In Bach’s complete Well-Tempered Clavier (a co-production between Capriccio and Southwest German Radio 2), Christine Schornsheim’s refined harpsichord mastery and cultivated musicianship yield listening rewards akin to her excellent 1996 Goldberg Variations. For starters, the present release is splendidly engineered. The sonics give an idea of how Schornsheim’s 1624 vintage Ruckers cembalo might sound from a choice audience seat in a small, modestly resonant room. Furthermore, Schornsheim’s performances address issues of style and ornamentation without yielding to the agogic arrhythmia that certain historically informed interpreters–or their overly literal, sewing machine-like antipodes–dote upon.
Her stresses, accents, and distensions are audible yet subtle, as in the Book 1 C major fugue’s exposition, the Book 2 A-flat prelude, or the Book 2 G minor fugue’s closely voiced, difficult to untangle linear strands. Her fast fingerwork never loses its center (the buoyant, winged Book 1 C-sharp major prelude), nor do certain thick registrations sound anything less than clear and shapely (the Book 2 C-sharp minor fugue).
Her sense of dramatic timing and cross-rhythmic interplay bring a fresh character to the Book 1 A major and Book 2 G-sharp minor fugues. Her registration for the Book 1 F-sharp major prelude and fugue is an octave higher than usually heard, which may be disconcerting to some listeners.
Only a few pedestrian selections–the Book 1 B minor, Book 1 A minor, and Book 2 B-flat minor fugues–fall below Schornsheim’s generally high standard of inspiration. Collectors seeking an attractive supplement to our reference harpsichord Well-Tempered Clavier cycles will find much to admire here.
