BaL 18.02.12 - Bach Goldberg Variations

[Belgrove]

I didn’t hear Service’s programme, but can imagine it did little other than injure the work for one who has not previously heard it. Gerard McBurney’s analysis for Discovering Music graphically shows how R3’s quality has diminished in the past couple of decades. Public Service Broadcasting at its best:

https://archive.org/details/11TchaikovskysFantasyOvertureRomeoAndJuliet/Discovering+Musisc+BBC3/02+Bach+-+Goldberg+Variations.mp3

[Bryn]

I didn’t hear Service’s programme, but can imagine it did little other than injure the work for one who has not previously heard it. Gerard McBurney’s analysis for Discovering Music graphically shows how R3’s quality has diminished in the past couple of decades. Public Service Broadcasting at its best:

https://archive.org/details/11Tchaik...Variations.mp3

Many thanks for that link. What a treasure trove.

[kernelbogey]

Totally with you - a favourite piece rendered almost manically and breathlessly incoherent by Mr Service. Surprised at Mr Egarr being so drawn into the same style.

I have an off-air recording of Mahan Esfahani playing the Goldberg Variations at the Bath Festival about five years ago. Mr S is the presenter, and engages Mahan in a pre-recital dialogue about the structure of the Variations. Esfahani gives an elegant, witty and clear explanation of how the movements are arranged in groups of three, and the musical structure of the groupings. Mr S is for ever trying to muscle in with those breathless word-salads of his; Esfahani is polite and elegant as he refuses to be drawn into teleolgical metaphors about Bach's writing. It would be funny if it were not so irritating. But I learned more about the piece from Esfahani's musical commentary before his recital than in the whole half-hour of this recent programme.

And then Mahan Esfahani sat down at the harpsichord and played the aria, the thirty variations and the aria....

[Beresford]

I have an off-air recording of Mahan Esfahani playing the Goldberg Variations at the Bath Festival about five years ago. Mr S is the presenter, and engages Mahan in a pre-recital dialogue about the structure of the Variations. Esfahani gives an elegant, witty and clear explanation of how the movements are arranged in groups of three, and the musical structure of the groupings. Mr S is for ever trying to muscle in with those breathless word-salads of his; Esfahani is polite and elegant as he refuses to be drawn into teleolgical metaphors about Bach's writing. It would be funny if it were not so irritating. But I learned more about the piece from Esfahani's musical commentary before his recital than in the whole half-hour of this recent programme.

And then Mahan Esfahani sat down at the harpsichord and played the aria, the thirty variations and the aria....

I had the same experience live at the Swaledale festival last year, without Mr. S. The first half was a talk by Mahan, but with audience questions, very well answered. Then, after the interval, he played them right through.
It was a musical highlight for me. I'm not sure that his approach to dynamics makes for the most pleasing listening experience, but I was very glad to hear it.

[Beresford]

Bump