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So who do we think the best Bach pianist is?
But for these works:
Goldberg
Well-Tempered
Art of Fugue
Just came across Pierre Laurent-Aimards Art of Fugue and very impressed.
What do people think and why?

Glenn Gould.

Why?

Because Glenn Gould.

Glenn Gould for me. My favorite pianist to. Glenn Gould is the pianist which keeps me playing the piano. As a muscian Glenn Gould did something new, werent as booring as many other pianists. If Bach had heard hes recordings he would call hes BWV.988 "The Gouldberg Variations" im sure.

I'm also very impressed by every Gould Bach recording I've heard. I could listen to him forever.

That's not to say that there aren't other great recordings, and I'm sure there are many fine ones of which I'm not even aware.

Apart from Gould, may I recommend:

for WTK, Tureck -- but only her BBC studio broadcast.
for AOF, Koroliov.
for Goldbergs, I don't prefer any piano version to Gould's final one, but my favorite Goldbergs is the Sitkovetsky adaptation for string trio, but only in the recording by Triskelion, a Canadian group. Incomparably witty and poetic, and no bow slashing.

My favorite piano recordings of Bach are of Carl Seeman performing the Six Partitas and Gyorgy Sandor playing transcriptions.

If you can get past the smug perfection and incessant ornamentation, Schiff's Bach is a delight. The range of colors and contrasts he gets is truly astounding - the exact opposite of Gould's equally incredible x-ray vision contrapuntal clarity.

Sokolov's Art of Fugue is absolutely magnificent, probably the finest single non-Gould Bach recording I've ever heard. Stylistically he occupies the middle ground between Gould and Schiff, and yet his idiomatic view of Bach on the piano is entirely his own.

Thanks Alden, that was worth a nice morning chuckle.

"Best" in what sense .... ?

I hate Gould.

Hewitt or Tureck for me

Whats wrong with Glenn Gould?
Best in youre personal taste i think BruceD. I hope you know what pianists you like?..

Schiff will perform both books of the WTC at Disney Hall in October, and I'm looking forward to that.

Of course I know what pianists I like. There is, however, no best for my taste in Bach or any other composer, as every good pianist has something to offer that I can enjoy and appreciate.

Regards,

Alright Bruce "Favorite" then, strongest interpretation in your opinion. Recording you get the most out of.
I like Gould a lot but I do find some of his Well Tempered a little dull- I'm working on the Fudue in F from book 2 and he plays it far too harpsichord like for me.

Gould cannot be the best. Although he certainly plays Bach's Goldberg Variations very well, he never plays the repeats as Bach wrote them!

Agree that Gould WTC leaves something to be desired. It almost comes across as disdainful for certain pieces (e.g. Book 2 Eb Prelude). I think I prefer Richter and Tureck... Tureck probably being the most musical... if only the recording was better quality.

Of course, Martha plays some of the best Bach ever. Not sure she would have ever had the temperament to play Goldberg with her aversion to monolithic solo pieces, but I treasure her Bach recording more than almost every other Bach recording, perhaps save Casals' Suites & both Gouldbergs.

Tureck for the Partitas (1949-50 recordings). I think these are unequalled. I like Gould as well though, having spent 30 years or so as a complete groupie I've learned that he was not 100% flawless in recent years. Still listen to him though.

Murray Perahia, hands down winner for me.

I dont see the problem why he dont play it like Bach wrote it? Its the same point as why should you record another Bach Concerto if its gonna sound like any of the others? This Gould was real clever.

He was, of course. Not only clever, but quite the genius. That doesn't, however, make him a great pianist (though he was, in many ways). It is too bad that he let himself get in the way so often and chose to pervert the music of so many composers. His Bach recordings are the reason we know of him and they are certainly ones that should be heard (notice I didn't say to LISTEN to them), but not aped. His ability to play counterpoint is something envied by many pianists and rarely reproduced at such a high level, but were it not for this extraordinary thing he would have been quite average.

Andrea Bacchetti's Bach is the best I've heard in recent years. Unless you're allergic to profuse ornamentation....