András Schiff: Clavichord (CD Review)

by Karl Nehring

J. S. Bach: (CD 1) Capriccio, BWV 992; Inventions, BWV 772-786; Four Duets, BWV 802-805; Ricercar à 3 from “Das Musikalische Opfer” BWV 1079; (CD 2) Sinfonias, BWV 787-801; Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, BWV 903. András Schiff, clavichord. ECM New Series 2635/36 485. 7948

Hungarian-born British pianist András Schiff (b. 1953) has a well-deserved reputation as an interpreter of the music of Bach. In the past, he made many highly regarded piano recordings of Bach’s keyboard music for the Decca label; more recently, he has begun to record Bach for ECM, including those pillars of the Bach repertoire, the Goldberg Variationsand The Well-Tempered Clavier. Those recordings were on the piano, while this latest release finds Schiff recording Bach not on a modern concert grand, nor even on a harpsichord, the other usual keyboard instrument of choice for Bach, but rather on the clavichord. In the liner notes Schiff writes, “on first hearing, the sound of the clavichord may seem unfamiliar and strange but, little by little, you will become accustomed to it. Then a new world will open up, like a quiet oasis in our noisy, troubled times. Thanks to the clavichord I now play and hear Bach differently – even on the modern piano: it’s all more detailed…When I’m at home, my day always begins with Bach. It used to be on the piano, now it’s on the clavichord, even before breakfast. After a few of the Inventions I feel reborn.” 

 Listeners unfamiliar with the sound of the clavichord might well be struck by the resemblance of its sound to that of the guitar, especially those listeners familiar with the sound of Bach’s music as played on the classical guitar, as on the album by master guitarist Jason Vieaux that we recently reviewed here. If you have not heard a clavichord before, that sound can be a surprise, but it soon draws you in to the music, being less powerful than a modern piano, less clangy-sounding than a fortepiano, less boisterous than a harpsichord. In his detailed account of the instrument in the liner text, the Belgian clavichord and organ maker Joris Potvlieghe traces the clavichord’s presence and reception back to the 14th century The period instrument used for this specific recording was built by Potvlieghe in 2003 and is a replica of the unfretted Specken clavichord of 1743. The album was recorded in the Kammermusik Saal of Bonn’s Beethoven-Haus. In Schiff’s hands, and those of engineer Stephan Schellmann, you will indeed be drawn in by the intimate sound of the clavichord in order to be delighted by the music of Bach.

 

From the fanciful episodes of the opening Capriccio, the more formal mastery of the Inventions, the exciting and highly entertaining Four Duets, and the melodies that seem to chase each other in the Ricercar, the first disc offers a colorful mix that Schiff presents with energy and enthusiasm. It does not take long at all before you forget the sound of the clavichord and find yourself listening not to the clavichord but to Bach, courtesy of Maestro Schiff.  Then it is on to the second disc, which begins with the 15 Sinfonias. Each Sinfonia is relatively brief, but each is expressive, and you can hear how Schiff digs in to offer little accents and ornamentations to make the music come to life. This is far from dry, sterile, academic Bach playing; however, you never get the sense that Schiff is showing off or trying to call attention to himself. The program closes with the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue, the Fantasia sounding when played on then clavichord much like music for Spanish guitar (not the first thing that normally pops to mind when thinking of the music of Bach), while the Fugue closes the album in classic Bach keyboard fashion, Schiff here making the clavichord sound more like a harpsichord.

The booklet that accompanies the discs includes two essays, which are offered in both English and German. The first is by Schiff, who writes about the how he learned to play the clavichord and how it has become his best teacher. The second essay is by clavichord maker Joris Potvlieghe, the detailed history of the clavichords as mentioned above; in addition, he provides some specifics on the particular instrument that was used by Schiff in this recording. Engineer Stephan Schellmann and producer Manfred Eicher captured the sound of that instrument in detailed, intimate, and quite natural sound quality that makes listening to this album a genuine pleasure.