Murray Perahia - Goldberg Variations (1-4)

[oasis27]

My favorite version of Goldberg Variation, Perahia is also my favorite living pianist.

[pushit234]

@ TheCeddley

When has interpretation (in the musical sense) ever yielded reliability?

[pushit234]

@TheCeddley

For me, Gould, despite the speed of his recordings, presents a more factual representation of Bach's structure, and his overall intention of the music. Perahia does an absolutely splendid job of the so called "divinity and spirituality" of the music, and I really admire it, but that might be all he accomplished in my book. Gould however, had an intense affection for the original, and for the real intention Bach had for his music, and in my opinion, that overrides perahia's work.

[bachmaninoff]

@pushit234 And how do you know what Bach's intentions were? Amazing how no one else that has ever recorded Bach has been aware of his "intentions" in that no one else sounds like Gould, whose interpretations are unorthodox and unique to him. Secondly, Bach's "intentions" would change, had he access to a modern piano; he always maximized the potential of each instrument. Gould is an exception...and a very unique one, and in that respect, isn't a reliable reference for interpretation.

[polymath7]

@bachmaninoff Are you offenbachmaninoff, or just occasionally? Allow me to introduce myself; Homer Wolfgang von Shakestoy.

[danielbillingsley74]

In the aria, there is a spry and sweet feel to his playing. Very different than many of the other recordings I hear that are far slower - almost laborious. A nice recording. I have Gould, Schiff and Dinnerstein performing - all excellent recordings. I also love the Pierre Hantai videos of these on harpsichord. He bumps right through them with effortless vigor. All in all, a masterwork - and a nice rendition by a great pianist. Is there also a recording with Richard Goode? Just curious.

[MrMrMikayel]

Bravo!!!

[betelmann]

Of all the Goldberg records I've heard, this is my favorite. A long time ago, I used to think that Bach should be heard on the harpsichord. Perahia, as well as Schiff, has convinced me otherwise. I'm not sure what I was thinking then. The second variation, after the initial aria, is the absolutely most exquisite rendition of that portion I've ever heard.

[baronblos9]

ahhh divine, goldberg variations are the sweetest gravy to my longpork

[Pretendkid]

By the 0:10 I was bagged. I'm getting the CD.

[polymath7]

@Pretendkid CD? What on Earth is a CD?

[Pretendkid]

@polymath7 "Compact Disc"

[polymath7]

@Pretendkid Compact disc... compact disc....Ah, yeah! You mean those little shiny discs (about the size of a coaster) they used to sell at Barnes and Noble.

[Pretendkid]

@polymath7 Well, yeah, because I like having tangible copies of my favourite music

[Sneaktyp]

Man...

[HamerD]

there are so many ornamentations Perahia has put on the piece. Not a huge fan of that, a little too many for me. But am a huge fan of mr. Perahia of course.

[nightlord47]

bloody amazing

[1gombro]

the sonority by Perahia has no match in my humble opinion!!

[Irshkboy]

I have to admire anyone who can play the Goldberg variations. This guy is no exception.

[funkiegemini]

More pure and relaxing you can't find much place else than in Bach's music and Perahia interpretation in flawless...thank-you Arganos) for sharing this with the world!

Dit is maar letter luister, as we say is South Africa ;-)

[Micounnet]

This is my favourite interpretation by far. Thank you Murray!!!

[humpert]

great interpretation, but Gould's come's from another unknown world...

[lsbrother]

@humpert

"Gould's come's from another unknown world..."

Canada's not unknown - well not totally

[EMPERORMIKI]

@lsbrother lol

[Irshkboy]

Goulds is superior.

[rabbittown1900]

良い響きですね。癒されました！。

[nohpiano]

I am constantly baflfed by the love for Gould's deadly slow, utterly un-Aria, unsingable playing of the opening of this, with no singable forward motion whatsoever, and those mechanical sounding ornaments. I want to scream every time I hear it on the radio.

