Goldberg Variations BWV 988 - piano - (HN 159)

Very good publication

In the concluding part of her detailed and insightful narrative in the liner note accompanying the disc, Angela Hewitt writes: 'We might ask ourselves why this work has such an enormous effect on us, as I believe it does. It is certainly one of the most therapeutic pieces of music in that we always feel better for having listened to it. The beauty, joy and fulfillment that Bach shares with us are powerful healers, and give us momentarily the sense of completeness we seek.' After listening to her exemplary rendition, I can attest to the healing power of this piece of music which served as an inspiration for my subject heading.Bach described the Goldberg Variations, merely as a keyboard 'practice-piece', composed for his talented student Gottlieb Goldberg to play on the harpsichord. But in the hands of a genius resulted in a masterpiece which requires daunting virtuoso skills to handle its extraordinary musical, technical and intellectual difficulties.The theme is a sublime aria symmetrically devised in two halves of sixteen bars each with beguiling melody anchored on the bass line. This ground bass is like that of a passacaglia or a chaconne, it serves as the backbone of the construction. There are thirty variations, after which the Aria returns in its initial shape, thus uniting the beginning with the end. The thirty variations are divided into ten groups of three. Each group contains a brilliant virtuoso toccata-like piece, a gentle and elegant character piece and a strictly polyphonic canon. The canons are presented in a sequence of increasing intervals starting with the canon in unison up until the canon in ninths. In place of the canon in tenths, we have a quodlibet (what pleases) which combines fragments of two folk songs with the ground bass.The characteristics of her exemplary rendition comprise lightness of touch, deeply felt musicianship, dexterity, and dazzling independent finger work while the drama in Bach's music is profoundly palpable. Murray Perahia's rendition is of a similar exemplary quality.

Sounds simply wonderful. I have moved on from the Much loved Glenn Gould Recordings and this rendition is now my favourite. CD arrived promptly and in great condition.

I bought this for daughter who has the hearing of a bat. The Glenn Gould recording really pissed her off because he hums throughou the recording and whilst his piano skills are great, his humming is rubbish. Hewitt was recommended as a jaw droppingly brilliant pianist and she is. And she doesn't hum while she plays. It's wonderful.

A fine piano performance of Bach's masterpiece written for harpsichord. The greater variation in volume and colour available to the pianist really is, I believe, an improvement on the restricted sonority of the harpsichord. I think JSB would have approved!

I loved the music, but found somebody had scrawled on the sleeve. On looking at it more closely, I saw that it was autographed by Angela Hewitt herself - an added bonus

The BBC played only a few bars in a Saturday morning review, but after more than a decade of faithful adoration of both of Glenn Gould's recordings, I immediately decided to buy this one. Not only is this new recording of amazing clarity, it also is played with impressive determination and force. Everything about this recording seems a conscious decision, a well-planned act. An amazing de-romanticization of Bach, cleaner and more natural than I have ever heard him before. I am now very curious about Hewitt's other recordings...

stapled binding is the only complain i have with it

Excellent edition.

Good

La carta usata é di buona qualità, non è lucida e dunque non crea riflessi. Diteggiatura essenziale e in stile bachiano. Impaginazione curata. Da avere nella propria libreria

Excellente édition, notamment pour les doigtés pas toujours intuitifs !

一曲のみで軽くて使いやすいです中身はとても濃いですしね