Artur Schnabel’s Bach recordings have gained previous CD reissue on Pearl, coupled with the pianist’s Brahms Concertos. While Pearl’s transfers were not what they could have been, they’re far superior to Doremi’s excessively filtered restorations, which toss the timbral baby out with the surface noise bathwater. What’s more, Doremi provides no discographical information. Schnabel is most convincing in the Toccatas, where his rhythmic focus and melodic eloquence underscore the music’s intense expressive qualities while minimizing its discursive stretches. Schnabel and son Karl commune as one on two pianos, delivering Bach’s interweaving lines with uplifting give-and-take. By contrast, the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue and Italian Concerto are hampered by blurred, rushed phrasing at times, and less characterful interpretation. Whatever the limitations of Doremi’s production values, Schnabel fans can now acquire all the pianist’s Bach on one disc.
