Christopher Parkening plays Bach
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Composer: Johann Sebastian BachComposer: Francois Couperin
Composer: George Frederick Handel
Composer: Alessandro Scarlatti
Composer: Robert de Visee
Composer: Sylvius Leopold Weiss
Performer: Christopher Parkening
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1990-10-25
Music Label: EMI Classics
Soundtracks:
- Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
- Prelude I (The Well-Tempered Clavier)
- Arr for guitar
- Prelude (arr for guitar)
- That Sheep May Safely Graze (arr for guitar)
- 5th Mvt, Gavotte 1 & 2
- Arr for guitar
- Wachet auf (arr for guitar)
- Minuet in D
- 6th Order No 5, Les Baricades Mist?rieuse
- Preambulo and Allegro Vivo
- Gavotte
- Sarabande and Variations
Music reviews of Christopher Parkening plays Bach
Music Review: Segovia's heir
Rating: 4 Stars
Mr. Parkening is the fortunate possessor of (in no particular order) excellent technique, beautiful tone, the endorsement of Segovia, a great deal of musical talent, and (so I am reliably informed) considerable good looks; and these very marketable (and indeed praiseworthy) things have helped to take him to the very top of the music world in the United States.
The present album includes the complete LP "Parkening plays Bach", plus five contemporary works from "Parkening and the Guitar", and is a good sample of his playing of the Baroque repertory. The total time is a shade over 55 minutes.
Despite this performer's popularity, two major criticisms have been levelled at his playing: one a question of fact, the other of taste.
It is indisputable that Mr. Parkening's interpretations (especially the early ones) owe a lot to Segovia's, and some (e.g. the Gavotte) are so close as to be carbon copies. Nevertheless, he has a definite (although much akin) musical personality of his own, which is evinced on several pieces that the Old Man never played. But more than this, I would recommend to you his playing even of the Segovia repertoire -- because it *isn't* just an imitation, he clearly *feels* the music the same way, and plays it with total conviction, beautiful sound, and -- a quality decreasingly in evidence these days -- punch.
The second charge is inextricably bound up with the first. The protagonist's interpretive orientation is clearly Romantic, and "too sugary" is a representative criticism. I understand this view, but by and large I don't find myself in sympathy with it. Although some of Mr. Parkening's transcriptions (especially the double-tracked ones) occasionally teeter towards the mawkish, they seldom tip over into vulgarity, and if the organ transcriptions are not quite to my taste, I found the playing of Handel, Weiss and Couperin* superb, making most other guitarists sound an?mic by comparison. The one total disaster on the album is BWV 998, which is castrated by the incomprehensible omission of the Fugue.
In summary, I found a lot to enjoy on this album; and if Segovia was your favourite guitarist, the chances are that you will too.
Disdaining not only a photograph but even a mention of the guitar, Angel have adorned the cover merely with the title, and the artist's arresting profile. Oh well, I suppose it's better than showing him sitting on a horse in a flimsy nightie (the guitarist, that is, not the horse).
*The harpist Nancy Allen loved this recording of "Les barricades myst?rieuses" so much that she was inspired to record it herself. Interestingly, the key here is D, although Mr. Parkening's published arrangement is in C. His secretary has acknowledged (2003) that he sometimes uses a capo to "[make] the piece sound more brilliant while keeping the best fingerings".
Bach, Johann Sebastian CDs
- Styles > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( B )
- Bolcom, William
- ( C ) > Couperin, Fran?ois
- ( S ) > Scarlatti, Alessandro
- Forms & Genres > Fugues
- Historical Periods > Baroque (c.1600-1750) > General
- Early Music
- Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > General Modern
- Opera & Vocal > Historical Periods > Classical (c.1770-1830)
- General
- Oratorios
- Vocal Non-Opera > Cantatas
- Oratorios
- Instruments > Strings > Cello
- Guitar
- Lute
- Symphonies > General
- General
- Chamber Music > General
- Bach, Johann Sebastian - Works by J.S. Bach
- Classical - Featured Composers, A-Z - ( C ) - Couperin, Fran?ois - General
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