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The star of this three-disc set is the instrument being played, a three-manual German harpsichord built by Hieronymus Albrecht Hass in 1740. A wonderfully informative accompanying booklet describes the quest by Wanda Landowska and Rafael Puyana, spanning most of the 20th Century, to recover and restore this unique masterpiece of harpsichord making. Be prepared to set aside your usual expectations of what a harpsichord can sound like—expectations formed by the dominance of French and Flemish examples in the 20th Century harpsichord revival. The Hass instrument reveals “a conception of sound akin to that of the organ,” the instrument most associated with Bach, who was at the height of his powers when it was constructed. With registers ranging from 2’ to 16’ and both a lute and a harp stop, it offers a sound palette ideal for Bach’s music.
Puyana seems to step back and let the instrument speak for itself. His tempos tend to be slightly slower than one usually hears from modern performers, as if to allow the listener to luxuriate in the rich, powerful, ever-varied sound of the strings. His interpretation emphasizes contrasts in tone colors, rather than in rhythm and articulation, to achieve a grand expressive effect. He may not follow contemporary Northern European tastes in Baroque performance practice, but he does offer a sonic experience of Bach’s music not to be missed.
If you love the sound of the harpsichord in all its glory, you will love this recording.
