Alfred Brendel’s Bach recital for Philips is not one of the pianist’s more memorable efforts, notwithstanding some fine moments. In the Chromatic Fantasy & Fugue and Italian Concerto the pianist clips and pecks at the notes softly or else hammers them out harshly. His concluding tempos for the two Bach/Busoni Chorale Preludes are noticeably slower than those that he sets at their start. However, Brendel’s tone and color palette open up for the Fantasy and Fugue where he fleshes out the keyboard textures with filled-in chords and added octaves. Brendel’s liberal and effective use of the sustain pedal in the A minor Fantasy evokes memories of his one-time teacher Edwin Fischer, who recorded the piece gorgeously in 1937. The Philips’ Originals transfer offers more amplitude and impact over the label’s previous Solo series reissue.
