Review on Ashkenazy's Bach Well-Tempered Clavier

When this CD was just released, I thought much about whether I should buy this work. There are already so many master interpretations, including those played by Glenn Gould, Richter, Tureck, Nikolayeva, and Schiff. And there were quite few reviews about this new work by Ashkenazy when it was just released.

But I still gave it a try. And, WOW!, I am glad that I have made the purchase decision. As a pianist, Ashkenazy seldom dissatisfies his audiences recently. His Shostakovich Preludes & Fugues is a good example. And this Bach Well-Tempered Clavier is no exception. The style of the whole work is a little like Sviatoslav Richter PLUS Glenn Gould. The rhythm is rich, fresh and colorful with the spiritual sound produced by Ashkenazy's beautifully using the pedals. If someone wonders whether it is bland, I can tell you it definitely is not. Ashkenazy possesses the animation of Glenn Gould but proceeds without GG's sometimes eccentricity. Ashkenazy expresses the beautiful sound and smooth rhythm of Sviatoslav Richter but bounces and rocks more! However, in addition to all the above features, you can still feel and appreciate Ashkenazy's unique understanding of this classic. And his uniqueness is pretty.

This is a masterwork played by a master. Take it, and put it among those previous interpretations. We have a new classic.