Over the past month I have developed an addiction to The Goldberg Variations and need recommendations of new (to me) performances. Piano only, please. Here are the ones I know best and have been wearing out: The Goulds (duh) Rosalyn Tureck Simone Dinnerstein Beatrice Rana (🔥) All wonderful. - ThreadSky

michaelchabon.bsky.social • 94 days ago

Over the past month I have developed an addiction to
The Goldberg Variations and need recommendations of new (to me) performances. Piano only, please.

Here are the ones I know best and have been wearing out:

The Goulds (duh)
Rosalyn Tureck
Simone Dinnerstein
Beatrice Rana (🔥)

All wonderful.

Comments

stewbott.bsky.social•94 days ago

Igor Levit’s version is my personal favorite.

jlmcubed.bsky.social•94 days ago

As an accompaniment to Gould’s performances, Thomas Bernhard’s The Loser is an intriguing read—even though it is fiction.

veiteberg.bsky.social•93 days ago

Claudio Arrau from 1942 is by far the best one.

https://www.pristineclassical.com/products/pakm086

michaelchabon.bsky.social•92 days ago

Says “pristine”, is it? I’ll check it out.

veiteberg.bsky.social•92 days ago

Happy to hear why you think!

elmobronowski.bsky.social•94 days ago

It is a blessing to have the tendency to become addicted to good things

eggoldberg.bsky.social•94 days ago

Barenboim is wonderful (I am an actual Goldberg). Perahia, Schiff, Rubenstein…

paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social•94 days ago

Angela Hewitt

willkeats.bsky.social•93 days ago

was lucky enough to see víkingur ólafsson perform them all in one crazy sitting last year and been fascinated with his recorded version since

tomgauld.bsky.social•94 days ago

I think this one is wonderful: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/oct/29/js-bach-goldberg-variations-review-pavel-kolesnikov

jonturney.bsky.social•93 days ago

Apart from Jarrett, jazz players (normally) who have given it a good go include John Law and Dan Tepfer. Dan improvises additional variations as he goes…

matthewcobb.bsky.social•93 days ago

The tone is amazing! I was v surprised that it was a modern piano. Thanks for the tip!

tomgauld.bsky.social•93 days ago

You’re welcome! I’m excited to be seeing him live on Friday.

jtmorg.bsky.social•94 days ago

Keith Jarrett?

Not MY favorite, but you might like it. (I find it hard to listen to any other version(s) than the young and old Gould — bthe former being one of my “desert island” LP picks.

sentient7.bsky.social•79 days ago

Check out this podcast if you haven’t already: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/30-bach-the-goldberg-variations-podcast/id1550512276

meganbrady.bsky.social•94 days ago

The Gould versions are my go to. I love that you can hear him humming along

crompsy.com•93 days ago

And I very much enjoy having the ‘55 and the ‘81 to choose from.

arielschrag.bsky.social•94 days ago

This is wonderful. And my mother.

https://open.spotify.com/album/04eM5FjQM24b4bIQXECG21?si=M7ujrIoiRtqDaihWS0QJ0Q

crompsy.com•93 days ago

Here we go—I feel a Goldberg bender coming on…⚡️🎹⚡️

mokbrennan.bsky.social•94 days ago

My favorite is Dinnerstein, but I like Vikingur Olafsson’s new recording and I also saw him perform the full set on tour a few months ago.

gerdzilla.bsky.social•94 days ago

https://classical.music.apple.com/us/album/1768955358?l=en-US

jeremymessersmith.bsky.social•94 days ago

I saw Vikingur Olafsson perform them last year and I haven't stopped thinking about it. His 2018 Bach album still feels fresh to me too. https://open.spotify.com/album/5kBtLULy6vMwjFRSSEEIjP?si=WDq1dROyT7-z6IyNy1_cUg

eileen-ndg.bsky.social•93 days ago

I'd love to hear that! Thanks for the tip.

petekavanagh.bsky.social•94 days ago

Probably my favourite because i bought it first, but wonderful regardless
https://music.apple.com/gb/album/bach-goldberg-variations/1452210177

jefffeldstein.bsky.social•94 days ago

András Schiff
Grigory Sokolov
Céline Frisch (harpsichord, sorry, but sublime)
Igor Levit
Keith Jarrett
Charles Rosen

michaelchabon.bsky.social•93 days ago

Love Sokolov’s Art of Fugue.

jefffeldstein.bsky.social•93 days ago

He’s so… I don’t know quite how to describe it… emotionally precise?

popieniek.bsky.social•93 days ago

Murray Perahia

glennf.com•91 days ago

I spent years with the two Goulds as sometimes daily writing music before adding the Rana. She was the first whose interpretation jived with mine.

hanongnyc.bsky.social•94 days ago

according to classicists, murray perahia's goldberg are the gold standard. they are mellifluous, and well-judged, never dramatic. but my favorites are: andras schiff and minsoo sohn (youtube has complete concerts.)

nigelleach.com•94 days ago

I want musical experience, rather than technical excellence, and Gould is it. But also wonderful is Víkingur Ólafsson...

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