Angela Hewitt

Listening to Angela Hewitt is like watching sunlight filter through a perfectly cut diamond. Her playing is defined by an extraordinary clarity of line, where every individual note in a complex Bach fugue is given its own space to breathe and sing. There is a rhythmic buoyancy to her work that reminds you much of this music was originally written for dancing, yet she never sacrifices the intellectual rigour or emotional depth of the compositions.

What sets Hewitt apart is her specific touch, often attributed to her use of the Fazioli piano, which provides a warmer, more singing tone than the standard concert grand. She avoids the heavy-handed romanticism that some pianists bring to the Baroque era, opting instead for a precise, almost conversational style. Her phrasing feels natural and inevitable, as if the music is being thought aloud in real-time.

For those new to her catalog, her recordings of Bach's 'The Well-Tempered Clavier' are the gold standard. They offer a perfect entry point into her world of structured beauty. From there, her explorations of Ravel and Couperin reveal a more impressionistic, colorful side of her artistry that remains just as disciplined and refined.