Friedrich Gulda – Bach: Das wohltemperierte Klavier [4 SACDs] (1972-1973/2020) [SACD / MPS x Tower Records – 0301659BC]

Title: Friedrich Gulda – Bach: Das wohltemperierte Klavier [4 SACDs] (1972-1973/2020)
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO

90th anniversary of Gurda’s birth and 20th anniversary of his death, one of Gurda’s greatest masterpieces recorded on MPS from 1972 to the following year. The latest reissue reproduces a variety of touches and textures better than ever before! Mastered only in the analog domain and converted directly to DSD! New reissue from the original MPS analog tape in Japan. Excellent recording. World’s first SACD release! This is a masterpiece among masterpieces, session-recorded by MPS, a former West German jazz label, from 1972 to the following year. The brilliant technique and rare inspiration of Goulda, who was in his early 40s at the time of recording, have long reigned as the top historical recording of the “law of averages” played on the piano. They have been reissued many times since the LP era, but their sudden revival on the MPS label in 2015 on CD brought back their fresh, crisp tone and made a huge impact on fans and non-fans alike. This latest reissue is not only the first SACD, but it is also a permanent reissue with the original jacket design. The MPS label was sold to Polygram in 1983, and in the CD era was reissued on the PHILIPS label, but in 2014 it was transferred to the Edel Group, which owns Berlin Classics and other labels. Later, in June 2015, the aforementioned CD, reissued from the original analog master tapes stored at MPS, was released, and as you know it was quite controversial at the time. The CD is no longer available, but for this reissue, the original MPS analog master tapes were used, and the mastering was done by the famous engineer Christoph Stickel, just as we have done for the previous Berlin Classics releases. The mastering was done with the utmost care to preserve the best possible sound quality in the package, so you can enjoy Gulda’s performance with more precision and density than ever before. The piano tone has a heavy weight to it, and the sound is more natural and easier to listen to than ever before. The more you listen to this superb masterpiece, the more deeply you will appreciate it, and it has been beautifully revived in high sound quality. 

For this reissue, the master tapes were flown from the label to Vienna-based mastering engineer Christoph Stickel’s studio, mastered in the analog domain, and then digitized using separate systems for DSD for the SACD layer and PCM for the CD layer. The project was then digitized into a product. This project realized the ideal method of mastering as far as currently conceivable. The effect is remarkable: it is possible to reproduce the quality of the master tapes with extreme fidelity, and the mastering in the analog domain only and direct DSD conversion have further enhanced the sound quality. The manual also includes a photograph of the outer box of the original analog master tape used in this project. ＜Mastering engineer (including DSD conversion): Mr. Christoph Stickel – in Vienna. He was in charge of mastering the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra’s self-produced recordings as well as the ECM SACD project (2017~) for Tower’s Jazz project. SACD layer: Directly converted to DSD after mastering in the analog domain from a new analog master tape in the home country CD layer: Similarly mastered in the analog domain. CD layer: Similarly mastered in analog domain, digitized at 96kHz/24bit in high quality, then converted to 44.1kHz/16bit Each digital data is not transmitted, but flown in on an optical disc 

hraudio | tower.jp | discogs

Tracklist:

Disc 1
Erster Teil (BWV 846 – 869)
01. Praludium Nr.1 C-Dur BWV846 (2:10)
02. Fuge Nr.1 C-Dur BWV846 (3:11)
03. Praludium Nr.2 c-moll BWV847 (2:14)
04. Fuge Nr.2 c-moll BWV847 (2:17)
05. Praludium Nr.3 Cis-Dur BWV848 (1:11)
06. Fuge Nr.3 Cis-Dur BWV848 (2:21)
07. Praludium Nr.4 cis-moll BWV849 (1:57)
08. Fuge Nr.4 cis-moll BWV849 (3:54)
09. Praludium Nr.5 D-Dur BWV850 (1:09)
10. Fuge Nr.5 D-Dur BWV850 (2:04)
11. Praludium Nr.6 d-moll BWV851 (1:20)
12. Fuge Nr.6 d-moll BWV851 (2:19)
13. Praludium Nr.7 Es-Dur BWV852 (3:34)
14. Fuge Nr.7 Es-Dur BWV852 (1:45)
15. Praludium Nr.8 es-moll BWV853 (4:32)
16. Fuge Nr.8 es-moll BWV853 (6:02)
17. Praludium Nr.9 E-Dur BWV854 (1:24)
18. Fuge Nr.9 E-Dur BWV854 (1:07)
19. Praludium Nr.10 e-moll BWV855 (2:20)
20. Fuge Nr.10 e-moll BWV855 (1:08)
21. Praludium Nr.11 F-Dur BWV856 (0:57)
22. Fuge Nr.11 F-Dur BWV856 (1:17)
23. Praludium Nr.12 f-moll BWV857 (1:40)
24. Fuge Nr.12 f-moll BWV857 (5:24)
25. Praludium Nr.13 Fis-Dur BWV858 (1:43)
26. Fuge Nr.13 Fis-Dur BWV858 (2:26)
27. Praludium Nr.14 fis-moll BWV859 (0:55)
28. Fuge Nr.14 fis-moll BWV859 (4:31)
29. Praludium Nr.15 G-Dur BWV860 (0:52)
30. Fuge Nr.15 G-Dur BWV860 (2:35)

