Kenneth Gilbert now adds to his impressive list of recordings of Bach's solo harpsichord music the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in D minor (BWV903), the Fantasia in C minor (BWV906), and four of the seven Toccatas belonging to the composer's Weimar period. Where the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue are concerned Gilbert enters the list with formidable cohorts ranged in opposition. In total, 23 versions are currently included in The Classical Catalogue, some half of which are played on the harpsichord. Gilbert, it hardly needs saying, gives an accomplished performance, thoughtful, rhythmic and with virtuoso flourishes. Yet I find him less articulate, above all in the Fantasia, than Andreas Staier (Deutsche Harmonia Mundi/BMG). Gilbert's passagework here is less even than Staier's and he is not as per- suasive in its enharmonic 'recitative' section, which Staier punctuates with the clarity of a singer. In short, I feel that Staier combines intellect with virtuosity in a more communicative way than Gilbert. Reviews are not just about comparisons, though, and Gilbert is no intellectual lightweight; there are some imposing gestures in the Fugue and I liked the mobility with which he treats the subject in its introductory measures.
Turning to the Toccatas, Gilbert is the equal of Bob van Asperen (see review above) with clear articulation and rhythmic discipline though sometimes he takes a marginally more relaxed view of the music. Van Asperen's opening flourishes in the D major Toccata are tautly rhythmic and are not without a hint of aggression. Gilbert is gentler here and I prefer that to any hint of up-tightness which I may have occasionally felt in van Asperen's recital. Listeners should find plenty to admire in both versions, Gilbert perhaps being the more introspective and poetic of the two, though perhaps a shade over-serious.
To sum up, an impressive recital but Staier remains my first recommendation for the Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue. Excellent recorded sound.'