Eighteen months after his abrupt retirement at 82, Vladimir Ashkenazy is back with a rare recording.
Decca have paired his new set of Bach English suites with his first-ever Bach recording from 1965, the Concerto in D minor.
Good to have him back.
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Ashkenazy = Brilliant. giant among musicians.
Surely, ASHKENAZY’S BACH would’ve been a better heading – pardon the pun. Interesting to read about these recordings. I would never place Ashkenazy in my top set of Bach pianists, above Andras Schiff for instance, but I have his 2005 recording of Bach’s The Well – Tempered Clavier; maybe it’s time to re-evaluate these discs. Always good to hear of new Bach keyboard recordings being issued from such master pianists.
Andras Schiff should record the Kunst & the Offering.
He has said many times that he hopes to live long enough to understand the Kunst and then play it in public. Honest as ever. Admirable. I have heard him play a part of the Musikalisches Opfer (the Ricercar) not long ago. Maybe he will grant your wish and record all of it! But it’s not kind to say what you think Schiff
“should” be doing.
Shiff is boring in Bach !
Wonderful musician and a complete gentleman. So many of his piano recordings are an absolutely exquisite. I never did hear why he abruptly retired – does anyone know?
I totally agree. Having met him back in 2017 and spent some time with him, it’s possible there are some cognitive and hearing issues there combined with less invitations to conduct.
A very sensible decision to retire while he was still in the game. How much better than carrying on with declining faculties.
There were a handful of news articles that mentioned arthritis pain in his left hand as part of the reason he withdrew from playing in public.
He’s slowly losing his faculties, apparently. A great shame, but what a legacy. Extraordinary pianist, musician and complete gentleman. True class on all fronts.
I thought it was due to arthritis
This is great news. He has been recording so much Bach in the last couple years, might as well keep it going with the English Suites! (Can an Ashkenazy Goldbergs be on the horizon?)
It will be interesting to see when these Suites were recorded. Maybe earlier and only now approved?
Presto’s release info. does not mention the Concerto bonus (reissued on vinyl about three years ago and still available),
It is impossible not to love Ashkenazy! He is the nicest man in the music profession.
Most young people do not measure up to older generations, thus digging up old un-issued recordings can provide wonderful findings.
A suggestion to ’boutique labels’: find a Beethoven piano sonata cycle in some radio archive played by Detlef Kraus. There must be many recordings, since he played complete Beethoven cycles in 3 continents, and some of them should have good sound quality.
Delighted, I am. Thanks for letting us know.
Nothing to do with Bach, but you should really look up his first recording of Chopin’s Op. 10. Unbelievable, especially N°s 1 & 2.
Indeed I cherish his Chopin Nocturnes along with Barenboim’s