András Schiff recorded his first set of J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier for London in the mid-1980s, but the passage of time, personal reflection, and improvements in digital recording have contributed to making his second recording of "The 48" a necessity, this time on ECM New Series. As eloquent as ever, and always meticulous in execution, Schiff plays the two books of preludes and fugues without use of the piano's pedals, so his touch and control are evident in every note and in the interplay of lines, which are cleanly separated. The transparent recording, which is de rigueur for ECM, is a great aid in conveying Schiff's scrupulous playing, so the music almost seems to exist in its own pristine, abstract realm, without the botherments of background noises or sounds of physical exertion. However, there is an ideal amount of resonance in the studio space that heightens the timbres of the piano without blurring the music, so Schiff doesn't perform in a vacuum. The earlier recordings garnered high praise from critics and Schiff's many admirers, so this exceptional presentation is sure to win him a new and well-deserved audience. Highly recommended.
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