J.S. Bach: Das Wohltempierte Klavier Buch I / Till Fellner

Youthful Viennese pianist Till Fellner has performed J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier to critical acclaim across Europe, and has made it the backbone of his recital repertoire. For this recording of Book I, Fellner performs the 24 preludes and fugues with a rich and full sound, yet with the refinement and fastidious control required in these comprehensive studies of Baroque keyboard technique. Articulation and balanced phrasing are of paramount importance, and Fellner's energies are directed to the clean execution of lines and the careful shading of contrapuntal voicings. What emotion he communicates is subtle and somewhat constrained to the contrasting characters of each pairing -- the preludes and fugues often play off each other -- yet his interpretations are quite colorful and varied over the course of the set. Neither cerebral nor effusive, Fellner renders the music in an appealing middle area between schools of interpretation, and achieves imaginative results that should please both traditionalists and fans of period practice. While some may find his tempi too brisk for comfort, and others may deem his pedaling to be excessive, these seem to be minor concerns since Fellner's performance is enjoyable as a whole. ECM's sound is well-balanced and full, and the recording is close enough to the piano without being intrusive.