Disc 2
Erster Teil (BWV 846 – 869)
01. Praludium Nr.16 g-moll BWV861 (1:35)
02. Fuge Nr.16 g-moll BWV861 (2:54)
03. Praludium Nr.17 As-Dur BWV862 (1:35)
04. Fuge Nr.17 As-Dur BWV862 (2:57)
05. Praludium Nr.18 gis-moll BWV863 (1:37)
06. Fuge Nr.18 gis-moll BWV863 (5:21)
07. Praludium Nr.19 A-Dur BWV864 (0:50)
08. Fuge Nr.19 A-Dur BWV864 (1:44)
09. Praludium Nr.20 a-moll BWV865 (1:07)
10. Fuge Nr.20 a-moll BWV865 (4:25)
11. Praludium Nr.21 B-Dur BWV866 (1:10)
12. Fuge Nr.21 B-Dur BWV866 (1:23)
13. Praludium Nr.22 b-moll BWV867 (3:19)
14. Fuge Nr.22 b-moll BWV867 (3:32)
15. Praludium Nr.23 H-Dur BWV868 (1:03)
16. Fuge Nr.23 H-Dur BWV868 (3:32)
17. Praludium Nr.24 h-moll BWV869 (8:23)
18. Fuge Nr.24 h-moll BWV869 (8:14)
Zweiter Teil (BWV 870 – 893)
19. Praludium Nr.1 C-Dur BWV870 (2:16)
20. Fuge Nr.1 C-Dur BWV870 (1:51)
21. Praludium Nr.2 c-moll BWV871 (3:14)
22. Fuge Nr.2 c-moll BWV871 (3:46)
23. Praludium Nr.3 Cis-Dur BWV872 (1:42)
24. Fuge Nr.3 Cis-Dur BWV872 (2:00)

Disc 3
Zweiter Teil (BWV 870 – 893)
01. Praludium Nr.4 cis-moll BWV873 (3:33)
02. Fuge Nr.4 cis-moll BWV873 (1:56)
03. Praludium Nr.5 D-Dur BWV874 (4:51)
04. Fuge Nr.5 D-Dur BWV874 (3:18)
05. Praludium Nr.6 d-moll BWV875 (1:28)
06. Fuge Nr.6 d-moll BWV875 (1:49)
07. Praludium Nr.7 Es-Dur BWV876 (2:54)
08. Fuge Nr.7 Es-Dur BWV876 (2:52)
09. Praludium Nr.8 dis-moll BWV877 (4:02)
10. Fuge Nr.8 dis-moll BWV877 (5:14)
11. Praludium Nr.9 E-Dur BWV878 (5:05)
12. Fuge Nr.9 E-Dur BWV878 (4:08)
13. Praludium Nr.10 e-moll BWV879 (2:44)
14. Fuge Nr.10 e-moll BWV879 (2:22)
15. Praludium Nr.11 F-Dur BWV880 (2:12)
16. Fuge Nr.11 F-Dur BWV880 (1:58)
17. Praludium Nr.12 f-moll BWV881 (5:12)
18. Fuge Nr.12 f-moll BWV881 (3:22)
19. Praludium Nr.13 Fis-Dur BWV882 (3:05)
20. Fuge Nr.13 Fis-Dur BWV882 (2:42)
21. Praludium Nr.14 fis-moll BWV883 (3:13)
22. Fuge Nr.14 fis-moll BWV883 (7:20)

Disc 4
Zweiter Teil (BWV 870 – 893)
01. Praludium Nr.15 G-Dur BWV884 (3:21)
02. Fuge Nr.15 G-Dur BWV884 (1:49)
03. Praludium Nr.16 g-moll BWV885 (2:50)
04. Fuge Nr.16 g-moll BWV885 (2:56)
05. Praludium Nr.17 As-Dur BWV886 (4:00)
06. Fuge Nr.17 As-Dur BWV886 (2:46)
07. Praludium Nr.18 gis-moll BWV887 (5:46)
08. Fuge Nr.18 gis-moll BWV887 (2:37)
09. Praludium Nr.19 A-Dur BWV888 (2:12)
10. Fuge Nr.19 A-Dur BWV888 (1:46)
11. Praludium Nr.20 a-moll BWV889 (4:43)
12. Fuge Nr.20 a-moll BWV889 (2:02)
13. Praludium Nr.21 B-Dur BWV890 (6:46)
14. Fuge Nr.21 B-Dur BWV890 (2:06)
15. Praludium Nr.22 b-moll BWV891 (4:21)
16. Fuge Nr.22 b-moll BWV891 (7:09)
17. Praludium Nr.23 H-Dur BWV892 (1:38)
18. Fuge Nr.23 H-Dur BWV892 (3:51)
19. Praludium Nr.24 h-moll BWV893 (3:03)
20. Fuge Nr.24 h-moll BWV893 (2:24)

Personnel:

Friedrich Gulda, piano

Note:

(1-1)-(2-18) Recorded at the MPS-Tonstudio, Villingen in IV.1972
(2-19)-(4-20) Recorded at the MPS-Tonstudio, Villingen in V.1973
Pure analogue remastering and direct conversion to DSD by Christoph Stickel

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