RALPH KIRKPATRICK the complete 1950's bach recordings on archiv. Box set 8 cd's

Kirkpatrick was a terrific player and a tremendous musician and his recordings of Bach on Archiv are as good as the best ever recorded. His technique was superb, and nothing in Bach, not the most gnarly passages nor the most gnomic pages, is beyond him.

His interpretations were sublime, and nothing in Bach, not the most exalted pages nor the funniest pages, is beyond him. On those grounds alone, Kirkpatrick's reputation is secure against the fashion of time. But aside from his technique and his interpretations, there was Kirkpatrick's tone: enormous but intimate, full but delicate, warm with overtones and partials, and clear with brightness and brilliance. It could be argued that no harpsichordist since Kirkpatrick played with a more robust, subtle, and beautiful tone.

Deutsche Grammophon's original sound was rich and deep in its time and this remastering is even better.