Bach Goldberg Variations

Started by Mystery, December 03, 2007, 10:56:08 AM

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sTisTi

Now on sale at jpc: Bonizzoni's Goldberg Variations on Glossa:



http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Goldberg-Variationen-BWV-988/hnum/3563935

Now for 4.99€  instead of 17.99€ (and only today even free shipping within Germany!)

Does anyone know whether it's any good, even at that price?
The samples sound good enough to me, so maybe I should risk it anyway  :-\

Bulldog

Quote from: sTisTi on August 05, 2010, 08:45:36 AM
Now on sale at jpc: Bonizzoni's Goldberg Variations on Glossa:



http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Goldberg-Variationen-BWV-988/hnum/3563935

Now for 4.99€  instead of 17.99€ (and only today even free shipping within Germany!)

Does anyone know whether it's any good, even at that price?
The samples sound good enough to me, so maybe I should risk it anyway  :-\

It's very good, you like the samples and the price is right.  Get it!

sTisTi

Quote from: Bulldog on August 05, 2010, 08:57:01 AM
It's very good, you like the samples and the price is right.  Get it!
Thank you, I've done so. A note for Bonizzoni fans: His disc with late Scarlatti Keyboard Sonatas (also on Glossa) is also available for just 4.99€ right now, I've already ordered it   :)
(http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Domenico-Scarlatti-Klaviersonaten/hnum/4781723)

I've noticed that the number of Goldberg versions I now have is 13. So I guess I'll need to add a 14th soon to avert bad luck ;D

westknife

BUMP

I was browsing through my 2008 Penguin Guide when I came across something striking: they reward Gould's '55 Goldbergs only 2/4 stars (note that anything below 3/4 is quite rare throughout the book). The review is indeed quite scathing, particularly this part: "There is too much that is wilful and eccentric for this to be a straightforward recommendation, but it is a remarkable performance nevertheless."

For a guide that purports to be authoritative, I must say I find this a little, er, eccentric, considering that a lot of people consider this a great, classic piano recording. For what it's worth, their top recommendation is Rosalyn Tureck's (which I am not familiar with).

PaulSC

Quote from: westknife on April 05, 2011, 01:28:05 PM
BUMP

I was browsing through my 2008 Penguin Guide when I came across something striking: they reward Gould's '55 Goldbergs only 2/4 stars (note that anything below 3/4 is quite rare throughout the book). The review is indeed quite scathing, particularly this part: "There is too much that is wilful and eccentric for this to be a straightforward recommendation, but it is a remarkable performance nevertheless."

For a guide that purports to be authoritative, I must say I find this a little, er, eccentric, considering that a lot of people consider this a great, classic piano recording. For what it's worth, their top recommendation is Rosalyn Tureck's (which I am not familiar with).
Both of those assessments (Gould and Tureck) seem right on the mark to me. (Well, depends on which Tureck they picked; the 1989[ish] DG studio recording is my favorite.)
Musik ist ein unerschöpfliches Meer. — Joseph Riepel

stingo

Pierre Hantai (Opus 111 and Mirage) and Celine Frisch (alpha) are my favorites so far. Both to me capture the excitement and fun of the Goldbergs and both play harpsichords.

Leon

I recently acquired this recording and like it quite a lot:

[asin]B00585QLWI[/asin]

No, not for keyboard, but Fretwork does an admirable job with their arrangements.  I prefer this one to their take on the Art of Fugue.  But YMMV.

:)

Mandryka

Quote from: stingo on April 09, 2011, 07:27:49 PM
Pierre Hantai (Opus 111 and Mirage) and Celine Frisch (alpha) are my favorites so far. Both to me capture the excitement and fun of the Goldbergs and both play harpsichords.

I've never heard Hantai's 2003 recording. I like the first record very much. Which one do you prefer? What are the main differences? (Basically I'm asking whether I should buy the second recording, given that I have the first.)
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Kontrapunctus

I just bought Burkard Schliessmann's two disc SACD version--wonderful playing and sound. It has certainly stirred up utterly opposed opinions!

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/May08/Bach_Goldberg_br100326.htm

http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2008/Apr08/Bach_Goldberg_br100326.htm

Geo Dude


Bulldog

Quote from: Geo Dude on February 15, 2012, 08:56:16 AM


Thoughts on this recording?

