a chunk of one movement was simply missing.
plus, to add insult to injury, the liner notes called WF a Nazi.
samir golescu
> Did TD mean to say that the transfers are so bad that they are overpriced
> in any case? It may be so that I will find it out myself. Fang-Lin
A similar big/cheap Furtwangler box was commented upon, by friends, as
being an unbelievably bad organized/transferred/edited etc.
Thomas "Te Deum" might be right.
regards,
SG
Hou Fang-Lin
"TD" <tj...@spam.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:8s585e$ids$1...@pegasus.csx.cam.ac.uk...
> "Hou Fang-Lin" <fh...@midway.uchicago.edu> wrote in message
> news:bkpF5.109$x3.2194@uchinews...
> > Did TD mean to say that the transfers are so bad that they are
overpriced
> > in any case?
>
Sally Behr
wrote on 10/11/00 12:37 AM:
> N.B. I have not heard how the 2nd EMI reissue compares to the two above
> and would be interest in what others think.
>
> Ramon Khalona
>
I just want to add that I recently compared the Naxos WTC, Book I to the new
re-mastering of the EMI and I feel that the EMI is superior. It has better
piano tone, greater ambience and dynamic sensitivity. I was very
disappointed with the Naxos (boxy sound, quiet surface with subsequent loss
of pianistic character). By buying the Naxos I was hoping to approximate
the Pearl for less than 1/2 the price. As it stands if you can't afford the
Pearl, I'd recommend going for the more recent EMI on three discs.
Bob
Vadim Batitsky
Sally Behr <be...@facstaff.wisc.edu> wrote:
> I recently compared the Naxos WTC, Book I to the new
> re-mastering of the EMI and I feel that the EMI is superior. It has
better
> piano tone, greater ambience and dynamic sensitivity. I was very
> disappointed with the Naxos (boxy sound, quiet surface with
subsequent loss
> of pianistic character). By buying the Naxos I was hoping to
approximate
> the Pearl for less than 1/2 the price. As it stands if you can't
afford the
> Pearl, I'd recommend going for the more recent EMI on three discs.
>
> Bob
What about the surface noise on the new EMI issue? My experience with
the WTC selections on Fischer's GP series (presumably from the new EMI
set)show some improvement w/respect to overfiltering, but one annoying
feature remains: some clicks, it seems, were edited out with the
resulting sound having a transient "burp" - a kind of an acoustic
"bubble" briefly appearing and bursting right in the middle of a note.
Prelude #4 is as good an example as any.
Vadim.