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Bach: Goldberg Variations
Barnes and Noble
Bach: Goldberg Variations
Current price: $19.99
Barnes and Noble
Bach: Goldberg Variations
Current price: $19.99
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Pianist
is hardly known for playing
; in fact, his last
release before this 2023 release came in
, and he can be plenty idiosyncratic when he wants to be. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, affected
as it did everyone else, and he spent a good part of it in intensive study of
's
. Those who shy away from
's excesses can rest easy here; the intensive studies show up in what is a rather detailed reading, and even his famous
-like humming is minimized.
says (now there is an awkward phrase) that he spent considerable time weighing details of articulation and dynamics in some of the variations, and while this perhaps comes at the expense of the overall line, it makes the counterpoint clear and provides some quite memorable passages. Sample the 20th variation for a purely pianistic extravaganza. The effect is somewhat similar to
's recordings of the work, especially the first one, but
is less resolute in imposing his own personality. The biggest question mark here is the sound;
served as his own producer in a Turkish arts center, with flat results and even a bit of distortion at the piano's top. Nevertheless,
fans will be delighted, and even others will find that this stands out from the common run of
. ~ James Manheim