You can hear a good example of one of the original "monster" 18th century harpsichords, on Andreas Staier's performance of the Goldbergs on Harmonia Mundi. He plays a superb reconstruction of a 1734 Hass instrument by Anthony Sidey.
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Straying off-topic a little, I thought it worth mentioning that Andreas Staier playing the “Goldbergs” in the “complete works for harpsichord on historical instruments”series which took place at cité de la musique over a year ago can still be viewed and listened to here:
I don't have the instrument details, but it's not a monster..Comment
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Hmm, can't seem to find Staier on the page of performers you posted, Pegleg...has it been removed, for some reason?Comment
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Amazing, I've just finished listening to this again 10mins ago and it's been removed! Try this link which still seams OK:
The Hass copy makes a brief appearance in this 3 min promo clip for the HM recording:
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Straying a little back on topic, I'm surprised that there are barely half a dozen comments (out of 34) actually on the concert. Jus' sayin' :-)It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
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FF,
I've refrained from commenting on the actual concert up to now. But I'll stick my neck out at the risk of being forever regarded as a Philistine and ignored.
From the perspective of a mere radio listener, the concert took part in an atmosphere which you could easily imagine to be have far more intimate than the Albert Hall. The concentration of both audience and András Schiff was to be admired. There is no doubt Schiff is a great pianist, the top of many people's list for playing the Goldbergs, but after the opening aria and first few variations I began to loose interest. Bored of Bach? Surely, that's not possible. Yet, I couldn't listen to this for a solid 70 mins. What was it lacking? That's not exactly easy to pinpoint, constrained is the word that comes to mind. If your seeking greater exubrance and emotion, is the antidote to Schiff something like Tatjana Nikolajeva's 1983 live recording?
Perhaps, after all, I simply prefer to hear the Goldbergs played on a harpsichord. With the right combination of instrument and player ( eg. Kenneth Gilbert HM 1986, or Pierre Hantiai OPUS 111 1993 ) the sound world is a thing of wonder.
If we can have solo violin and cello, the only thing I was left wondering was why we can't have solo harpsichord. Oh I forgot, that's not posslbe is it?Comment
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Thanks Pegleg, I hadn't seen that promo clip before.Comment
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No, unfortunately it's really and truly not possible.Originally posted by Pegleg View Post
About 20 years ago I played the Bach F minor concerto and Brandenburg 5 in a RAH Prom.
Two things are stuck forever in my memory:
1) The Prommers chanting " this concert can be HEARD on Radio 3"
and
2) one of the newspaper reviews saying " the sound of a pin dropping would have been louder than the tinkly harpsichord"
That 'tinkly harpsichord' was actually none other than Trevor Pinnock's own wonderful David Way copy of a Hemsch, which he very kindly let me use, an extraordinarily beautiful instrument, capable of great clarity and power in an appropriate acoustic.
I guess I may not have been 'hitting it hard enough'...
Last edited by Tony Halstead; 24-08-15, 19:48.Comment
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Now, had you used amplification....Originally posted by Tony View PostThat 'tinkly harpsichord' was actually none other than Trevor Pinnock's own wonderful David Way copy of a Hemsch, which he very kindly let me use, an extraordinarily beautiful instrument, capable of great clarity and power in an appropriate acoustic.
I guess I may not have been 'hitting it hard enough'... Comment
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I very much enjoyed this;
2011: Proms Chamber Music 1: Mahan Esfahani plays Bach's Goldberg Variations
A fresh approach by a young performer, a suitable venue, and, well, on the right instrument. The Proms at their best.
I didn’t listen to this Prom. I was (thanks pegleg for braving it) bored with the idea of yet anoter Bach’s ‘favourite’ played by such a thoroughly established performer, on the piano, and at the proms’ main venue.Comment
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That 'tinkly harpsichord' was actually none other than Trevor Pinnock's own wonderful David Way copy of a Hemsch, which he very kindly let me use, an extraordinarily beautiful instrument, capable of great clarity and power in an appropriate acoustic.
I guess I may not have been 'hitting it hard enough'...
Maybe you should have employed the monster Hass, Tony!Comment
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You may have captured what others felt was missing. I think both the Guardian and Telegraph reviews used the description 'austere' - which for me is absolutely fine. I found a lightness of touch in the piano which neverthess kept the clarity of detail - not unlike what I felt about Ibragimova's performance. I have the Gilbert Kunst der Fuge and (possibly heretically) prefer Ton Koopman, in spite of the recommendation which I was given for Gilbert's. But then, like Richard Tarleton, I also like Hewitt's Goldbergs and find Gould's really quite upsetting - in spite of the virtuosic masteryOriginally posted by Pegleg View Post
It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
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There are two Gould versions, of course. The second one, near the end of his life, is much more about structure, and very much slower, and gives a sense of being a complete whole - whether you like it or not, is another question. The first (my favourite) is a rollercoaster from start to finish and a recording I could not do without. Some people can't stand Gould, and that's fair enough; but for all his waywardness I find he captures something in the music that nobody else does. The view of Gould as the naughty schoolboy is contradicted by his recordings of things like the Brahms intermezzi, which have a warmth that many will be surprised by.Originally posted by french frank View PostYou may have captured what others felt was missing. I think both the Guardian and Telegraph reviews used the description 'austere' - which for me is absolutely fine. I found a lightness of touch in the piano which neverthess kept the clarity of detail - not unlike what I felt about Ibragimova's performance. I have the Gilbert Kunst der Fuge and (possibly heretically) prefer Ton Koopman, in spite of the recommendation which I was given for Gilbert's. But then, like Richard Tarleton, I also like Hewitt's Goldbergs and find Gould's really quite upsetting - in spite of the virtuosic mastery
Despite my preference, I don't think you can deny the validity of Schiff's view of the music. There's no right or wrong (thankfully) about any of this. It's all very sincere and deserves total respect, but at times I would have preferred a little more impetus, as someone who was standing in the arena, to get me through the performance.Comment
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Watching on BBC4 I found it a spellbinding 75 minutes - the way it was directed made for the perfect combination of space and intimacy, worked well on TV. One or two key differences with Hewitt, I thought, esp. in 25 and 26.Originally posted by Darkbloom View Post
A question Kirsty might have asked, in a longer interview, might have been around how he felt his interpretation had changed over the years....Comment
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Me too. He lets the music speak with just the most tastefully subtle rubato (if such it can be can be called). The RAH is about the most alien place for such an intimate piece, but as you say the TV presentation worked. Hewitt still has the edge for me, though I can't quite put my finger on why...a certain lightness perhaps?Watching on BBC4 I found it a spellbinding 75 minutes
Bigger question...why screen a recorded prom when there's a live one going on that people might want to listen to?Comment
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