Murray Perahia - Goldberg Variations (1-4)

The Goldberg Variations, composed by J.S. Bach, played by Murray Perahia.
If you like it, buy the CD, like I did.
If you don't, please comment with respect.

Video is for listening only.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• murray
• perahia
• goldberg
• variations
• js
• bach
• glenn
• gould
• aria
• contrapunctus
• classical
• baroque
• fantasy

[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.

[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.

[polymath7]

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

[Pretendkid]

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

[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 "Compact Disc"

[polymath7]

@Pretendkid CD? What on Earth is a CD?

[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?

[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.

[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.

[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.