Customer Reviews

Goldberg Variations: Aria and 70 Variations Adapted, Arranged and Composed by Uri Caine

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

 

 

If for no other reason, Uri Caine ought to be respected for having no "censor" button in his creative process. Whatever comes to his mind gets put on record, and I find this to be incredibly refreshing. With 70 variations clocking in at two and a half hours over 2 discs, naturally everything is not going to be perfect, but for the most part, the Goldberg Variations is a joy to listen to. That he is able to put electronica and baroque period performance on the same disc makes me smile in itself; the fact that it gels is just icing on the cake. Nitty gritty: The solo keyboard renderings, heard on harpsichord, fortepiano, and piano tend to be a bit stiff, except for variation 29, in which Uri totally abandons the written notes-it's fantastic. Some of Uri's compositions, based on the Goldberg bass line, are a bit vanilla... choral settings are just too precious, but again, the overall experience on the record is totally refreshing. Each variation is heard in a unique instrumentation, ranging from baroque period performance to various chamber music settings, trad jazz, rhythm section and a couple horns, gospel, electronica, salsa, and so on. This record never wants for talent, featuring Greg Osby, Ralph Alessi, Drew Gress, James Genus, and other jazzers; several excellent baroque players, free jazz cellist Ernst Reijseger, and incredibly creative vocalist David Moss, among others. It's always entertaining, and often brilliant. Anyone with an open ear who has not heard Uri Caine ought to be this record.

I recently finished (and reviewed here) a biography of Johann Sebastian Bach which made the point repeatedly that our image of Bach as the stern Cantor of Leipzig is incorrect. The writer points out that before his long (and not very happy) job in Leipzig he had been very interested in less serious forms of music than the church cantatas for which he was mostly known in Leipzig. While in Leipzig itself he led the Collegium Musicum (the forerunner of today's Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra) and they met in a coffeehouse known for its conviviality. Further, anyone who listens to his music and who understands the musical conventions of the day can hear the sense of humor Bach brought to his music. This is nowhere more evident than in the Goldberg Variations. Just think of the Quodlibet that ends it - drinking songs and jokes! All this is in service of making the point that Uri Caine's 2+ hour riffs on Bach's Goldberg Variations would probably make the Master smile, even guffaw in places.

I have a friend in Eindhoven, Holland who, like me, is a Goldberg nut. Between us we probably have upwards of fifty versions of the Goldbergs, including versions for organ, string trio, string orchestra; I keep waiting for someone to transcribe it for koto ensemble. But he recently sent me this twofer from the Uri Caine Ensemble. I had known of it and of Uri Caine, but had never heard it. I was not prepared, though, for my reaction. Remembering that Bach had written the Variations for young harpsichordist Johann Theophilus Goldberg to play at night for his notoriously insomniac employer, Count von Keyserlingk (presumably to help him get to sleep), I put the headphones on as I went to bed, thinking I'd give Uri Caine the same opportunity to lull me to sleep. More than two hours later I was still awake, constantly surprised and delighted by the incredible musical imagination Caine has brought to bear on the Variations, and indeed I was vibrating like a violin's E string by the time the second CD had finished. No sleep for the stimulated, I guess you could say.

Others here have written about the various changes Caine brings to the variations, but I'd like to add a few comments. First of all, the basis for most of his variations is the clear-cut harmonic pattern Bach uses in the Aria. In other words, he does not tend to make meta-variations of the individual variations themselves, but sticks to the that G major sarabande harmonic progression of the Aria. Robin Holloway, in his 'Gilded Goldbergs' (which I've also reviewed here) does the opposite; each of his variations is based on the sequence of Bach's own variations. Caine does occasionally pick a specific variation for treatment, but usually not. And indeed, at times he seems more interested in throwing in references to all forms of music since Bach: samba, Gilbert & Sullivan, bossa nova, klezmer, Verdi, other Bach (I heard the St. Anne fugue along the way), Rachmaninov, various kinds of jazz (naturally!), Beethoven piano sonatas, gospel, a Mozart string quartet, viola da gamba music, extended vocal technique (via the oddly fascinating guttural mumblings of that weird guy, David Moss, who was so awful as Prince Orlovsky in the recent DVD of Salzburg's 'Fledermaus'), a clarinettist wailing on 'The Yellow Rose of Texas,' and on and on. He even works in a variation on the notes B-A-C-H. And I've still not even come close to mentioning all the influences.

