Jazz pianist
Keith Jarrett has recorded a good number of classical albums, to generally positive reviews. However, this 1994 effort, made in
Jarrett's home studio and released by
ECM in 2023, stands somewhat apart from the rest. Excepting his album of music by the mystic
George Gurdjieff and excepting his own semi-jazz compositions, he has generally recorded music by
J.S. Bach and other well-known composers. In
J.S. Bach, he is meticulous and seemingly aware of the vast tradition at whose door he is knocking, but with
C.P.E. Bach here, he is in largely uncharted territory, and that seems to do him good. The music, from early in
C.P.E.'s career, was written originally for clavichord, an instrument
Jarrett has played from time to time; it might have been interesting to hear him try it here, though he cultivates a clean piano sound that works well.
C.P.E. seems a kindred spirit to
Jarrett; there is no attempt to add jazz moves to the music, but he is improvisatory, in a way, departing in a hundred fresh directions from the imposing example his father set.
Jarrett's readings are light and elegant. The last of the six sonatas is an early example of
C.P.E. Bach's darker empfindsamer Stil, and here, one might wish for a bit more oomph from
Jarrett. The usual attraction of top-tier sound from the
ECM isn't present in this case, but, unlike at least some of
Jarrett's other recordings, one might choose these as reference performances; other recordings on harpsichord don't catch the freshness of the music the way
Jarrett does. ~ James Manheim
![Bach: Goldberg Variations [1955 Recording]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/8719039006700_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Bach: Goldberg Variations [1955 Recording]")
