Chiara Massini - Bach's Goldberg Variations: Aria

[glacagnina]

Very elegant, very Bach: lovely!

[wainscottbl]

Can I say you are so beautiful, Signora? Seriously, you are as beautiful as the music you play. I just wanted to say that.

[Amonalexander]

Sie ist die Beste! aber auch das Chembalo ist perfekt. Die beste Variation ever - schlägt auch Horowitz!

[FoliesEspagne]

@Amonalexander Are you pulling my leg?!? I never saw Horowitz playing a harpsichord. (would be fun to see any pianist trying to play Bach at an instrument where it was intended for)

[Amonalexander]

@FoliesEspagne I just said that i like her version even better then Horowitz`version on the piano! And i like Horowitz a lot. What is your problem with my sentence? Keep cool!

[Ludwigo76]

Sono tra le migliori Goldberg che ho ascoltato. Grande intelligenza interpretativa che riesce a superare i limiti materiali dello strumento che, specie nei passaggi più articolati, spesso soffre di scarsa chiarezza polifonica. Brava Chiara!

[BachEmotion]

wow. Awesome.

[MrsVardanJan]

woooow !!! this is far more emotional than Glenn's late performance !!! it is amazing !!! while playing piano, Glenn has the opportunity to manipulate the voices also through piano and forte, she is playing on a harpsichord,which is a lot more limited instrument, and yet, she achieved crystal clarity in each of the voices; that, in turn, creates the opportunity for the listener to follow up easily the chatter between the voices and reveal their complete relationship. absolutely gorgeous !!!

[jjp009]

Sorry. Couldn't get more than a few bars in on this interpretation. Why does she not play the right hand notes on the beat

together with the left hand? Very annoying.

[lachi1905]

@jjp009 It's called "rubato" and it was a normal way of phrasing at that time in order to point out the melody, making it flow and not 'stick' with the beat

[jjp009]

@lachi1905 I'm a pianist and I understand rubato, but this just doesn't sound right. For reference, when I think of rubato, I think of Chopin's use, which doesn't sound anything like this at all. I just don't like this.

[lachi1905]

@jjp009 It's a different kind of rubato. It is meant to be played upon a stable bass line which plays on the beat. Upon this line you play, no, better, "sing" a rhythmically free melodic line. The result is that the two hands are not "together".

If you are a pianist, listen to the second movement of Beethoven's 5 by Benedetti Michelangeli. If you don't like it, you are missing something very beautiful.

[lachi1905]

@lachi1905 I mean, this way of playing, not Beethoven...

[lachi1905]

@lachi1905 If you like jazz, listen to Garbarek 'singing' his part in Silence with Gismonti and Charlie Haden

[jjp009]

@lachi1905 The "Emperor" Concerto? I have never heard Michelangeli's interpretation. I will try to find it here. Thank you.

[paolofanzaga]

bellissima interpretazione!

[SuhmMusic]

You are absolutely gorgeous, in every possible way. Your playing, phrasing, you are fantasticly beautiful! Thank you for this wonderful video!

[Atmosfferic]

Oh Yes !,This also creates for me an entirely different, yet eminently acceptable rendition...Calm Peaceful-truly felt, not just played & on the Instrument intended a wonderful ARTISTE honouring a Genius.(You may also like Barenboim) To me, all truly Gifted & Virtuoso Artist musicians are VALID !!- & simply give us variety. Why blame a Rose because it is not a Lily ?,or an Oak because it's not an Ash ?. Enjoy it all, Bach himself, probably played it different on Sunny days.

[1954mikel]

Es la mejor interpretacion que escuche de la primera variacion Goldberg!. Creo que JSBach la penso así y sonaba así en el siglo XVIII

[MrGuitarcat]

Very good ! You inspire me ! You have a great sense of musicality ! It's really an aria in your hand ! You litterally sing with the harpsichord !

[sanjosemike]

Your ornamentation is quite beautiful. The Aria seems to be a place where Bach suggested that we "slide" in our own personalities and ideas as much as his own. You seem to suggest a sustaining pedal, which of course you do not have.

I have to admit that I really love Ton Koopman's ornaments, in which he seems to add a lot of rising half steps that involve "black" keys. His sustaining is more "spare" than yours.