Two small points of interst. Caine begins simply and calmly with the Aria played on Bach's own Silbermann fortepiano followed by the first variation played by gamba and fortepiano. And he later returns to play (on modern piano, and quite beautifully), absolutely straight, the 'Black Pearl' Variation, surely the emotional heart of the set; in doing so he pays a serene and heartfelt homage to Bach. Thank you, Mr. Caine, for that.

It is all done with absolute aplomb by Caine and his henchmen, erm, musicians. Tongue firmly in cheek, yes, but with terrific musicality and great chops. I cannot imagine anyone - except for those thin-lipped purists who probably aren't going to be exposed this set anyhow - not having a great time with these two CDs. It worked on several levels. It's a great Musicology 101 quiz: 'Spot the Influences.' And it can be dipped into at random (in fact, one way I listened to it was to put my CD changer on 'random'; it made not one whit of difference in my enjoyment). Best of all, it's a great energizer and spirit-lifter (pretty important, I'd say, in these parlous time).

So, for those of you who love to smile, who love Bach's Goldbergs, and who don't mind missing sleep, this one's for you.

2 CDs: total time ca. 156 mins.

Strongly recommended.

Scott Morrison

Here's one of the most inventive, heart-warming, beautiful and funny recordings existing for people who love ALL genres and styles of music. Absolutely professionally composed and linked together, the variations range from pure Bach through choral, gospel, jazz, electronic, klezmer and even a wild Mexican variation.

The range of styles and variety of instruments and voices provides constant amazement, amusement and variety. Yet somehow it all works. Caine obviously is a serious and talented musician with a wonderful ear for sounds, as well as a superb sense of humor and a bizarre imagination. My kind of guy!

This is an extreme variations album. Not content with the 30-odd that Bach wrote for solo instrument, Uri Caine has produced this double album of some 70 episodes for solo, duo, ensemble, vocal, choral, you name it, performance. Some are close to Bach's originals, some have a nodding acquaintance, and others are completely novel explorations of musical styles and melodies which Johann Sebastian would have been unable to contemplate in his day. But is it any good? Well, you're not looking at the output of the father of all Western music for the last 300 years, but you can't help admire the verve, enthusiasm and bravado with which Uri Caine has tackled the job. It's almost as if he decided to wilfully intermix musical styles just because they were there to be mixed. With so many variations I suspect not every listener will like every track, but I can guarantee that everyone will find some real stunners that will open their ears. For example, I particularly like the 'Dig It' variation - how long before someone picks up on this for a TV commercial soundtrack? This whole album is bit like a splash of cold water in the face - it's bold, refreshing and everybody needs it once in a while!

Uri Caine presents us with another take on a classical composition, this time singling out JS Bach's Goldberg Variations for the treatment. If you love the Goldbergs as much as I do you will find this funny, touching and also revealing at the same time. It is irreverent whilst being most reverential, paying close heed to the heart of the text. I know some friends find it dificult to listen to all at one sitting but warm yourself with it and to it and you'll not be disappointed.

Uri Caine covers a lot of ground with his Goldberg Variations, but it is not a uniformly great and varied set of treatments. Some strike me as far more successful than others, and some bear little or no connection to Bach. Vocalist David Moss's appeal totally eludes me. For me, his odd sounds ruin some otherwise successful tracks. There's a difference between being unusual and interesting, and being odd and dull, and I find Moss odd and dull here, and irritating without being stimulating. It is tempting to simply applaud Caine for being audacious and risk taking, but this could have been edited down to one disc and been far more compelling. There's a difference between being prolific and being creative, and I think that the line is crossed here toward the merely prolific.