[angryjalapeno]

@nohpiano, which version are you talking about? 1981? I agree. A bit too much self-reflecting but he was getting old then.  Try listening to his 1955.

[EMPERORMIKI]

so what ... don't listen to it then.

[Matteo7419]

Pehraia is undoubltely a good artist, but I think he's far from beeing a "bachian". This interpretetion is actually good, but we still listen to every new Goldberg's recording making a comparison with the Gould's ones, 'cause these are THE recordings of the GV. This occurs with other pieces, like, for example, Michelangeli's Ravel Concerto, Pollini's Chopin Préludes, Richter Rachmaninov 2nd... may be it's a problem for every interpreter, but Gould has still something to say.

[amirmot]

well in my case I enjoy andreas schiff ,and his recording is my reference not gould's.

but thats just me.

[mikejr41387]

i agree. If you put on gould after hearing schiff it sounds mechanical and completely unmusical

[lguerreromeseguer]

I personally prefere by far glenn gould's. By far. This is very well played and beautifull, but Glenn Gould's has something special. I get bored of this interpretation after hearing it a couple of times, and I can't stop listening Glenn Gould's version.

[lguerreromeseguer]

the second recording I mean.

[lovesGenet]

not alda advertising n a world will eve kill the adultaion for Gould's Bach. there are some other wonderful ideas about Bach out there that make one wann a forget Gould.RICHTERrare?!Schiff?Pire­s!Perahia!Yudina!whowas this fasninating mad woman.Tureck is worth listeningto talk whereI dont trust Gould he becomes dishonest saying this or that according to whim and wanna shock gainattention.Feltsman and fischer  honest .There is much to malign about Gould.

[judithorloffmd]

at midnight, what gorgeous notes to hear

[jacmac127]

Ahhh>>>How close to heaven it must be to have worked with such geniuses. I too am envious...but at least we can enjoy via recording.

[herrxavier]

Wonderful!!! I bought the CD already.

[uilleannman]

Brilliant! So precisely, yet delicately played... Perahiah's playing of the Goldberg V's has been my favorite for some time.

[adrct]

Brilliant! My favorite pianist alive. My all-time favorite is Horowitz.

[davidjb100]

It's Glenn Gould. There are, however, many differences in texture.

[faraz1729]

It is nothing like John Gould. It is also nothing like Glenn Gould.

Nice double-display of ignorance there, buddy.

[KorbielowSki]

@faraz1729

Dear Fa

Yes! You are qutie right.

.

It is like Glen Gould but with out all his mumblings.

.

Fortunately, somewhere between chance and mystery lies imagination, the only thing that protects our memory, despite the fact that people keep trying to reduce it or kill it off altogether.(RebecccaOfSunnyBro­okFarm)

cheers.

from,

del-boy.

[faraz1729]

I apologize for calling you ignorant earlier. It's hard to differentiate between ignorance and mental disability over the internet.

[OohGoshYoureRight]

@faraz1729

Dear Fa.,

Do keep trying to inspite of the difficulties as you mention; remember Reality is the ability to think differences.

.

Cheers.

from,

del-boy.

[faraz1729]

Wow, your English gets worse with each username.

[moafisepi]

It's so refreshing to hear different perspectives on such a wonderful piece of music. With pieces as commonly done as these variations, it is very easy to emulate master pianists/harpsichordists, and lose one's identity within the piece. It is so wonderful to hear this, so unique and really personal. I love it.

[AutumnRide86]

I don't know if it's just all the lore that surrounds him but Gould's performance seems just that little bit more special. I find the arrival of the first variation tame compared to Gould's with his outlandish staccato tone. Having said that I do love Perhia's ornamentation, some of its just friggin delicious lol. I'd kill to get dexterity like that.

[traydb]

Thank's so much for uploading this. I came on a few months back looking for it and was disappointed it wasn't here. Thanks again.

