Collectors seeking a fairly inclusive, space-saving, attractively-priced boxed set of J.S. Bach’s original solo keyboard works played on the modern concert grand can’t do better than this. Angela Hewitt’s refined virtuosity, musical intelligence, and thorough yet never rigid sense of style and good taste always have served Bach well, abetted by Hyperion’s high quality engineering.
For me, the Italian Concerto, the Overture in the French Style and the Four Duets, the intimately scaled French Suites, and the poetically inflected Inventions stand out. Although Murray Perahia’s recent Partitas cycle digs deeper in terms of nuance and linear tension, Hewitt’s tempos remain ideally dance-oriented.
However, some listeners may find her 2008 Well-Tempered Clavier remake more vividly detailed yet less spontaneous next to the earlier Hyperion set, while Hewitt’s 1999 Goldberg Variations, though solidly executed from top to bottom, do not quite match the imaginative verve characterizing her recent live performances (she ought to re-record this work while the iron is hot, so to speak).
Still and all, Hewitt’s consistency and integrity as a Bach player is never in doubt. The pianist provides a frank and fascinating essay about how her Bach cycle evolved over time. Solidly recommended. [9/8/2010]