E' passato un certo tempo dall'uscita di quest'ultima fatica di Uri Caine e pochi elementi sono giunti a distoglierci dall'idea che "The Goldberg Variations" sia davvero il disco dell'anno, non tanto per l'impresa in sé, (è comunque eroica, per un giovane jazzista americano, la scelta di affrontare una delle composizioni più geniali della storia della musica), quanto per la capacità di affrontare un grande classico con sguardo lucidamente ironico ma affatto iconoclasta. I puristi storceranno il naso, d'accordo, anche perché identificheranno alcune tracce dissacratorie all'interno del disco, ma ciò che veramente conta è che l'interpretazione di Caine non intende in alcun modo minare le fondamenta del capolavoro bachiano, ma anzi, è volta ad esaltarne i tratti eterogenei e a sviluppare le possibilità di metamorfosi che esso racchiude. Caine esplora le Variazioni Goldberg con lo sguardo del bambino: il mondo di Bach diventa, ai suoi occhi, un paese dei balocchi nel quale è concesso assaggiare, imitare, persino storpiare. Ma si badi bene che, come tutti i bambini che giocano, Caine segue un processo serissimo; nell'infinito gioco dei rimandi ecco allora riproposto (ma in misura più estrema che nel disco dedicato a Mahler) il gusto per lo spiazzamento, pianificato ed imposto attraverso l'alternanza di brani che si rifanno a generi musicali eterogenei: passaggi classici interpretati con austera grazia (le arie d'apertura e chiusura al fortepiano Silbermann e la prima variazione con l'accompagnamento di Vittorio Ghielmi alla viola da gamba), improvvisazioni hard bop ("The Jaybird lunge Variation"), trionfi barocchi (la seconda, terza, sesta e settima variazione), strisce drum'n'bass ("Logic's Invention" e "Logic's Organ Prelude" mixate da Dj Logic), riletture in stile dixieland (la brillante "The Hot Six Variation"), lamenti vocali dilatati all'estremo (la voce di Dean Bowman in "The Dig It Variation"), ballate blues ("The Stomp Variation"), richiami alla musica sacra (la "Introitus Variation" con il coro del Kettwiger Bach Ensemble ed i vocalizzi recitati e disperati di David Moss), elementi free jazz ("Variation for sax and piano" con Greg Osby), idiomi kletzmer ("The Stuttering Variation", "Luther's Nightmare Variation" e soprattutto la "Don's Variation" con un grande solo di Don Byron), sonorità puramente elettroniche (le variazioni 5 [+8], 11 e 23 di Boomish), richiami alla tradizione classica (gli omaggi ai padri in "Rachmaninoff", "Mozart", "Vivaldi", e "Handel"), recitazioni poetiche (l'affascinante "The I Poem Variatrion" con il poeta Sadiq Bey e la 19 con la voce di Tracey Morris), infine echi brasiliani (Vinicius Cantuaria in "Variation for Vinicius") ed argentini ("The Tango Variation" con Joerg Reiter all'accordeon). Insomma, un'alternanza di colpi di scena, un caleidoscopio sonoro che fa di questo disco un serio tentativo di catalogare e mettere a confronto, con atteggiamento enciclopedico, stilemi musicali che saranno alla base della musica dei prossimi anni. Esageriamo? Forse, ma certamente "The Goldberg Variations" è un disco coraggioso, capace di scatenare dibattiti in seno alla critica e, come tale, andrebbe ascoltato con attenzione. Senza dimenticare, ad ulteriore merito di Winter & Winter, una grafica strepitosa, degna delle migliori imprese di Saul Bass.
Arthur Cravan

