Of complete sets I have heard:
Jando's set is correct and emotionally restrained (on Naxos). It is well worth a listen, but maybe not the best set.
Andras Schiff's renowned set is brilliant if you want to study these pieces, clear, intelligent, well-performed, idiomatic.
Richter however brings all that, plus the feeling, the depth, an immediate sense that 'this is right' for each piece and its the mood and character; much as the Chopin etudes need a masterful performer to bring the light onto each piece and differentiate one set of flashing, arpeggiated notes from the other.
While the Schiff set is a benchmark, with jewel-like recording quality, and of very high value: for enjoyment, listeners will probably find they could play one disc, after another, after another, after another, of the Richter set. Flowing, river-like, fulfilling, performances of this packed treasure chest of Western art.
To choose: Schiff for perfection, but: Richter, for enjoyment. If you only had to listen to one set before the end of the world, it will be Richter's.
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Bach,J.S: Well-Tempered Clavier (Complete)
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Audio CD, Audiobook, Box set, 6 November 2001
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Product details
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- Product Dimensions : 12.6 x 14.2 x 2.79 cm; 142.03 Grams
- Manufacturer : RCA IMPORT
- Manufacturer reference : 035626094928
- Original Release Date : 2001
- SPARS Code : ADD
- Label : RCA IMPORT
- ASIN : B000026OHN
- Number of discs : 4
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Best Sellers Rank:
6,016 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
- 93 in Solo Instrumental
- 194 in Chamber Music
- Customer Reviews:
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Product description
Russian pianist Sviatoslov Richter's performance of one of Western civilizations greatest musical Works is no less astounding today that it was when it was first released. Even more amazing is the fact that Richter learned the second book of this musical collection by heart in only one month! His renderings are true to the pieces as they were originally written, before Glenn Gould revolutionized the way they would be played.
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Customer reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
223 global ratings
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OWENTD
5.0 out of 5 stars
Flowing, organic, irresistible, greatest of all
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 December 2018Verified Purchase
5 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars
From the sublime to the ridiculous is but one step - Bonaparte
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 December 2020Verified Purchase
Richter's performance of Bach's 48 Preludes and Fugues are sublime, it goes without saying. Most negative comments are directed against the ridiculous sound quality. To be fair to RCA and Melodiya, everything that went wrong was none of their fault really. The piano used was not the usual Steinway but a Bosendorfer, the Rolls Royce of pianos made in, of course, Austria. It has an unusual sound. Richter famously preferred the Bosendorfer over Steinways, and, surprisingly, he was also a staunch fan of Yamaha. Ironically, Yamaha, a best selling piano especially among children learning the piano, bought the Bosendorfer factory. Hence, if the sound in this recording sounds somewhat like a Yamaha, you know why. To someone with perfect pitch, it upsets me that he had the piano tuned a semitone sharper. Then, Richter wanted the microphones to be placed out of sight. That is why the piano sounded so distant, with a lot of reverberations. I recently upgraded my hifi and I can say that the piano image is quite solid, about 10 yards behind the speakers. Those who are used to recordings of the piano where the microphone is placed about 10 inches from the strings would find this recording terribly unfocused. Moreover, the venue was not a studio but the Klessheim Castle (Schloss) in Salzburg. Hitler used it to meet Mussolini and was nearly assassinated there. President Nixon also visited it. As you can see in the accompanying picture, this elegant and historical palace has now been turned into a casino. How ridiculous!

4.0 out of 5 stars
From the sublime to the ridiculous is but one step - Bonaparte
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 December 2020
Richter's performance of Bach's 48 Preludes and Fugues are sublime, it goes without saying. Most negative comments are directed against the ridiculous sound quality. To be fair to RCA and Melodiya, everything that went wrong was none of their fault really. The piano used was not the usual Steinway but a Bosendorfer, the Rolls Royce of pianos made in, of course, Austria. It has an unusual sound. Richter famously preferred the Bosendorfer over Steinways, and, surprisingly, he was also a staunch fan of Yamaha. Ironically, Yamaha, a best selling piano especially among children learning the piano, bought the Bosendorfer factory. Hence, if the sound in this recording sounds somewhat like a Yamaha, you know why. To someone with perfect pitch, it upsets me that he had the piano tuned a semitone sharper. Then, Richter wanted the microphones to be placed out of sight. That is why the piano sounded so distant, with a lot of reverberations. I recently upgraded my hifi and I can say that the piano image is quite solid, about 10 yards behind the speakers. Those who are used to recordings of the piano where the microphone is placed about 10 inches from the strings would find this recording terribly unfocused. Moreover, the venue was not a studio but the Klessheim Castle (Schloss) in Salzburg. Hitler used it to meet Mussolini and was nearly assassinated there. President Nixon also visited it. As you can see in the accompanying picture, this elegant and historical palace has now been turned into a casino. How ridiculous!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 December 2020
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Destiny Clemens
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great bargain at little over £10 and surely the no
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 23 May 2016Verified Purchase
Bach playing of the very highest order. Among Richter's vast canon of legendary recordings, his WTC is unsurpassed for spiritual, musical and inspirational beauty. I have lived with these recordings for 10 years and never grow tired of hearing them. The choice of a warm-toned piano in a slightly reverberant accoustic may take some getting used to, but still sounds entirely natural. The interpretations are soulful and romantic yet timeless in their fidelity to the purity or Bach's soundworld. Listening for instance to Book 1, no. 4 in C sharp minor, is an experience of unforgettable intensity. No other keyboard player comes close to this level of sympathy and profundity. Technique is flawless yet entirely subsumed in mystical communion with the essence of the music... Music that is completely timeless and very spiritually rejuvenating. A great bargain at little over £10 and surely the no.1 recommendation among all versions of the WTC.
6 people found this helpful
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Colin Y.
5.0 out of 5 stars
J S Bach Should Hear This.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 February 2016Verified Purchase
Can't play it enough- completely takes over my time unless I'm careful. Astounding tunefulness with immense meaning and harmony somehow- wouldn't usually think one man and a piano could do all this at once. Bach should hear this! What a pianist! Couldn't somebody clone him?
3 people found this helpful
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A. F. B. Pearce
5.0 out of 5 stars
i love his playing and the sound of his piano
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 October 2014Verified Purchase
replacement for a vinyl version. i love his playing and the sound of his piano. No nonsense approach. He makes full use of piano to highlight some of the melody within the fugues especially, but this is never over the top. He is very capable of being intimate at the right moment. To he just lets the music speak for itself.
2 people found this helpful
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