The line of great German pianists has not been extinguished, and the proof is this disc of Bach transcriptions by Bernd Glemser. Performing arrangements by Busoni, Hess, Kempff, and Rachmaninov, Glemser eschews mere virtuosity for profound musicality, the trademark of great German pianists from Schnabel through Kempff. This is not to say that Glemser's playing is not virtuosic. Anyone who gets through Busoni's arrangement of the Chaconne from the D minor Partita, who can accurately execute its delicate repeated notes, ...
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The line of great German pianists has not been extinguished, and the proof is this disc of Bach transcriptions by Bernd Glemser. Performing arrangements by Busoni, Hess, Kempff, and Rachmaninov, Glemser eschews mere virtuosity for profound musicality, the trademark of great German pianists from Schnabel through Kempff. This is not to say that Glemser's playing is not virtuosic. Anyone who gets through Busoni's arrangement of the Chaconne from the D minor Partita, who can accurately execute its delicate repeated notes, heroic double octaves and monumental sonorities, is clearly a first class virtuoso. But like his German predecessors, Glemser focuses on the depths in every work here. The singing tone of his legato in Kempff's transcription of the Siciliano in G minor, the graceful lyricism of his counterpoint in Busoni's arrangement of Wächet auf, and the joyful ease of his tempo rubato in Rachmaninov's transcription of the Gavotte from the E major Partita all sound utterly natural and ineffably moving...
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