Also a lot of fun. Caine is a brilliant pianist. I first heard him on Don Byron's Bug Music, playing extremely catchy and tuneful little solos. So I was very excited to go hear his trio last year at the Knitting Factory in NYC. Boy was I disappointed! I felt like he didn't connect with rhythm section at all; it all seemed pretty obtuse and uninspired. Then I checked out this recording from the library and it absolutely knocked my socks off! I am a fan of Glenn Gould's early recording of the Goldberg Variations, so I was a bit skeptical of Caine's treatment. But it's just so much fun, how can you resist? There is some of the most creative integration and juxtaposition of classical and jazz music on these discs. I disagree with the reviewer who seemed annoyed by the tracks that stray far from Bach's original. For me, these are some of the most interesting and successful cuts. I particularly enjoy the Dig It Variation, The Stuttering Variation, The Hot Six Variation, The Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde Variation (featuring David Moss at his most outrageous), Variation for Saxophone and Piano, The Stomp Variation (exemplary of Caine's solo virtuosity and cleverness), Variation 14 (a mind-bending amalgam of harpsichord and electronica), The I Poem Variation, Variation 19 (featuring some very cool and sexy spoken word by Barbara Walker), and gospel tunes like the Blessings Variation. Some of the most exciting songs are those that maintain a classical framework and overlay or insinuate jazz motifs or atonality. For a taste of what I'm talking about, listen to Variation 9-Canon at the 3rd, The Verdi Piano Duet Variation, The Wedding March Variation, and Variation 29 (another Caine solo marvel). The tunes are all short, so if you don't like something, don't worry. It'll be over soon and the next track will be entirely different. The sheer magnitude of the creative effort here makes this recording worth having. But you need broad tastes to enjoy it all, because there's everything here: classical, free jazz, hard bop, klezmer, Piazzola-like tango music, salsa, hip-hop, electronica, choral music, spoken word, gospel, bossa nova, ragtime, Dixieland. You name it. And then there's David Moss who defies classification. Love him or hate him there's no one like him. I admire Uri Caine and Barbara Walker for this project. Sure, there are parts that work and parts that don't seem to. That's usually the case with experimental art. Overall, I'd say this experiment was a genre-crashing success.

I have to chuckle at anyone who buys an album with titles like "Dig It Variation," or "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Variation" and then complains that Johann has defaced. I have Perahia's Goldbergs for when I want exquisite Bach, and Gould's for when I want, well, whatever it is that Gould did, and I have Caine for something completely different. I actually love his Mahler album more than this Goldbergs treatment (I think the Mahler is one of the best albums of the 1990s). But this one is worthwhile. If you dont' respond positively to the words "Knitting Factory scene" or "Downtown improvisers," move on to one of the literally dozens of interpretations that do not contain "The Jaybird Lounge Variation"--that one you'll only find here.

If for no other reason, Uri Caine ought to be respected for having no "censor" button in his creative process. Whatever comes to his mind gets put on record, and I find this to be incredibly refreshing. With 70 variations clocking in at two and a half hours over 2 discs, naturally everything is not going to be perfect, but for the most part, the Goldberg Variations is a joy to listen to. That he is able to put electronica and baroque period performance on the same disc makes me smile in itself; the fact that it gels is just icing on the cake. Nitty gritty: The solo keyboard renderings, heard on harpsichord, fortepiano, and piano tend to be a bit stiff, except for variation 29, in which Uri totally abandons the written notes-it's fantastic. Some of Uri's compositions, based on the Goldberg bass line, are a bit vanilla... choral settings are just too precious, but again, the overall experience on the record is totally refreshing. Each variation is heard in a unique instrumentation, ranging from baroque period performance to various chamber music settings, trad jazz, rhythm section and a couple horns, gospel, electronica, salsa, and so on. This record never wants for talent, featuring Greg Osby, Ralph Alessi, Drew Gress, James Genus, and other jazzers; several excellent baroque players, free jazz cellist Ernst Reijseger, and incredibly creative vocalist David Moss, among others. It's always entertaining, and often brilliant. Anyone with an open ear who has not heard Uri Caine ought to be this record.