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22 JS. BACH_SIX SONATAS FOR VIOLINAND PIANO BWV1014-1019
How did you approach the choice of instrument?
N.D.:
For me, that wasn’t a problem, or even a question I asked myself. The
performer plays for the listeners of his or her time. There is, on the one hand, my
Stradivarius of 1713 and, on the other hand, a modern Steinway & Sons D. This
recording is anything but a ‘historical’ recording. We play ‘timeless’ music. The rest
is secondary.
J.P.:
One of the characteristics of Bach’s music is that it adapts to almost any
instrument. Bach himself ‘recycled’ his own pieces without that appearing in any
way inappropriate. In fact, playing on a modern piano is not a problem. I like to
explore the colours and nuances of the instrument, the limits being those of good
taste. However, because of the polyphonic nature of this music, we can ‘forget’ the
later innovations of the piano, such as the soft pedal. In addition, the harpsichord
offers great rhythmic clarity, and it requires a certain effort to obtain that on the
piano. For my part, I try to avoid major changes in dynamics, which is a slight
stylistic concession to harpsichord playing. That doesn’t preclude a contrasted
playing style, which allows for better articulation of touch.