John Butt - Bach WTC - The Times

John Butt has the scholarly credentials to rethink how the 48 preludes and fugues of Bach's "Well-tempered Clavier" collection should be performed, and the nimble fingers to translate his theories into impeccable clear readings on the harpsichord. In particular, he argues convincingly for tempo relationships between succeeding movements and, overall, to the human pulse. Less convincing to my ears is mannered phrasing that produces metrical hiccups in almost every bar.