Bach Goldberg Variations on piano

[Coopmv]

No worries, it's the performance that matters, right? 

Here is a better original CD artwork for Maria Tipo's Goldberg Variations ...

[DarkAngel]

Listened to Hantai's first recording on Naive and Schiff's 2nd on ECM.  Both are fantastic and quite similar in mood painting.

Include me in the list of people here who were very impressed by Schiff's live ECM Goldberg, the music really flows wonderfully and has a vitality and sparkling nature I have not heard from Schiff's older work (this is not understated!), I will put it up in the top 3 piano versions I have heard, and I am really not a big Schiff fan..............Hantai/Naive still rules all harpsicord versions

[Bulldog]

Include me in the list of people here who were very impressed by Schiff's live ECM Goldberg, the music really flows wonderfully and has a vitality and sparkling nature I have not heard from Schiff's older work (this is not understated!), I will put it up in the top 3 piano versions I have heard, and I am really not a big Schiff fan..............Hantai/Naive still rules all harpsicord versions

Check out Hantai's more recent account on Mirare.  It's quite different from the 1st go-around: more introspective with deeper emotional palette.  I remember that a few reviewers felt both versions were similar; I think those guys are damaged.

[jlaurson]

I think those guys are damaged.

[...raises hand with ashamed look on face]

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2006/04/goldberg-variations.html

Pierre Hantaï sparkles in every note on his first recording on op.111 (1992), presents
a woven carpet of bubbly sound. Most pleasing – also a surface-focused account (not to be
mistaken for superficial). Hantaï's more recent recording is on the Mirare label (2003), which
has so far produced only winners. I don't own it but have heard it once or twice. The
superficial impression is a similar, slightly slower account, less straightforward as his on
op.111 – with slightly better, deeper sound. What it did not strike me as, however, was the
kind of revelation that Christophe Rousset's Clavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann
(Ambroise, 2005) presented in terms of sound of instrument and recording.

[SonicMan46]

Well, we have a number of Bach Goldberg Variations threads going at the moment - but I just posted a 'harp' comparison, both excellent, in the Listening Thread which will likely get buried soon - so just wanted some longevity in another more dedicated thread - if you like the harp, one or both of these recordings is a definite buy (and will put you to sleep better than a harpsichord version!) -    Dave

Bach, JS - Goldberg Variations played on the pedal harp by two different performers, i.e. Catrin Finch vs. Sylvain Blassel - the harps are different - Blassel plays a Erad from 1904 - not sure about Finch's harp from the liner notes.

These are both beautiful performances but different - Blassel's harp has a much smoother & soothing sound (explained in the line notes) - he also gets through these performances in a shorter time (< 10 minutes vs. Finch) - to tell the truth, I have these works on piano, harpsichord, and now harp - these variations were presumably composed to make some aristocrat fall asleep (and done on a harpsichord by Johann Goldberg - this is disputed for a variety of reasons) - but at any rate, if I wanted a recording of the Goldberg Variations to make me 'fall asleep', a harp version would certainly be the one! 

Now, back to Catrin Finch, her performances are just as enjoyable - her harp is not as 'smooth' - more like a Celtic instrument (but hey she is Welsh and the harpist for the Prince of Wales!) - Susan (i.e. Harpo) plays these harps and I enjoy them!  Tonight at dinner we listened to these two discs 'back to back' - Harpo liked Blassel, and I preferred Finch for her 'rougher' sounding harp and a much more forward recording - i.e. she was in the room w/ you.

So, if you must choose (I'm keeping both CDs), you have to at least listen to some samples or just get both recordings and decide for yourself!   


 

[Bunny]

1.) This is the disc you boys should be talking about.
Highly enjoyable (and more).


BACH, Goldberg Variations, Zhu Xiao-Mei, Mirare
(Cheap in France)

Concur!

[Bulldog]

[...raises hand with ashamed look on face]

http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2006/04/goldberg-variations.html

Well, you did say the newer Hantai was slower and less straightforward than the first one, so we agree there.

[Bulldog]

And what is wrong with Goldberg Variations performed on harpsichord.  I love this recording by Leonhardt ...

Nothing's wrong on harpsichord, but you can't expect much harpsichord talk on a piano thread (unless you keep mentioning the harpsichord).

[Que]

Nothing's wrong on harpsichord, but you can't expect much harpsichord talk on a piano thread (unless you keep mentioning the harpsichord).

Indeed, the link for those interested: Goldberg Variations on Harpsichord.

Q

[DarkAngel]

3.) The Schiff recordings never quite convinced me entirely. Well, the ECM probably did... the other one, not unlike Hewitt's, is just so very understated. He's "surrounded" from all (wacky) sides by the Feltsmans ("extrovert"), Stadtfelds ("gratuitous"), Goulds ("Gouldesque"), Perahias ("masculine romanticism"), Dinnersteens ("pink chiffon")... so that the neutral middle is established in my head as a platonic Ur-version and I don't need to hear it anymore. That said, I have to admit that Xiao-Mei probably fall pretty close to the circle of excentricities, because she's a very unmannered player.

