BaL 18.02.12 - Bach Goldberg Variations

[LeMartinPecheur]

I tried Catrin Finch's harp version. It's pleasant, but I think interest wanes after a few playings.

For me the big problem with this recording is the very long 'hangover' of the bass notes. Where the natural damping (lack of sustaining pedal) of a harpsichord means that bass notes stay with their original chord, here they 'linger longer' in a way that Bach surely can't have intended and slow the natural pace of the music down.

Is Finch particularly bad in this respect? Is there anything that harpists can do about it?

[MickyD]

yes, I did enjoy Kenneth G's performance. Am I right, however, in thinking that he skips repeats - which has made his version less 'acceptable' nowadays? - he certainly comes in at ten minutes 'shorter' than Christophe Rousset!

Yes, you're right, Vinteuil...there is indeed a full ten minutes more on Rousset's disc. Am I right in thinking that any performer who wants to play all the repeats is obliged to go on to a second CD?

[silvestrione]

I've just remembered my last Goldberg purchase: how could I forget it? A completely idiomatic, unpretentious unmannered piano version with great energy and poetry, lots of leggiero and little pedal, by a Ekaterina Dershavina on Arte Nova. I prefer her to Perahia (the added shakes and mordents etc on the repeats get annoyingly predictable for me) and Hewitt, whose recording I don't possess, but I have a fine off-air version. A great shame if Dershavina is no longer available, though.

She plays repeats, and gets it on one CD, 77minutes.

[ostuni]

Ah yes, Dershavina! I got that, quite a few years ago, after an enthusiastic recommendation on the RMCR newsgroup. I wouldn't call it unmannered, though: some of the ultra-detached LH playing in the slow variations gets on my nerves, in a way which Perahia's ornaments don't. Which all goes to show that we're all different...

Back to harpsichords: the recent Staier that I mentioned above fits onto one disc: 80.44, with all repeats.

[Bryn]

I have only just noticed that Uri Caine seems to have been left out. I will give the discs a spin tonight. Starts with the Aria played by Caine on a Silbermann fortepiano, of course:

[John Skelton]

Blandine Verlet, Christophe Rousset, Pierre Hantaï, Céline Frisch are favourites of mine.

Unusually I found Andreas Staier's recording heavy going - I should have another listen.

[JFLL]

I love the Sitkovetsky version for string trio with the Leopold Trio. The long 25th variation is immensely moving on strings, I find. And one can't have too much of string trios, in my opinion -- a rather neglected genre which some find too austere, but manna for real string enthusiasts.

[vinteuil]

Unusually I found Andreas Staier's recording heavy going - I should have another listen.

Usually I am a great admirer of Staier. But here with the Goldbergs I feel he is too distracted by the registration possibilities of the copy of an extraordinary Hass harpsichord which he uses - so, some marvellous local colour effects, but to my ears to the detriment of a larger musical coherence. In the end I wd prefer Christophe Rousset, or the more austere approaches of Gustav Leonhardt, Kenneth Gilbert, Glen Wilson, Scott Ross.

[Dave2002]

For me the big problem with this recording is the very long 'hangover' of the bass notes. Where the natural damping (lack of sustaining pedal) of a harpsichord means that bass notes stay with their original chord, here they 'linger longer' in a way that Bach surely can't have intended and slow the natural pace of the music down.

Is Finch particularly bad in this respect? Is there anything that harpists can do about it?

Off topic I know - I'll return to Finch in a while - but I found this story about another Royal harpist - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/ar...addiction.html A bit worse than having bass notes hang over.

One line strikes me - "Prince Charles has not been in touch with her." I wonder if he has since the article was written in 2009. This is a sad story, one of a few I've read in recent days.

[John Skelton]

Usually I am a great admirer of Staier. But here with the Goldbergs I feel he is too distracted by the registration possibilities of the copy of an extraordinary Hass harpsichord which he uses - so, some marvellous local colour effects, but to my ears to the detriment of a larger musical coherence. In the end I wd prefer Christophe Rousset, or the more austere approaches of Gustav Leonhardt, Kenneth Gilbert, Glen Wilson, Scott Ross.

I gave Staier's recording another listen today and you've summed up how I feel about it, sadly. I also listened to Rousset - that's a lovely performance, beautifully characterised, elegant, spirited. Thanks for the reminder!

[BBMmk2]

More and more, these days, i find the piano, the preferred instrument for JSB?

[subcontrabass]

More and more, these days, i find the piano, the preferred instrument for JSB?

Preferred by you or by R3 (where it seems to me the majority of Bach keyboard music played is on a piano)?

[Bryn]

More and more, these days, i find the piano, the preferred instrument for JSB?

Hmm, I wonder of Joseph Cooper ever Faced the Music and played the Goldbergs on his silent keyboard?

[BBMmk2]

That's going back a few years bryn!

Subcontrebass: that is my taste, regarding the piano to harpsichord. I usually like the harpsichord, but for some reason, with jSB,the piano is the preferred instrument.

[vinteuil]

version for 2 pianos by Rheinberger/Reger
Yaara Tal & Andreas Groethuysen (piano duo)

... now that does sound interesting - I think I shall have to get a copy... Thanks, o Alpensinfonie, for leading us into temptation!

... have just been listening to the first half of this. It really is great fun. Clearly not the number-one choice if you're only allowed one performance - but immensely enjoyable.

Any version of the Goldbergs played on the piano is to some extent a 'transcription' because the Goldberg Variations - unusually for Bach - are explicitly for a two manual harpsichord: he requires things that can only be achieved with two manuals - and therfore any pianist trying to play them has to fudge and cheat a bit (unless like Caliban you are thinking of acquiring a Moór two-manual piano...). Since any version on the piano is a 'transcription' - why not go one better - with this splendid Rheinberger/Reger two piano version, with added counterpoint ... The performances are sparkling, with a real sense of poise and rhythmic drive - I really like it a lot...