BaL 18.02.12 - Bach Goldberg Variations

[verismissimo]

I've had the 2 Goulds and the Landowska for years. Hers sounds like a herd of buffalo to me. And I much prefer the late Gould to the early one. So alive.

But I'm very much in the market for a decent modern recording on harpsichord.

[doversoul1]

Top recommendation is already published on R3 website…. Are we meant to know?

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

It's still Friday? I haven't missed a day or something?

[ostuni]

Whoops!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Anyone for a Stokowski-style orchestration?

[MickyD]

Top recommendation is already published on R3 website…. Are we meant to know?

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

It's still Friday? I haven't missed a day or something?

I hope this is just a mistake - if not, it will ruin the fun of finding out the top recommendation each week.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

With blunders like this, I should imagine that fewer people will bother to tune in.

[DracoM]

Nice one, Beeb!

Come on, AMcG, what about a comment - and apology.

[Peter Katin]

recently I have been enjoying the Goldbergs in various guises -

Béatrice Martin, harpsichord
Andreas Staier, harpsichord
Gwendolyn Toth, lautenwerk
Danish Saxophone Quartet
Octuor de France

If it's a desert island choice, for me it has to be the harpsichord. But occasionally I allow my ears to be tickled by the sound of the piano. But - for me - not Angela Hewitt (in this or any Bach) - I find her too sterile.

That's interesting. I know that, like some other pianists, she uses a Fazioli everywhere, and I find them sterile, as you said, whatever I've played.

[vinteuil]

... well, I did enjoy this BAL. And, not for the first time, the one that interested me most was not necessarily the one finally chosen. I am going to buy the Perahia.

(Mind you, I already have the Rousset, and wd certainly agree that it's among the best of the harpsichord performances available... The Stephen Devine and Richard Egarr both sounded very attractive to me - but I really have enough harpsichord versions already... )

[Nick Armstrong]

Top recommendation is already published on R3 website…. Are we meant to know?

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

It's still Friday? I haven't missed a day or something?

One of the monkeys obviously stole the keys to the zoo. I haven't heard the programme yet, so I shan't read on...

I imagine Monsieur Vinteuil passed on his usual Saturday morning walk in order to tune in earlier though.

It is recorded for a Sunday morning lie-in at Castello Calibano

[amateur51]

... well, I did enjoy this BAL. And, not for the first time, the one that interested me most was not necessarily the one finally chosen. I am going to buy the Perahia.

Given the ginormous task of sorting through such a long list of runners & riders, I thought that Nicolas Kenyon did a good job

I was trying to imagine how useful it would have been for someone now to the Goldbergs and I think it would have been very encouraging. He identified some good alternatives and even had something good to say about Joanna Macgregor's version which I've enjoyed both 'live' in concert and as a studio recording. NK mentioned that he thought Macgregor's gentle leading from the last variation into the quodlibet might have been a technological effect but those of us who heard her 'live' performance on Radio 3 last year will know that is not the case.

So all in all a good BaL - Bravo NK! i think I'm going to get the version by Christophe Rousset - but I'll listen to Maria Yudina on Spotify first

[BBMmk2]

How did Murray Perhaia and Andras Schiff far?

[vinteuil]

How did Murray Perhaia and Andras Schiff far?

Brassbandmaelström -

the reviewer gave top marks, for a piano version, to Andras Schiff (the 2008 'live' recording on ECM; I don't think he mentioned the 1982 decca recording); he also liked the Perahia (which I have to say I liked a lot).

For the harpsichord, he chose Christophe Rousset.

He also said that the 1955 Glenn Gould was a 'must have' in the historical department...

[Richard Tarleton]

the reviewer gave top marks, for a piano version, to Andras Schiff (the 2008 'live' recording on ECM; I don't think he mentioned the 1982 decca recording);

Vinteuil, he did refer to it, and to George Malcolm's endorsement in the notes saying how it had changed his view etc. etc. - adding that it was a little ungracious of Schiff to ask in his note to the later version if anyone could really listen to the harpsichord for 1 1/2 hours, or words to that effect....

Like you I feel inclined to buy the Perahia version. Fair comment re Anita's sorry Angela's version I thought. Interestingly re. Peter Katin's comment above, the time I heard her play it was a low-budget occasion where she played the house Steinway......

[ardcarp]

What a wonderful response this BAL sub-forum attracts! 7 pages of posts before anyone has even heard the programme.
One of NK's criteria in choosing was that there should be some energy and flair (not his words) from the performer. He ruled out Hewitt for being a little too tame (again, not his words). Hewitt has to be the tops for me. Like a previous poster, I've heard her live more than once, and the mesmeric effect of her playing on an audience is other-worldly. I can certaily live with Schiff and Perahia who give incredibly shaped and thoughtful accounts. There is a difference between intelligent phrasing and outright rubato and I wonder if Richard Egarr has ever played 3 crothhets the same length? Trevor Pinnock would certainly be my harpsichord choice if only he had played in a decent acoustic.