Keith Jarrett plays Shostakovich

[moreno]

This afternoon a disk on a music store's shelf has caught my attention: Shostakovich's Preludes and Fugues played by Keith Jarrett.
Has anyone listened to it? If yes, what's your opinion?

[stenka razin]

I like the Jarrett Shosty P & F's as a lighter alternative to the grander and heavier Nikolayeva performance and the technical brilliance of the Ashenkazy version. Keith is recommended.

[moldyoldie]

Love it!

[Chalkperson]

He went thru a brief phase around 1999 where he recorded Classical Music, Handel's Flute Sonatas and Keyboard Suites, Bach's Flute and Gamba Sonatas, The French Suites, The WTC (Book 1 on Piano and Book 2 on Harpsichord), Goldberg Variations, and, lastly, Shosty's Preludes and Fugues...all are worth hearing...

[moldyoldie]

Jarrett's Shostakovich 24 Preludes & Fugues on ECM was actually released in '92...to much well-deserved critical ballyhoo, as I recall.

[Chalkperson]

Jarrett's Shostakovich 24 Preludes & Fugues on ECM was actually released in '92...to much well-deserved critical ballyhoo, as I recall.

Yes, he started recording Classical discs in about 1999 and continued for almost five years, he also did some Mozart Concerto discs, those I do not own...

[John F]

With a number of outstanding recordings by the likes of Tatiana Nikolayeva (whose Bach playing inspired Shostakovich to write the music and received its dedication), Vladimir Ashkenazy, and extensive selections by Sviatoslav Richter and Shostakovich himself, the only remarkable thing about Jarrett's recording is that he went to the trouble to make it. My preference is for Nikolayeva's earlier recording for the Soviet Melodiya label; the remake for Hyperion is much heavier going for her.

[moldyoldie]

He went thru a brief phase around 1999 where he recorded Classical Music, Handel's Flute Sonatas and Keyboard Suites, Bach's Flute and Gamba Sonatas, The French Suites, The WTC (Book 1 on Piano and Book 2 on Harpsichord), Goldberg Variations, and, lastly, Shosty's Preludes and Fugues...all are worth hearing...

Jarrett's Shostakovich 24 Preludes & Fugues on ECM was actually released in '92...to much well-deserved critical ballyhoo, as I recall.

Yes, he started recording Classical discs in about 1999 and continued for almost five years, he also did some Mozart Concerto discs, those I do not own...

Not to make an issue of it, Chalkie, but what I think we have here is a failure to communicate. I went to that "mostly useful" source called Wiki:

In addition to his classical work as a composer, Jarrett has also performed and recorded classical music for ECM New Series since the mid-1980s, including the following:

* Arvo Pärt, Fratres on Tabula Rasa with Gidon Kremer (1984)
* Johann Sebastian Bach, Das wohltemperierte Klavier, Book 1 (1987)
* Johann Sebastian Bach, Goldberg Variations (1989)
* Johann Sebastian Bach, Das wohltemperierte Klavier, Book 2 (1990)
* George Frideric Handel, Six Sonatas for Recorder and Harpsichord, with Michala Petri (1990)
* Dmitri Shostakovich, 24 Preludes and Fugues (1991)
* Johann Sebastian Bach, 3 Sonaten für Viola da Gamba und Cembalo (1991)
* Johann Sebastian Bach, The French Suites (1991)
* George Frideric Handel, Suites for Keyboard (1995)
* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Piano Concertos, Masonic Funeral Music, and Symphony in G Minor (1994)
* Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Piano Concertos and Adagio and Fugue (1996)

In 2004, Jarrett was awarded the Léonie Sonning Music Prize. The prestigious award usually associated with classical musicians and composers has only previously been given to one other jazz musician—Miles Davis. The first person to receive the award was Igor Stravinsky, in 1959.

Perhaps you're inadvertently transposing '99 for '89?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Jarrett

....the only remarkable thing about Jarrett's recording is that he went to the trouble to make it.

Perhaps, but Jarrett's recording was also "remarkable" for introducing me and others to Shostakovich's work for solo piano. That they were composed practically "on the spot" is also remarkable, much as Jarrett's famous "on the spot" solo concerts.

[maestrob]

With a number of outstanding recordings by the likes of Tatiana Nikolayeva (whose Bach playing inspired Shostakovich to write the music and received its dedication), Vladimir Ashkenazy, and extensive selections by Sviatoslav Richter and Shostakovich himself, the only remarkable thing about Jarrett's recording is that he went to the trouble to make it. My preference is for Nikolayeva's earlier recording for the Soviet Melodiya label; the remake for Hyperion is much heavier going for her.

John, I would very solidly recommend that you hear Konstantin Scherbakov: he's got a very special way with this great music:

[stenka razin]

With a number of outstanding recordings by the likes of Tatiana Nikolayeva (whose Bach playing inspired Shostakovich to write the music and received its dedication), Vladimir Ashkenazy, and extensive selections by Sviatoslav Richter and Shostakovich himself, the only remarkable thing about Jarrett's recording is that he went to the trouble to make it. My preference is for Nikolayeva's earlier recording for the Soviet Melodiya label; the remake for Hyperion is much heavier going for her.

John, I would very solidly recommend that you hear Konstantin Scherbakov: he's got a very special way with this great music:

maestrorob, I forgot about the Scherbakov. I have it, in addition to the Jarrett, Nikolayeva and the Ashkenazy and it
is a fine performance, well recorded. Scherbakov is wonderful.

Here is some of Scherbakov's Naxos Shosty (No. 7).

[Guitarist]

My favorite recording is Boris Petrushansky's on the Dynamic label.

[Seán]

I'm not familiar with Jarrett's classical output, however, I love his Jazz recordings.

[Chalkperson]

Not to make an issue of it, Chalkie, but what I think we have here is a failure to communicate.

Perhaps you're inadvertently transposing '99 for '89?

Yes Boss, I meant 1989, a slip of the fingers...

And, you know what, Boss, I forgot he was on that Arvo Part disc with Kremer, sorry, Boss, please don't make me spend a night in the Box...

[moreno]

Thanks to all for your replies.
I asked cause I thought that his jazz background might have given a different touch to the performance.

[moldyoldie]

Yes Boss, I meant 1989, a slip of the fingers...

And, you know what, Boss, I forgot he was on that Arvo Part disc with Kremer, sorry, Boss, please don't make me spend a night in the Box...

Okay. As is tradition, whenever anyone crosses the 12,000 post mark, we release one transgressor from The Box. It might as well be you.

...and don't call me Boss!

...I thought that his jazz background might have given a different touch to the performance.

I seem to recall hearing a few jazzy Jarrett-isms in his traversal, just subtle enough to give it "character" and remind one that Shostakovich was "of the age". I'll have to give it another spin. Whatever, it's not quite as much "character" as Linda Ronstadt gave Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance.

[Chalkperson]

Thanks to all for your replies.
I asked cause I thought that his jazz background might have given a different touch to the performance.

It's there, but, not too blatant, unfortunately he's up against Tatiana Nikolayeva's two traversals of these works so competition is fierce, I enjoyed his more than Vladimir Ashkenazy's however, there is a new set by Jenny Lin on Hanssler that is exceptionally well played and well worth looking into...

http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Dri ... ame_role=1

[maestrob]

Second the motion on Jenny Lin, but I still prefer Scherbakov.....

[Chalkperson]

Second the motion on Jenny Lin, but I still prefer Scherbakov.....

I am a huge Scherbakov fan, but, I prefer the Shostakovich of other pianists, and certainly not Ashkenazy...