Other artists, of course, have recorded the 48 on the piano – Schiff and Nikolaieva among the more recent; but the former’s rubatos, tempos and ornaments are sometimes questionable, and the latter plays Bach as if he were Schumann. My colleague JD was completely won over by Jando’s Book 2 of the 48 (1/96), and I find myself now echoing his praise. Jando is an eminently sane, no-nonsense artist in total control throughout, who phrases perceptively and gives each movement real character. He is devoid of mannerisms and eccentricities, with a feeling for period style; his playing is tonally sensitive without overdoing gradations of dynamics, firmly rhythmical without either stiffness or anachronistic rubatos, convincingly pianistic (no misconceived imitations of the harpsichord) but not indulging in latter-day approaches or inappropriate kinds of articulation. He adopts intelligent tempos (occasionally exhilaratingly fast, as in the G major Prelude) and gets his ornaments right; and his part-playing is illuminating, though avoiding ‘hunt the slipper’ accentuation of fugal entries. He appears to be using one of the up-to-date (1989) editions of the works based (unlike many now current, even Tovey’s) on Bach’s autograph fair copy in the Deutsche Staatsbibliothek, Berlin – either Durr’s Neue Bach Ausgabe or Richard Jones’s admirable edition for the Association Board.
One of the notorious pitfalls for piano interpretations of Book 1 is the E flat minor Prelude. Jando takes it with due gravity, slower than would be effective on the harpsichord but without becoming maudlin (though at times faintly humming to himself, as he also does elsewhere): the relevant fugue (in the enharmonic key of D sharp minor: I’ve never understood why) is an outstanding example of his finely judged control. His rhythmic propulsion and sense of continuity are perhaps best exemplified in the colossal B minor and A minor Fugues; but he also shows splendid vitality in the D minor and E major Preludes and the E minor Fugue, and great vigour in his F sharp minor and A minor Preludes and G minor Fugue.
This set wins my wholehearted admiration; and at its low price it is indeed a super-bargain that I recommend with enthusiasm.
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