How to listen to the Goldberg Variations? A work with an apocryphal backstory of a hapless count's sleepless nights, a mystical and labyrinthine Rubik's Cube of architectural structure, the most important work ever for harpischord, or a breakthrough recording by Glenn Gould? Perhaps it's best just to listen to it simply as a beautiful keyboard work. At any rate, the first edition was prefaced with the understated "Clavierübung consisting of an Aria with Diverse Variations for the Harpsichord with Two Manuals Composed for Music Lovers, to Refresh their Spirits, by Johann Sebastian Bach."
To begin, Schubert's set of Four Impromptus, D899, another work whose simple moniker belies the depth within. Although Schubert appears to have approved the title, there's nothing really improvisatory or lightweight about them. Each Impromptu is considerably lengthy and a perfectly thought-out expression of pianism. As well as anticipating the nocturnes of Chopin and John Field, the set is the first group of works by a major composer to break away from the dominance of the sonata form in the piano repertoire.
Schubert: 4 Impromptus D.899
J S Bach: Goldberg Variations
Lars Vogt - piano.
To begin, Schubert's set of Four Impromptus, D899, another work whose simple moniker belies the depth within. Although Schubert appears to have approved the title, there's nothing really improvisatory or lightweight about them. Each Impromptu is considerably lengthy and a perfectly thought-out expression of pianism. As well as anticipating the nocturnes of Chopin and John Field, the set is the first group of works by a major composer to break away from the dominance of the sonata form in the piano repertoire.
Schubert: 4 Impromptus D.899
J S Bach: Goldberg Variations
Lars Vogt - piano.
- all things being equal, Harpsichord.
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