I haven't heard this one for a few years but remember it as being about in the middle of the pack.  I wouldn't recommend it for those on a tight budget.

Bulldog

Quote from: Mandryka on February 06, 2012, 09:04:50 PM
I've never heard Hantai's 2003 recording. I like the first record very much. Which one do you prefer? What are the main differences? (Basically I'm asking whether I should buy the second recording, given that I have the first.)

I find the major differences between Hantai's two versions to be mood-painting.  Hantai's first version is quite exuberant and upbeat.  The latter version is more introverted and thought provoking.  I prefer the latter version, but the first one is certainly superb as well.  The differences between the two versions is strong enough to warrant owning both.

Geo Dude

Quote from: Bulldog on February 15, 2012, 01:30:42 PM
I haven't heard this one for a few years but remember it as being about in the middle of the pack.  I wouldn't recommend it for those on a tight budget.

Thank you.  His Bach Pedal Harpsichord works was excellent, but reviews of his other recordings indicate that they're middle-of-the-road.  I was afraid that this might also fall into that category, too.

Bulldog

Quote from: Geo Dude on February 15, 2012, 01:43:55 PM
Thank you.  His Bach Pedal Harpsichord works was excellent, but reviews of his other recordings indicate that they're middle-of-the-road.  I was afraid that this might also fall into that category, too.

Yes, it's interesting how an okay artist can sound so much better when the pedal harpsichord is the instrument of choice.

Geo Dude

Quote from: Bulldog on February 15, 2012, 03:02:36 PM
Yes, it's interesting how an okay artist can sound so much better when the pedal harpsichord is the instrument of choice.

Not to mention, he was interpreting organ repertoire rather than harpsichord repertoire on that disc.

Mandryka

#155
Is this Blandine Verlet's first record of the Goldberg's -- not on CD AFAIK?

http://www.youtube.com/v/X9bpkJd2rNI

SHe's a musician I'm exploring right now, I want to hear everything she recorded. She's like a force of nature -- in some ways she reminds me of musicians like Sofronitsky and Jon Vickers and Yudina.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Leo K.

I just received Zhu Xiao-Mei's account of the Goldberg, I've heard good things about it. I look forward to listening soon.


Coopmv

I have owned the following recording by Jill Crossland for some times and find the performance quite good ...


Mandryka

#158
He's a review for the BBC's Building a Library by Nicholas Kenyon:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01bzp53#synopsis

He says at the start the the GVs is one of Bach's most outgoing works. Later on he makes it clear the variety and exuberance is a main criterion of interpretation He discards introspective approaches like Leonhardt2 and every one by Tureck.

This made the conclusions of the  review of limited interest to me since my tastes are almost the polar opposite.

Shame that Leonhardt 3 isn't discussed – this is a very distinctive and important one IMO. Also he was too dismissive of Hantai (it's not even clear whether he was talking about Hantai 1 or Hantai 2)

Very good that he singles out Blandine Verlet for praise especially for the final quarter of the music. She is really special there IMO.

I also thought he was very fair in his comments on  McGregor and Egarr.

Also a shame that he didn't review any Busoni transcriptions, since IMO these are some of the best records on piano.

Interesting that Schiff 1 is given a pivotal position (the recording which made Bach on the piano acceptable again)

The review made me really want to hear Koopman's (despite the reviewer's negative feelings about the ornamentation – but I want to judge for myself) Also the taste and description of Lars Ulri  Mortensen's record makes me want to hear the whole thing. I love the good humoured style of the partitas and the review leads me to look forward to more of the same in the Goldbergs.

On piano, I certainly wouldn't mind hearing Kempff's with that strange unornamented aria sounds so quirky that I want to hear the whole thing.

But really the review on piano had some major lacunae, like Schliessmann and Buechner.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Bulldog

Quote from: Mandryka on February 21, 2012, 08:56:00 AM
He's a review for the BBC's Building a Library by Nicholas Kenyon:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01bzp53#synopsis

He says at the start the the GVs is one of Bach's most outgoing works. Later on he makes it clear the variety and exuberance is a main criterion of interpretation He discards introspective approaches like Leonhardt2 and every one by Tureck.

This made the conclusions of the  review of limited interest to me since my tastes are almost the polar opposite.

The Goldbergs well handle both an exuberant and introspective approach.  Any reviewer who discards either of them isn't worth much.