[lifeisacrapp]

Hi. I know my question may sound a bit inadequate but i wanna know if anyoone knows on what instrument Murray Perahia has recorded his cd with Haendel and Scarlatti. i think it might be a pianoforte, not grand piano. DOes anyone know the answer for this question? thanks PS

I admire Murray, i can't help listening to his recordings...i am totally in love with his Haendel's suites ...this is sometthing that keeps me alive in this superficial world...

[beqqer]

I think it's a Steinway D. May I

ask what makes you think it's not a

concert grand?

[lifeisacrapp]

I have been listening to this cd myriad times and I got the impression that the sound is so soft, like from a different world...I know these arguments may sound childish but this sound is really different from a grand piano.

[Arganos0]

Sorry I can't help you with that, no idea.

[jwang32]

it's a Steinway. I think it's the his articulation that makes it sound different. He uses much portato (semi-legato). That's how Glenn Gould makes the piano sound like a harpsichord.

[KorbielowSki]

Dear jWanggg.,

Didn't you hear all the mumblings on his recordings?

.

cheers.

from,

del-boy.

[yogaman13]

I think it has something to do with Murray Perahia's tone. He seems to be one of these masters of tone production, like Richter and Gilels, in the sense that he is able to produce sounds that you described as being otherwordly. All of this has to do with weight placement and finger speed and acceleration and where on the key you strike. I think he's very concious of what he's doing. He seems to view Bach's music as something divine or spiritual, which may account for the "other worldly" quality.

[UMSHFMOD]

Wow. You know your stuff. Very well said.

[AccordionTheif]

@yogaman13 Wow, good thing his tone is so great then. Otherwise he would completely pale in comparison to the Glenn Gould interpretation of this piece. Oh wait, he still does.

[TheCeddley]

@AccordionTheif Gould is far too fast by comparison (even the later, slower version), and the humming in the background is very distracting. Also, his tone is wooden by comparison, I think. Perhia's tone is wonderful, and his phrasing (which you can actually hear because he doesn't take it too quickly) is beautifully. That goes too for his recordings of the Partitas and the English Suites. The only comparable playing is Pinnock in the partitas on harpsichord.

[AccordionTheif]

@TheCeddley This is such a coincidence, considering I was listening to the Perahia interpretation yesterday and I noticed how I enjoyed it much more than the Gould recording. I love Glenn Gould, but I think that his recording of the Golberg Variations are not his best work. Also, I find that somewhat ironic considering that's arguably his most famous work.

[andreasneubronner]

It was a regular Steinway Grand D-model. I did the recording so I remember it quite well.

Regards

Andreas Neubronner

[lifeisacrapp]

Hi Andreas!

I dunno how it happened I wrote my questions here- under Murray's recording of Goldberg variations....what I was referring to was his recording of Haendel's suites....well, a small misunderstanding...:-D I wrote that I listened to this thousands times-- I meant his Haendel's suites...sound of that recordind made me wonder what piano it could be....maybe u know anything about that as well?

Best regards

[andreasneubronner]

Thanks for your reply. I did both recordings: Goldberg and the Handel/Scarlatti. Both are done on regular Steinway D. The Handel was done on a Steinway/Fabrini from Milano in Neumarkt (Germany), the Goldberg-Variations have been recorded in La Chaux-des Fonds (Switzerland) on a Steinway D from London. You should hear the recent Bach Partita releases on Sony Classical (also with Perahia). I think it's the best piano sound (caused by Perahia) you can get in those days.

Regards

Andreas Neubronner

[lifeisacrapp]

After reading your reply, I sort of "envied" you....for the fact that you have been there....having the possibilty to listen to Murray :-D Well. if i could choose, I would like to get the chance to listen to Glenn Gould while he was recording. let's say, Bach's partitas )))

[ytfavorites]

i have many favoritepianists in goldberg variations and other bach works for claver. perahia is definitely one of them and has again enriched my bach picture. bach is an inexhaustible source and one can only feel great gratitude to experience these great pianist by the spirits of those masterly interpretations.