Customer Reviews

J.S. Bach : Goldberg Variations

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We certainly have had our share of "Goldberg" recordings, and therefore, who needs yet another? We do, if it is like Jory Vinikour's first-rate presentation on this Delos CD.

There is no place to hide on a harpsichord manual -- no thickets of pedal with which to camouflage -- nor does Vinikour need any. Technique is a given here and merits no further discussion. The playing is controlled, but not rigid and, the tempi are appropriate and tastefully varied. When the occasion demands it, the performances are blazingly exuberant -- try Variation 7 or 26. Introspection is evident (try Variation 9 or 15), and there is no fussiness here, no pretensiousness, no Early-Music constrictions -- only straight-forward, calmly embellished, beautiful playing that brings Bach to us in an exemplary manner. And Vinikour has total control over the voices and their position in the often tumultuous contrapuntal texture, thus poviding clarity and guidance through this wonderful work.

Bravo!

Unlike most recordings, this one is on 2 cds, which allowed the performer to play all the repeats in the variations, and to not worry about having to fit everything onto one 75 minute disc. For this reason, Jory Vinikour was able to make a clear difference in tempos. The slower variations are played with a beautiful legato quality, and show very clear expression of the phrases. The faster moveemnts are played with Mr. Vinikour's formidable technique, and make use of the different kinds of ornamentation as clearly delineated textures of sound. The whole piece is played with a well-thought conception of the composition as a whole, making clear the contributions to it of each of the individual parts. It is played with a fresh and joyous feeling, regretfully relinquished with the final repetition of the aria. I've heard Mr. Vinikour play two live concerts, which were remarkable for the intelligent choice of pieces in the harpsichord repertory, and for the freshness and confidence with which he played very difficult works. This recording should help to make this promising young artist much better known in the US and elsewhere in the world.

I love this CD. The precision, authenticity and elegance of Mr. Vinikour's harpsichord playing are quite astounding. A must listen for any lover of Baroque music. His ornamentation and stylistic interpretation are true to the style of the day. A rare treat in comparison to the many hacked piano renditions of this piece which flood the market. A monumental achievement by a young artist of my favorite piece written by Bach.

The young American harpsichordist Jory Vinikour has once again demonstrated his sympathy for the music of JS Bach in this stunning 2-CD set. Vinikour has chosen to emphasize the architecture of this monumental apotheosis of the variation form, and Delos has provided the space of 2 CDs so as not to constrain the artist with the need for skipped repeats and rushed tempos. (And thanks to Delos for pricing this set as a single disk, to keep it competitive with other Goldbergs, most of which are issued on a single CD.) There is much to recommend here: Vinikour's lively and stylish performance, Delos' fine engineering (and attractive packaging), and Kevin Fryer's just-right instrument (not to mention one of the most profound and important keyboard works ever penned...).

Very fine recording. I picked it up at a concert at Carnegie Hall (Vinikour was playing continuo for the Moscow Chamber Orchestra at a concert featuring Ewa Podles); liked it so much I had to order another as a gift! It's a very convincing recording. The sound quality is excellent - rich and deep without too much reverberation. The counterpoint comes through clearly and the slower movements are full of emotion (rare in harpsichord playing). The harpsichord, itself, has a lovely, full sound. Anybody still wondering whether these pieces should be played on harpsichord or piano should definitely check out this recording. I highly recommend it.

The first point to mention about Jory Vinikour's recording of the Goldberg Variations is that the player observes all the repeats. Thus, the Aria and each of the variations are played in AABB format, just as Bach envisaged and marked. This decision brings rich rewards, firstly because it allows the player to vary the music within each section by ornamentation, changes of register and volume, shifts of emphasis, pauses, sometimes a combination of these things. And secondly, it helps the listener to become more familiar with each variation - and in doing so to appreciate qualities and subtleties in the music which otherwise can follow upon one another too quickly for some of us humbler mortals to assimilate readily.

Mr. Vinikour plays the opening Aria with measured, dignified tenderness; then, as Bach's variations on the bass line of this gentle, unassuming melody succeed one another, we are treated to a veritable feast of beautiful keyboard playing as Vinikour's technical brilliance and energy are combined with both delicacy and profound insight. This player has a remarkable way of communicating with the inner thoughts and soul of the listener, a quality all the more evident when one hears him in live performance. Here on this CD, he brings a distinctive combination of charm, dignity and feeling to the music, seeming somehow to take us to the very heart of Bach as well as any musician I've ever heard.

Memorable moments for me include the sprightly, leaping energy and rhythm of the 7th variation (tempo di Giga), the charming, gentle progress of the melody in the canon of the 9th variation - and indeed all the canons (that is, every third variation) are a great delight. Then there are the spirited brilliance of no. 10 (Fughetta); the sparkling vigour of the French-style Ouverture (no. 16) with its sharp dotted rhythms and decorated repeats; no. 18, another canon, with a wonderful energy and spring in its step; and no. 20, with such witty, dazzling contrasts between what the left and right hand are playing that it's hard for the ordinary cloth-eared listener to keep track of which one is doing what - although, needless to say, Mr. Vinikour doesn't suffer that problem. No. 22, Alla breve, has everything - energy, charm, bravura and a delicate touch. Then there are the increasingly dashing and complex final variations, culminating in a Quodlibet that is at once brilliant, tuneful and down-to-earth - the almost Handelian nobility of the music belying its origins in two folksongs about love and vegetables among the peasantry. Here, Vinikour manages the combination of these diverse elements most beautifully, before the final return to the Aria in a manner that is both touching and profound.

A glance through the catalogues shows that Bach's extraordinary and infinitely rewarding variations are available in numerous recordings, played on everything but the kitchen sink and often with very fine results. Here, Vinikour comes as close to Bach's own time as can be, performing on a magnificent copy by Kevin Fryer of a 17th-century Ruckers harpsichord. It sounds truly wonderful, as does the Delos recording. To complete the picture we have Mr. Vinikour's own excellent notes in the accompanying booklet.

Having bought and been delighted with Vinikour's superb recording of the Handel keyboard suites, I had high hopes for his version of the Goldbergs. Those hopes have been amply fulfilled. The decision to give us all repeats does of course result in the work being spread over two discs (for the price of one, in case you worry about such things), totalling 85 minutes. In Jory Vinikour's hands they are 85 minutes of absolute joy: "Denen Liebhabern zur Gemüths-Ergetzung", wrote Bach on his title page, and this recording brings us as near as can be imagined to that noble intention to delight the spirits of music-lovers.

So thank you, Messrs. Vinikour, Ruckers, Fryer, Delos, Goldberg, the insomniac Count von Keyserlingk and, of course, the venerable JSB.

This recording sings, as it should. Vinikour takes you on a journey with the music. He's a virtuoso, but it's never about that. It's always about the music.