Topic: Bach Goldberg Variations

[SergeCpp]

Now this one, I really like:



Awesome Bach playing on a modern piano. Recorded in the '80s.

Thank you!

Chen Pi-hsien has re-recorded Goldberg Variations in 2001 (accordingly to Bach Cantatas Website). Earlier recording (1985) timed 55:07, later (2001) — 59:29. Notable differences in timing are in Variation 13 (2:20 vs 4:52), Variation 16 (1:56 vs 3.01) and in Aria Da Capo (1:52 vs 3:28).

Both recordings are available on YouTube: Recording of 1985 and Recording of 2001 (legally, but due to licensing can be not available depending of visitor's geolocation).

[SergeCpp]

Bach Goldberg Variations — Ingrid Marsoner (Piano)
(From the Official YouTube channel of Austrian pianist Ingrid Marsoner.)
(No actual video of Ingrid performance, just audio with still picture shown above.)

Recorded Oct 2009 at Lehár Theater, Bad Ischl, Upper Austria.
Total Time: 72:06.

Beautiful interpretation, I tried just to check it at several points but could not resist to charm of Ingrid playing and listened completelely. That was yesterday and I already want to relisten it. And I will. By writing this I started to relisten. Definitely something in Ingrid playing.

[SergeCpp]

Bach Goldberg Variations — Ekaterina Dershavina (Piano)
Recording of 1994. Total time: ~77 minutes.

Ekaterina Dershavina — winner (1st prize) of 1st International Piano Competition "Johann Sebastian Bach" (1992) for her performance of the Goldberg Variations.

Review by Kirk McElhearn on Bach Cantatas Website
Discussion on Bach Cantatas Website

This recording is one of my personal top from ~2009.

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[SergeCpp]

Prize-winners (1st Prizes) of the International Piano Competition "Johann Sebastian Bach" Würzburg / Germany.



Bach Goldberg Variations — Andrea Padova (Piano)
—
Unequal Temperament (see video information).




Bach Goldberg Variations — Chih-Yu Chen (Piano)
—
Variation 13 timing: 6:31.
Variation 25 timing: 8:18.
Aria Da Capo is longer than Aria at beginning (4:47 vs 4:08).

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[SergeCpp]

Longer than 100 minutes recordings of Goldberg Variations.



Bach Goldberg Variations — Sergio Vartolo (Harpsichord)

Recorded 1989.
Total: 102:07.




Bach Goldberg Variations — Alexander Paley (Piano)

Recorded 2000.
Total: 104:42.

* * *

YouTube Playlist Length (Online)

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[Dowder]

100 minutes? Yikes.

Most top out at 75 minutes. About 60 for me is perfect.

[JBS]

Egarr's recording comes in at 100 minutes or slightly over, but he included the Canons.

[SergeCpp]

Maybe longest (well over two hours) recording of Goldberg Variations.



Bach Goldberg Variations — Maximianno Cobra (Harpsichord)

2010 TEMPUS Collection — Maximianno Cobra
Released: 2010-10-30
Total: 136:23 / 2:16:23.


YouTube Playlist Length (Online)

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[Dowder]

I’ll check that out tomorrow morning. Must be a deeply philosophical approach.

[milk]

The Goldberg variations was the piece of music that opened me up to the world of Bach and to classical music. Now, it’s the one composition of Bach’s that I find consistently hard to enjoy. To me, WTC is a gift that keeps giving. Same with the Partitas and other keyboard music generally. GBV are always a challenge now to see if I can get into the right frame of mind to listen openly, with fresh ears.

[Que]

The Goldberg variations was the piece of music that opened me up to the world of Bach and to classical music. Now, it’s the one composition of Bach’s that I find consistently hard to enjoy. To me, WTC is a gift that keeps giving. Same with the Partitas and other keyboard music generally. GBV are always a challenge now to see if I can get into the right frame of mind to listen openly, with fresh ears.

I know the feeling.... a recording with a different angle helps. 

[amw]

I’ll check that out tomorrow morning. Must be a deeply philosophical approach.

It’s not, he just has a weird view that all music should be played twice as slowly as it usually is for nonsensical new agey reasons. Also I’m pretty sure most of his “recordings” are just MIDI files using electronic instruments.

[Que]

Longer than 100 minutes recordings of Goldberg Variations.



Bach Goldberg Variations — Sergio Vartolo (Harpsichord)

Recorded 1989.
Total: 102:07.

Vartolo must surely be the slowest harpsichordist on the planet.... 

His conducting is also veeeery slow....

Q

[Dowder]

I know the feeling.... a recording with a different angle helps. 

That’s what is great about classical (Jazz too), all the different interpretations out there. Some might not be faithful entirely to what the composer intended but I’m fine with that.

For a different take on the GV I’ve been listening to the Kempff version from 1970. Certainly a different experience for what he emphasizes. What I like most about it is the speed and rigidity of the performance. Not the liveliest and definitely not the most poetical or tender but it’s a different way to appreciate the GV.

[SergeCpp]

Bach Goldberg Variations — Sylvain Blassel (Harp)

Total: ~47 min (Goldbergs) & ~8 min (Canons).



Preview (Aria & some Variations)

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[Crudblud]

I’ll check that out tomorrow morning. Must be a deeply philosophical approach.

You'd think so, but in fact Cobra just has a gimmick of playing everything at roughly half the composer's intended speed. He's done a two-hour Beethoven 9 and other such nonsense.

[milk]

You'd think so, but in fact Cobra just has a gimmick of playing everything at roughly half the composer's intended speed. He's done a two-hour Beethoven 9 and other such nonsense.

Yeah, I listened to a little of his AOF. I don’t get it. I don’t hear rubato or sensitivity.  Anyone out there love it? What am I missing?

[(: premont :)]

Yeah, I listened to a little of his AOF. I don’t get it. I don’t hear rubato or sensitivity.  Anyone out there love it? What am I missing?

I have owned it (3 CDs of course) once but culled it. Didn't manage to get through it more than one time. As an interpretation I find his ultra slow but strict mechanical approach completely pointless, and he offers no convincing argumentation for his choices.

[amw]

I have owned it (3 CDs of course) once but culled it. Didn't manage to get through it more than one time. As an interpretation I find his ultra slow but strict mechanical approach completely pointless, and he offers no convincing argumentation for his choises.

As far as I know the strict mechanicality is because he doesn't actually play them on an instrument, just makes a MIDI file and runs it thru Vienna Symphonic Library or similar software. The only samples I've heard that sound like an actual live recording are the Beethoven 9th and presumably that was only because the Vienna Choral Library hadn't come out yet so there was no way to get convincing voice sounds. (Not that the instrumental sounds are very convincing either.)

One dead giveaway is that all his "harpsichord recordings" are pitched at A440 in equal temperament.

[T. D.]

As far as I know the strict mechanicality is because he doesn't actually play them on an instrument, just makes a MIDI file and runs it thru Vienna Symphonic Library or similar software. The only samples I've heard that sound like an actual live recording are the Beethoven 9th and presumably that was only because the Vienna Choral Library hadn't come out yet so there was no way to get convincing voice sounds. (Not that the instrumental sounds are very convincing either.)

One dead giveaway is that all his "harpsichord recordings" are pitched at A440 in equal temperament.

Oh dear. Thanks (to you and others) for the warning. I was unlikely to listen to his recordings anyway, but you've spared me the need to ponder any further.