By RH112349
23-Feb-2011

Golden Bach  

Have you heard of Pi-Hsien Chen? I hadn't until recently and after hearing this disc, I wonder why. She is not one of the up and coming multitude of brilliant pianist currently cultivated in China. Born in 1950 in Taiwan of parents from mainland China, clearly she is a mature and serious artist.

The performance is clear and precise. The voicing of the parts is superb and the recording is fine. A friend, for whom I played the disc described it simply as "fast". I played it again for myself later and, yes it is fast, but it is still Bach. Probably it is not the greatest performance on record but I would place it amongst the better piano versions. I personally prefer the harpsichord in this work - especially the versions of Pinnock or Kirkpatrick but Chen plays in a way which reminds me frequently of the harpsichord. If you are not a fanatic and needed only one recording then you could well be content with this one.

After all, I am told that it was believed to be good enough to be purloined on behalf of the great Joyce Hatto.
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