Tonight I'm listening to Vladmir play The Art of Fugue by Bach, and it's quite nice. I don't have many AoF recordings all on keyboard instrument. Of course, he's all kind of crazy and all over the place in his Goldberg recording, so this one you might guess is different. Feltsman lets the music affect his mood (I guess), and this mood, in turn, affects the music. Combined with a moody figure and excellent technique, some very interesting things can happen. It's those little nuances here, and there, that render the recording as one with touches of fleeting brilliance. Clear sound, great attack in many phrases. Sometimes the timing is just not robot-perfect, and this to me, is a blessing rather than a curse. Feltsman's playing for me in Bach is very different from the touch of, say, Angela Hewitt who is more smooth (legato) in her style. Feltsman avoids the mechanical style of Gould, but any echoes are fair ones. I am not sure in all the praise I might give the recording that it would be my definitive favorite. It wouldn't be the only one I'd want to have in my collection... but it contrasts very nicely with my instrumental versions and brings both smiles and appreciation to me while listening; between its moments of reverence, and those of humor.
I love music.
I write about the music I like and have purchased for the benefit of better understanding it and sharing my preferences with others.
