Release Date: 27 July 2018
Label: First Hand Records
Packaging Type: Box Set
No of Units: 4
Barcode: 5060216346465
Genres: Classical Solo Instrumental
Description
Pianist Alexandra Papstefanou performs The Well-Tempered Clavier, Books I and II in a complete 4CD recording of the works.
One of the greatest achievements in musical composition history, The Well-Tempered Clavier of Johann Sebastian Bach, is a collection of two sets of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys. It seems both books, composed two decades apart, were written primarily for educative personal and private use in the home – probably to be played on the intimate clavichord.
Alexandra Papstefanou graduated from Athens Conservatoire, where she studied piano under Aliki Vatikioti. She followed her studies with Olga Zhukova at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, with Peter Solymos, at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and, on a scholarship from the Alexander Onassis Foundation, at the University of Indiana in Bloomington, USA, with the highly influencial teacher György Sebok. She has also taken lessons from Alfred Brendel.
Papastefanou was a finalist at the Clara Haskil Competition in Switzerland and received the Liebstoeckl and Fazioli Prizes at the International Geneva Competition, as well as the Spyros Motsenigos Prize from the Academy of Athens.
She has performed all of Bach's keyboard works and, in a series of recitals, has presented his complete Well-Tempered Clavier, Goldberg Variations, The Art of Fugue, and The Musical Offering as well as his keyboard concertos.
Papstafanou performs keyboard music from the Baroque through to modern repertoire including the music of George Crumb, Gyorgy Ligeti, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Toru Takemitsu. She has performed solo and chamber recitals, concertos across Europe (Germany, France, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain, the Czech Republic, Russia, Finland and Hungary), the United States and Canada.
Recording of the Month, July 2018 - MusicWeb International
'Cowen's Sure Shot'
"A remarkable recording of Bach on the piano. The recording venue Athens, the pianist Alexandra Papastefanou who has also studied composition, which will help explain why her performances are so appreciative and perceptive. Her new album of both books of Bach's 48 Preludes and Fugues, also known as the Well-Tempered Clavier, is quite remarkable. Wonderful how Papastefanou varies the rhythm and highlights counterpoint from the inside of the music, rather like watching a three-dimensional side-show of warmly shaded falling petals. Such variety of tone colour, significantly heightened intensity too. This is Bach playing with a purpose, and to compound the effect she repeats both halves of the Preludes and Fugues. So an epic journey all-round, one you just have to make time for.... well I reckon that's a really worthy Sure Shot" Rob Cowan, Classical FM on 21st July, 2018
Tracklisting available separately.
Tracklisting
Noxwode, Conor Gricmanis
Tessa Lark, Jon Batiste, Michael Cleveland, Sierra Hull, Edgar Meyer
David de Winter and The Brook Street Band
Alexander Baillie & Nigel Yandell
Orquestra Sinfonica Portuguesa; Alvaro Cassuto
The Flautadors Recorder Quartet
The Telling
Sarah Cahill
Alexandra Papastefanou
Alexandra Papastefanou
Alexandra Papastefanou
Alexandra Papastefanou
