Rosalyn Tureck’s 1952/3 mono Well-Tempered Clavier has long been sought after by collectors, many of whom have been willing to pay through the nose for the original LPs. Deutsche Grammophon extracts as much musical detail as possible from the original tapes. I suspect, however, that mint LPs might have been employed as source material in several instances. Tureck commands a degree of finger independence and contrapuntal acumen few pianists in history can claim. No matter how transparent or knotty the fugue, Tureck not only clarifies and shapes each line, but follows it through to its logical stopping point, with nary a bump at barlines. She is particularly hypnotic in slow, minor key preludes, spinning long lines that quiver with harmonic tension. Each and every phrase, tempo, and choice of ornament is pored over, worked out, and processed through a sieve. Don’t look for spontaneity, humor, or the proverbial Dance of God, because you won’t find them here. In fact, Tureck’s later live versions for a handful of Preludes and Fugues (VAI) are warmer and more communicative in tone. Like her or not, we must grant Tureck’s super-refined executional powers and unswerving concentration. Her program notes are scholarly, informative, and self-serving. But then again, she’s the high priestess of Bach, right?
