Familiar Bach territory, but presented here in an interesting running order. The Schubler chorales are divided into three pairs and interspersed with the Toccatas. The CD begins with BWV564 rather than the better-known but inferior BWV565; full marks for such imaginative programming.
Any Bach player nowadays is entering a crowded field, but I’m happy to report that Butt holds his own against such distinguished competition. Throughout the CD there’s sparkling, virtuosic fingerwork and footwork, plus liberal, extrovert ornamentation. Indeed, Butt’s bold decoration of the last page of BWV565 (together with a final major chord) makes Koopman seem quite restrained. My only reservations are that there is a tendency to stress the strong beats in the BWV564 and 565 fugues. I found this, and also the inegale rhythms of the BWV538 fugue, wearisome after a while; Koopman’s natural, uninhibited flow is preferable. Also, I’m afraid Butt doesn’t convince me that manual changes in the BWV538 and 540 fugues are necessary. Nevertheless, this is excellent Bach playing, enhanced, I’m sure, by Butt’s experience as a harpsichordist, conductor and academic.
The fine Metzler organ suits Bach very well. Unfortunately, the microphone is placed too close to the Ruckpositiv, so the relationship between the three manual divisions is given a somewhat false perspective. Luckily the chapel has a clean, not-too-reverberant acoustic, so Butt’s sprightly playing comes across unhindered by the recording’s limitations.'