This is of course all a matter of taste, and both yours and his are great.

[aomf58]

Such a beautiful performance.

Thank you so much.

[JeterCM]

On 8 May 2008 I ran across this performance while looking for Glenn Gould's piano interpretation of the Goldberg and was awed by the beauty of Chiara's sounding of the Aria. I wanted to hear everything else she has ever recorded and with a little help I have done so. Chiara Massini is a spell-binding performer. @Eddissimo

[jcci77]

Great interpretation!!! with a lot of sensilibility...Only a beatifult heart can play something like that...congratulations....with all respect

[mortonbaychestnut]

Chiara cherie, you are sexy...

[polymath7]

@mortonbaychestnut She knows.

[LJOUWERD]

Thank you for this great performance. Full of tension.

[silviemusik]

she looks english.keira knightley

[DDBconducts]

Hmmm...

Intelligent playing. Beautiful woman. She knows it. Divinely decadent (sempre innocent and tasteful) photos.

What else ?

Nespresso ?

[AGLMIL]

Probablemente la mejor interpretacion de esta monumental obra de J. S. Bach.

Gracias a usted este fue un dia especial!!!!!

[MrJosepMiro]

I don't particularly like the metallic sound of the harpsichord, but the playing of Ms Chiara Massini is superb.

[ufospaziale]

ti adoro..........

[bachkirche]

Wonderful playing. Beautiful fringing. With whom have you studied? Any SF Bay Area instructors?

[gdellaporta]

Fra un pò avrò il CD. Non vedo l'ora. Vedo già il film. Ciao Giorgio

[josefk64]

Very nice indeed :)

[zsolthanko]

such very impressive, imaginative and beautifully played, thank you

[cucusay]

Wonderful, :)

[spadiu]

hai inciso queste variazioni? se si con quale etichetta. un interpretazione molto mistica,(sic) brava

[lubkinpage]

Bravissima!!!

(credo che janmoeiart1 non abbia proprio capito nulla...)

[janmoeyaert1]

Because you always make the same arpeggio between left and right, you are unable to have an expressive melody. And the trills are too slow.

[lachi1905]

Just a little advice from an older an more experienced colleague: it's not very classy to comment a video of the same piece you also play. Your playing is very nice as Chiara's ones is, just different approaches. Don't make the mistake of being a know-it-all: you can say you don't like the way she plays the melody, you can't say, she is "unable to have an expressive melody"

[aelfricbetera]

Clarity and brilliance......sonority better suited to the solo works than can be heard on pianoforte.....

[giuseppedolce]

Brava, hai messo in luce il lato illuminista di Bach!

[SCH0P3NHAU3R]

I can't belive what i'm hearing now! Wonderful!

[robertoladisa]

Brava! interpretazione molto bella ;-)

[visionbach]

I bought the whole CD at amazon.

It is such wonderful music, and wonderfully played by Chiara Massini.

I´m loving the harpsichord more and more, though i´m coming from the piano.

[hugo3933]

divinement belle, une interprétation si originale. Superbe.

[juanboecke]

muy bello chiara !!!!

felicitaciones y gracias por tu musica !!!

[aelfricbetera]

for those of us who have heard mainly pianoforte versions, this is wonderful and edifying...much thanks and very grateful for this...

[deadlift65]

Mi ha ricordato quella di Pinnock (che è una delle mie preferite). Bella esecuzione, soddisfatti tanto l'orecchio quanto l'occhio :)

[StefanoF87]

complimenti, una mangifica interpretazione. mi rammarico di non averla sentita alla rassegna "soli deo gloria" di reggio emilia, l'anno scorso. spero proprio di potermi rifare quest'anno.

[p0lyph0ny]

It's strange, but I think that the GV actually sound better tuned down as they are here (closer to g-flat major than g). Somehow this key just works...

Did you also use a different (ie, non-equal) temperament here? It sounds like it, but I'm not totally sure.

[chiara2110]

Yes, you are right. I used a Werckmeister III tuning.

Chiara

[lucisuciu]

...absoulte supranatural... divine ...

[indigoblue555]

Watching or listening ....perchance to dream!

[ruckers1624]

Fantastic collage!!!!!!!!  Brava!!!