Customer Reviews

Bach: The Goldberg Variations

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I, like many people was skeptical of this project at first, perhaps also forgetting that Bach did not write the Goldbergs for Glenn Gould on a grand piano in 1955. In fact, as a classical guitarist myself, I was a bit afraid this would do a disservice to the public's impression instrument, which does not hold up well when playing the Prelude to Bach's 6th Cello Suite, for example.

But one listen was all it took. This is a masterpiece: of transcription, of performance, or recording, of conception. I now consider it to be the finest reading of the Goldberg Variations on record, and find Rodarmer to be a finer transcriber of Bach for the guitar than even the revered John Duarte, but finally, I find him to be the best *guitarist* working today. John Williams, David Russell and the Romeros have never played with such subtlety of nuance as does Rodarmer here, and I only wish we had more recordings by him. While his vibrato may annoy some players for me it is a pleasure and a necessary element of playing the Goldbergs on guitar, and his tone....I have never heard better. Even Parkening at his greatest (the PARKENING PLAYS BACH album) is an artificial two-dimensionality of the studio in the wake of Kurt Rodarmer's stupendous achievement.

A magnificent performance, particularly if you prefer the guitar's more lyrical sound to the piano. To my ear even the magisterial second Gould interpretation of the Goldbergs sounds a bit like a drum compared to Rodarmer's. Some passages that traverse the whole keyboard range do show a bit of strain, but by and large the music is wonderfully seamless. In fact, I wish I hadn't read about the technical challenges of transcription, dubbing and performance on multiple instruments. Those make the listener pay attention to the technique, while the playing sounds as natural as breathing. An awesome achievement. Looking forward to the Well-Tempered Guitar:-)
--Mike

I apologize to all Amazon readers for adding a second opinion after my earlier review. I had to do it because of the way this performance has grown on me. It has gotten better and better with repeated listening.

Rodarmer plays with a great pulse. His interpretations of each variation are enlightening and compelling. As I mentioned before, the different tonal qualities of each guitar string produces an unusual effect, and the inner voices are thus easier to follow.

The sound is also great. Whether listening on my car CD player or on my friend's very high end system, this CD sounds incredibly natural. In fact, on a high end system it is quite outstanding.

Every friend for whom I have played this has loved it. I think you will too. Very highly recommended.

Glenn Gould once said that there are two kinds of composers -- those who write to demonstrate the range of possibilities on a particular instrument, and those who write music which can be played on any instrument. Bach is clearly in the latter group.

Growing up, I listened to orchestral transcriptions of Bach by Stokowski, and guitar transcriptions by Segovia and Julian Bream. The old Bream version of the Chaconne, once on an old Westminister LP is still a favorite of mine. Later I discovered Busoni's transcriptions for piano. These transcriptions have gone in and out of favor as tastes and trends change, but I have always found them both illuminating and satisfying when performed by great artists.

When I read Amazon's reviewer I was somewhat put off, expecting something like a Les Paul overdubbed version of the Goldbergs. Instead I was treated to an altogether illuminating and revelatory performance.

While I still prefer the Goldbergs performed on a piano, and recommend both the VIA and DG versions by Rosalyn Tureck as well as both the 1955 and the later version by Gould, this recording has added to my pleasure and insight into the piece.

The fact that each guitar string has different voicing and different tonal qualities makes this performance light up different contrapuntal lines. Furthermore, Rodarmer manages to sustain the musical line and the inner tension in nearly every variation. There is never a dull or boring moment, and his tempos are nearly all well chosen. This is a virtuoso recording, and a musically valid and sensative one as well.

I disagree with the reviewer who said this should be anyone's first Goldberg Variations. For that I would chose one of the Glenn Gould versions. But for the listener who loves this great work and looks for additional illumination through different interpretations and performances, this CD is definitely worth it. Highly recommended.

This recording sounds great. Some reviewers complained about the supposedly "cloying" vibrato. I think it sounds poignantly beautiful.

Many have already commented that the Goldberg Variations are one of only a small group of nearly perfect compositions. The biggest problem with them is that they're among the last of Bach's master works to be recognized. As a result, they're unfamiliar to many. The "standard" recordings are Glenn Gould's. Although true virtuoso performances, I've never felt that the piano is optimally suited for this work. My standard, for good or ill, has always been Wanda Landowska's recordings on the harpsichord. This has always been a problem... The harpsichord more clearly reveals the structure of the music, but can sound a bit sterile. The piano's more romantic sound is never sterile, but even great technique leaves me feeling like I'm missing out on some structural detail.

