“There are some remarkable moments on these discs …remarkable as piano playing … Usually his tone is exquisitely cultivated, and Preludes such as the F minor, G minor and B flat minor are beautifully phrased; excellent, too, are quick, lithe ones like like the D major and D minor or the B flat major. Richter’s virtuosity is impressive in other Preludes such as the C minor and A minor. Of course, some Bach is very romantic and the Preludes in C sharp and E flat minor are very fine … I admire, also, the limpid sound of the C major and B minor Preludes; first and last in the first book, and Richter quickly responds to genre pieces like the D major Fugue, which is an ouverture a la francaise.” (Gramophone)

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rec. Salzburg 1970, 1972 & Vienna 1973