A couple more piano Goldbergs have been ordered.............

That description of Feltsman caught my attention and very cheap now used and new, also ordered Schepkin to go with his partitas from that thread here recently.........any day now Staier version for harpsicord will be released. The "wacky" extroverts will always be welcome in my collection 

[Bulldog]

A couple more piano Goldbergs have been ordered.............

That description of Feltsman caught my attention and very cheap now used and new, also ordered Schepkin to go with his partitas from that thread here recently.........any day now Staier version for harpsicord will be released. The "wacky" extroverts will always be welcome in my collection 

I was listening again to the Feltsman a couple of days ago.  Excellent interpretations except for his horrid repeats that take up half the disc; in some of those repeats he actually uses his own melody lines.  Sorry, but I'll take Bach over Feltsman any day.

[Bunny]

A couple more piano Goldbergs have been ordered.............

That description of Feltsman caught my attention and very cheap now used and new, also ordered Schepkin to go with his partitas from that thread here recently.........any day now Staier version for harpsicord will be released. The "wacky" extroverts will always be welcome in my collection 

With Feltsman, I will only say caveat emptor.

[DarkAngel]

I was listening again to the Feltsman a couple of days ago.  Excellent interpretations except for his horrid repeats that take up half the disc; in some of those repeats he actually uses his own melody lines.  Sorry, but I'll take Bach over Feltsman any day.

With Feltsman, I will only say caveat emptor.

Sounds like something Gould would approve of......which is fine by me, looking for some fresh thinking and individuality 

[Bunny]

Sounds like something Gould would approve of......which is fine by me, looking for some fresh thinking and individuality 

If you are really interested in Feltsman's Bach, then you should consider his partitas -- just don't buy them at Amazon where they are grossly overpriced.  I think his Partitas are better than his Goldbergs.

Try Barnes & Noble or HB Direct for better prices on the Partitas.

[DarkAngel]

With Feltsman, I will only say caveat emptor.

Bunny looks like Jens has a review posted for Feltsman's Goldberg:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/May08/Bach_Goldberg_NI2507.htm

[Bunny]

Bunny looks like Jens has a review posted for Feltsman's Goldberg:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/May08/Bach_Goldberg_NI2507.htm

I still say caveat emptor with Feltsman, however his Bach is better than some other things I have heard.

[jlaurson]

Bunny looks like Jens has a review posted for Feltsman's Goldberg:
http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/May08/Bach_Goldberg_NI2507.htm

Yes... but badly edited... so this is easier to read: http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2008/05/more-goldberg-variations.html

Re: Bunny: You keep repeating "Caveat emptor", but aren't actually saying anything. In and of itself, the words "caveat emptor" are meaningless... What is it that one should consider, in particular, before making the decision to go for Feltsman? (Not that I can't think of a few points to state on that account...)

[Bunny]

Yes... but badly edited... so this is easier to read: http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2008/05/more-goldberg-variations.html

Re: Bunny: You keep repeating "Caveat emptor", but aren't actually saying anything. In and of itself, the words "caveat emptor" are meaningless... What is it that one should consider, in particular, before making the decision to go for Feltsman? (Not that I can't think of a few points to state on that account...)

Whenever I have purchased any of his recordings or heard him in concert I have found aspects that I love and aspects that I detest.   I can't really express this perfectly, but I always approach anything by him with a sense of caution.  His concerts are similarly confounding.  Re: Goldbergs -- there is always a point when listening where I become very irritated by what I can only describe as an exaggerated style of detaché to the point of staccato touch.  Then the feeling departs, and then when I least expect it, something in the play on the piano again rubs the wrong way.  I am always cautious listening to him in any repertoire (his dynamics frequently sound too heavy handed so that textures blur).  I just can't relax and sink completely into the performance.  Hence, I repeat: let the buyer beware.

[jlaurson]

Whenever I have purchased any of his recordings or heard him in concert I have found aspects that I love and aspects that I detest.   I can't really express this perfectly, but I always approach anything by him with a sense of caution.  His concerts are similarly confounding.  Re: Goldbergs -- there is always a point when listening where I become very irritated by what I can only describe as an exaggerated style of detaché to the point of staccato touch.  Then the feeling departs, and then when I least expect it, something in the play on the piano again rubs the wrong way.  I am always cautious listening to him in any repertoire (his dynamics frequently sound too heavy handed so that textures blur).  I just can't relax and sink completely into the performance.  Hence, I repeat: let the buyer beware.

Now we're talking. 

[Drasko]

Would anyone be interested in decent sounding bootleg of Grigory Sokolov's live performance of Goldbergs?