Rosalyn Tureck

ROSALYN TURECK (1914-2003)
American pianist and harpsichordist

Rosalyn Tureck was a phenomenal pianist. Her Bach left nothing to be desired. Were I not a passionate devotee of Glenn Gould's playing, I would dare to suggest that there might be little reason to listen to anyone else play this magnificent body of work. I am gratified to note that in this, Gould shared my enthusiasm . He credited Tureck with having a significant influence over his own playing.

In case you should get Bach-ed out before you reach the bottom of this page, be advised. There are performances by Rosalyn Tureck of pieces by Liszt, Debussy and others that will knock your socks off.

Rosalyn Tureck studied piano with Olga Samaroff, among others, and harpsichord with Gavin Williamson. She Astounded the jury at her audition to the Juilliard school in New York at the age of 16 by playing most of Bach's 48 Preludes and Fugues from memory. She was fascinated by technology learning to play the Theremin and taking an active role in the development of the electric piano. She wrote books including Introduction to the Performance of Bach (an impressive three volume tome). She taught at Juilliard, at Columbia University, at the Mannes School of music, and at Oxford, to name only a few.

Rosalyn Tureck had a spectacular performing career, specializing in Bach, of course, and often performing with conductors of the stature of Dmitri Mitropoulos and Eugene Ormandy. And she was a conductor, founding her own orchestra, the Tureck Bach Players, and becoming the first woman to conduct the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra of London. In short, an amazing woman.

Perhaps my most favorite of Rosalyn Tureck's performances on this page is of the Schubert second Moment Musical. Don't miss it.

Telemann Keyboard Suite in A major, TWV 32:14
(formerly attributed to Bach as BWV 824)

I Allemande
03:20 II Courante
05:23 III Gigue

recorded in 1981

Bach Suite in F major, BWV 823

I Prelude
01:41 II Sarabande
04:39 III Gigue

recorded in 1981

Bach Partitas, Goldberg Variations and other works

Partita 1 in B♭ major, BWV 825

I Praeludium
02:15 II Allemande
06:19 III Corrente
09:18 IV Sarabande
16:55 V Menuet I & II
21:04 VI Giga

Partita 3 in A minor, BWV 827

23:22 I Fantasia
25:21 II Allemande
28:13 III Corrente
31:39 IV Sarabande
36:47 V Burlesca
39:08 VI Scherzo
40:24 VII Gigue

Partita 6 in E minor, BWV 830

43:59 I Toccata
52:41 II Allemande
56:01 III Corrente
1:00:54 IV Air
1:02:30 V Sarabande
1:11:06 VI Tempo di gavotta
1:13:23 VII Gigue

Partita 2 in C minor, BWV 826

1:19:31 I Sinfonia
1:24:54 II Allemande
1:30:36 III Courante
1:33:06 IV Sarabande
1:38:00 V Rondeaux
1:39:33 VI Capriccio

Partita 4 in D major, BWV 828

1:43:14 I Ouverture
1:50:19 II Allemande
1:59:22 III Courante
2:03:23 IV Aria
2:05:59 V Sarabande
2:10:29 VI Menuet
2:12:17 VII Gigue

Partita 5 in G major, BWV 829

2:16:45 I Preambulum
2:19:35 II Allemande
2:23:40 III Corrente
2:25:56 IV Sarabande
2:30:56 V Tempo di minuetto
2:32:58 VI Passepied
2:34:44 VII Gigue

“Goldberg” Variations, BWV 988 (rec 1957)

2:40:26 Aria
2:46:34 Variation I - a 1 Clav
2:49:10 Variation II - a 1 Clav
2:51:47 Variation III - Canone all'Unisono a 1 Clav
2:54:17 Variation IV - a 1 Clav
2:55:51 Variation V - a 1 ovvero 2 Clav
2:57:47 Variation VI - Canone alla Seconda a 1 Clav
2:59:58 Variation VII - a 1 ovvero 2 Clav Al tempo di Giga
3:02:08 Variation VIII - a 2 Clav
3:04:08 Variation IX - Canone alla Terza a 1 Clav
3:06:47 Variation X - Fughetta a 1 Clav
3:08:54 Variation XI - a 2 Clav
3:11:14 Variation XII - Canone alla Quarta a 1 Clav
3:15:42 Variation XIII - a 2 Clav
3:19:35 Variation XIV - a 2 Clav
3:21:53 Variation XV - Canone alla Quinta in moto contrario a 1 Clav Andante
3:27:26 Variation XVI - Ouverture a 1 Clav
3:30:38 Variation XVII - a 2 Clav
3:32:39 Variation XVIII - Canone alla Sesta a 1 Clav
3:34:24 Variation XIX - a 1 Clav
3:35:57 Variation XX - a 2 Clav
3:38:09 Variation XXI - Canone alla Settina a 1 Clav
3:41:45 Variation XXII - Alla breve a 1 Clav
3:43:37 Variation XXIII - a 2 Clav
3:45:59 Variation XXIV - Canone all'Ottava a 1 Clav
3:50:11 Variation XXV - a 2 Clav Adagio
3:59:04 Variation XXVI - a 2 Clav
4:01:27 Variation XXVII - Canone alla Nona a 2 Clav
4:03:55 Variation XXVIII - a 2 Clav
4:06:39 Variation XXIX. A 1 ovvero 2 Clav
4:08:51 Variation XXX - Quodlibet a 1 Clav
4:10:58 Aria

French Overture in B minor, BWV 831

4:14:26 I Overture
4:22:56 II Courante
4:25:09 III Gavotte I & II
4:30:18 IV Passepied I & II
4:33:11 V Sarabande
4:37:57 VI Bourree I & II
4:41:33 VII Gigue
4:44:45 VII Echo

Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971

4:48:15 I (Allegro)
4:52:25 II Andante
4:57:39 III Presto

Four Duets

5:01:47 Duetto 1 in E minor, BWV 802
5:05:17 Duetto 2 in F major, BWV 803
5:09:05 Duetto 3 in G major, BWV 804
5:12:52 Duetto 4 in A minor, BWV 805

Bach English Suite 3 in G minor, BWV 808

I Prelude
02:55 II Allemande
06:38 III Courante
08:37 IV Sarabande
12:33 V Gavotte I, Gavotte II
16:52 VI Gigue

Bach Well Tempered Clavier Book I, BWV 846-869

recorded in 1953

Bach Fugues from Well Tempered Clavier Book II

recorded in 1976

Fugue 1 in C major, BWV 870
Fugue 2 in C minor, BWV 871
Fugue 3 in C♯ major, BWV 872
Fugue 4 in C♯ minor, BWV 873
Fugue 5 in D major, BWV 874

Fugue 6 in D minor, BWV 875
Fugue 7 in E♭ major, BWV 876
Fugue 8 in D♯ minor, BWV 877
Fugue 9 in E major, BWV 878

Fugue 10 in E minor, BWV 879
Fugue 11 in F major, BWV 880
Fugue 12 in F minor, BWV 881
Fugue 13 in F♯ major, BWV 882

Fugue 14 in F♯ minor, BWV 883
Fugue 15 in G major, BWV 884
Fugue 16 in G minor, BWV 885
Fugue 17 in A♭ major, BWV 886

Fugue 22 in B♭ minor, BWV 891
Fugue 23 in B major, BWV 892
Fugue 24 in B minor, BWV 893

Bach Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 895

1962 video

Bach Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, BWV 903

recorded on the harpsichord in 1981

recorded in 1990

recorded in 1995

Bach “Goldberg” Variations, BWV 988

recorded in 1988

Aria
04:46 Variation 1 - 07:02 Variation 2 - 09:01 Variation 3 - 11:15 Variation 4
12:31 Variation 5 - 14:22 Variation 6 - 16:16 Variation 7 - 18:16 Variation 8
20:16 Variation 9 - 22:20 Variation 10 - 24:18 Variation 11 - 26:49 Variation 12
28:37 Variation 13 - 32:04 Variation 14 - 34:19  Variation 15 - 36:42 Variation 16
39:36  Variation 17 - 41:41 Variation 18 - 43:11 Variation - 19 - 44:28 Variation 20
46:41 Variation 21 - 49:23 Variation 22 - 51:07  Variation 23 - 53:36 Variation 24
56:59 Variation 25 - 1:01:10 Variation 26 - 1:03:41 Variation 27 - 1:05:54 Variation 28
1:08:28 Variation 29 - 1:10:17 Variation 30 - 1:12:04 Aria da capo

recorded in 1995

Aria
05:19 Variation 1 - 08:12 Variation 2 - 10:30 Variation 3 - 13:11 Variation 4

14:37 Variation 5 - 16:54 Variation 6 - 19:05 Variation 7 - 21:18 Variation 8
23:42 Variation 9 - 26:05 Variation 10 - 28:15 Variation 11 - 31:10 Variation 12
35:00 Variation 13 - 38:42 Variation 14 - 41:07 Variation 15 - 46:05 Variation 16
49:20 Variation 17 - 51;56 Variation 18 - 53;54 Variation - 19 - 55:26 Variation 20
58:01 Variation 21 - 1:00:55 Variation 22 - 1:03:01 Variation 23 - 1:05:44 Variation 24
1:09:33 Variation 25 - 1:17:14 Variation 26 - 1:20:05 Variation 27 - 1:22:44 Variation 28
1:25:29 Variation 29 - 1:27:16 Variation 30 - 1:29:13 Aria da capo

recorded in 1998

Aria
04:43 Variation 1 - 07:29 Variation 2 - 09:43 Variation 3 - 12:23 Variation 4
13:53 Variation 5 - 16:02 Variation 6 - 18:06 Variation 7 - 20:10 Variation 8
22:41 Variation 9 - 25:08 Variation 10 - 27:21 Variation 11 - 30:14 Variation 12
34:09 Variation 13 - 37:50 Variation 14 - 40:23  Variation 15 - 45:17 Variation 16
48:32  Variation 17 - 51:21 Variation 18 - 53:10 Variation 19 - 54:45 Variation 20
57:11 Variation 21 - 1:00:05 Variation 22 - 1:02:14  Variation 23 - 1:04:56 Variation 24
1:08:37 Variation 25 - 1:15:59 Variation 26 - 1:18:30 Variation 27 - 1:21:09 Variation 28
1:24:03 Variation 29 - 1:26:08 Variation 30 - 1:28:15 Aria da capo

Bach Aria and Ten Variations in the Italian Style, BWV 989

Bach Italian Concerto in F major, BWV 971

i (Allegro)
03:51 ii Andante
09:19 iii Presto

Bach ii Andante from the Italian Concerto, BWV 971

video

Bach Capriccio, BWV 992 "On the Departure of his Beloved Brother"

home recording

Bach Chorale: Gib dich zufrieden, BWV 512

Bach Six Little Pieces

Musette in D major, BWV Anh 126
Menuet in G major, BWV Anh 116
Menuet in G minor, BWV Anh 115
Marche in D major, BWV Anh 122
Marche in E♭ major, BWV Anh 127
Polonaise in F major, BWV 117a