When I first heard of this, I was intrigued. I've always been partial to transcriptions and this recording showcases why. Many transcriptions have been written by or for a virtuoso player with a love for a piece of music not written for his/her instrument. Such is the case here. Rodarmer clearly has the virtuosity to play these, but they're not really suited to guitar. His solution was to have a pair of custom guitars built to play the work, then record it in multiple overlaid tracks. In this, he takes on the multiple roles of arranger, performer, and recording engineer - as well as his collaboration on the design of the custom guitars he uses.

Showing great attention to detail and love of the subject matter, he succeeds admirably. What results is a plucked string version (as is a harpsichord), but with significant differences. Certainly to modern audiences, the guitar is much more accessible than the harpsichord, so this recording may be the closest any casual modern listener will get to hearing the work as it was intended. The guitar, despite its limited range, turns out to be ideally suited for this - romantic and expressive, yet retaining the crispness of plucked strings.

As someone else noted, each time I hear this, I like it better and better. Rodarmer's playing and recording technique are up to the challenges of Bach's score and the result is bliss.

Having purchased this on the basis of reviews I'd seen here and elsewhere, I was immediately taken aback when I played it. The opening Aria is taken so slowly I was amazed no-one else had mentioned it. It seemed to trudge rather than flow. I rushed to check the timings against other Goldbergs I have, but strangely this isn't the longest Aria by a long shot - it just seems that way. Given the tempo, a lot of repeats have presumably been omitted to keep the overall time down. I did not enjoy it and I dreaded hearing the variations if this opening track was to be anything to go by.

But then came track 2 and I was equally surprised - this time with joy. All of a sudden we were back to a tempo I recognised and I was able to listen to the music. The sound quality and sonority of the guitars used here are marvellous and the recording itself is demonstration quality. I completely forgot my gripes about the Aria and found myself being challenged throughout all the variations by the way this transcription and performance reveal new aspects of the work. It was like looking in to a house through a new window from a different angle.

But, oh boy, then came the Aria da Capo, and we were back to to funeral procession pace again. I couldn't believe it - these two tracks just seemed aberrations compared to the variations themselves. However, I started thinking - why would he choose to play at these speeds since obviously the performance itself was not a problem? The speed and apparent ease and confidence of some of the other tracks showed Kurt Rodarmer could have handled them any way he chose. He must have had a reason. Since then I've listened again and again over the week or so since I got the CD, and although I'm not yet convinced, I'm starting to find that the clear difference actually helps change the emphasis within the work. It's like the Aria and da Capo are the bookends to the central pieces, the Variations themselves. Most other recordings give all the tracks almost identical billing as pieces of music.

The playing overall is breathtaking, and I suspect my final verdict on this entire recording will be a long time coming. But I intend to enjoy changing my opinion every time I listen to it and learning something new about this magnificent work.

Magnificent intrepretation. And a great electronic job, the fact that he put three guitars together!!, to be able to make what was written originaly for a keyboard instrument. This CD is what every Bach lover should have

Las variaciones Goldberg sin duda han sido de las obras de Bach que más interés han despertado en múltiples músicos; al grado que hasta la fecha he encontrado 4 versiones distintas (viéndolas desde el punto de vista de los instrumetnos empleados). Existe la versión original para clavicordio, la transcripción para piano, una interesante para orquessta de cuerdas y finalmente esta fabulosa pieza de Rodarmer, que utilizando varias guitarras de diversos tonos en grabación simultánea, logra un efecto extraordinario, dando a esta obra un nuevo punto de vista. Para quien apenas empieza, resulta una excelente introducción a las variaciones Goldberg, mientras que para el conocedor resulta un punto de comparación obligado.

I collect Goldbergs. I have more than thirty recordings. Like many, I started with that electrifying Glenn Gould recording back in the 1950s, and I've never looked back. I've got a passel of Goldbergs arranged for other instruments - organ, string trio, string orchestra. I even thought Robin Holloway's recomposition for two pianos was a terrific job. So, of course, I got this one. But...

Even though I'm willing to allow Rodarmer the license to overdub when the contrapuntal texture of the piece is too much for a single guitarist, there are two things about this recording I don't like. First, and I admit it's really MY problem, I'm not all that fond of the sound of classical guitar. But, second and more important, his use of an insistent, cloying vibrato in his melody line (and which melody line does one choose in a contrapuntal piece?) is really annoying.

So, while I can admire the musicianship and technique Kurt Rodarmer possesses, I have to give this one a thumbs-down.

However, if classical, acoustic guitar is your thing, or if you want to hear another interesting transcription of the evergreen Goldbergs, this one might be for you.

Scott Morrison