Art of the Fugue

Not the "One to Die With." 2010-06-30

Reviewer: Stephen Grabow

Gyorgy Ligetti said that this is the one recording he would want to have with him if he was going to die on a desert island. Well, I have this recording and while it is good, it is not great; certainly not as great as Tatania Nikolayeva's or Grigory Sokolov's versions on piano. Koroliov is just a bit too heavy-handed for the inherent delicacy of The Art of Fugue when compared with those versions. It's still a very good piano version, but not worth the rather expensive price of Tacet Imports, and certainly not the last sound I would want to hear before dying on a desert island. 'Sorry Gyorgy.

the Heart of Fugue 2005-06-14

Reviewer: Starry Vere

Gyorgy Ligeti said "if I am allowed only one musical work on my desert island, then I should choose Koroliov's Bach, because forsaken, starving and dying of thirst, I would listen to it right up to my last breath."
That's written on the back of this CD package. What's inside the package totally justifies the hyperbole. It is, in fact, one of the rare performances of Art of Fugue that truly transcends the idea that it is a work more for the eye and brain than the ear and heart.
This is playing of thoughtful mastery, profound and supremely articulated. As with Gould, there's a strong personality at work, but this one is a bit less impious. Koroliov's WTC and Goldbergs are excellent but this is his finest recording.

Outstanding 2005-04-04

Reviewer: music fan

A towering achievement that expands on a strong Russian tradition in this work. The Art of Fugue is perhaps the most inaccessible of Bach's compositions, possibly excepting the cello suites. But as in the cello works, eventual access is immensely rewarding and Koroliov's beautiful account facilitates the process.