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Although I am a long-term lover of Bach's music,
I had never heard the Goldberg Variations played on a harpsichord,
the instrument for which the work was originally written. This is
because I own a copy of the DVD version of Glenn Gould's famous
1976-1981 re-recording of the Variations that has given me
hours of listening pleasure, and I never thought of looking for
the work played more "authentically" on a period instrument.
A lot has been written about Glenn Gould's somewhat eccentric re-recording
of the work that made him famous when he first recorded it in 1955,
and some people really dislike the recording (see the Bach
homepage for a sample of opinions). He hums along most of the
time while he plays, out of key, and one can be distracted by that
if one wants to be. Apparently he found out early in his career
that his playing suffered if he didn't hum, so he let it become
a habit. The rather ridiculous hunchback position in which he plays
also detracts from the visual aesthetics of the performance if one
has the video or DVD version (see the pictures on page 3 and 6 of
his biography on his official
web site). So many years of retreat from the performing stage
(and society) in favour of the studio obviously made my fellow Canadian
more and more eccentric as the years went on. But if one just listens
to the playing, it is truly an amazing performance of an amazing
contrapuntal work that fully displays Gould's genius as a musician.
And when it comes to geniuses we have learned that we have to tolerate
their eccentricities.
 While
Gould's recording, because of the nature of the composition, has
some of the feel of a harpsichord, it is an experience of a different
order to hear it actually played on that wonderful but too-little-appreciated
instrument. Joanne Kong really brings out the full capacities of
the harpsichord, with all its bell-like resonances, intricate tonalities,
and striking rhythmic and tonal clarity. She plays the Variations
with a masterful balance between passion and precision, never sacrificing
the latter for the former, and with a sustained driving rhythm that
continually draws the mind back into the music from wherever it
may try to wander, especially if the music is played at fairly high
volume. The discreteness of each individual variation is maintained
by identifying them all separately on the back of the case and by
numbering them on the CD as separate tracks, but the unity of the
work is maintained by leaving virtually no pause between the successive
variations. All 69:23 minutes should be listened to at one sitting
if possible. The more times one listens carefully to the performance,
the more one falls in love with it.
As we would expect from the name of the genre, Bach's
"Variations" take us through variety of different moods
and tempos. There is not one of the Variations (which range
from 1:11 to 5:08 minutes in length) that is not a little masterpiece
in its own right, totally captivating to listen to. Without hesitation
I can say that these 32 compositions (the foundational aria plus
31 variations) are among the most beautiful and moving pieces of
instrumental music I have ever heard - true masterpieces of Baroque
music. On my most recent hearing (while writing this review) I was
particularly captivated by variations 1, 2, 5, 8, 9, 11, 14, 21,
23, 26, 27, 28 and 29. One cannot resist using the word "virtuosic"
to describe this performance, however overused the word tends to
be. In variations 14 and 29, for instance, Joanne runs up and down
the keyboard in allegro tempo with perfect control and finesse,
like she has played the work a thousand times and it just flows
forth from her soul. From the passionate allegro of these
two variations (reminiscent, with their many trills, of variation
1), we move in variations 15 and 30 to slower, more meditative pieces
that are fascinating for their intricate musical structure. Variation
30 is then followed by a slightly melancholy melody of such ethereal
beauty that it is guaranteed to bring tears to the eyes. This last
piece is actually not another variation, but an aria da capo.
A much more detailed and musically informed description
of the structure of the Variations is given by Joanne herself
in the highly informative booklet that accompanies the CD. To quote
briefly from her description, "Throughout the course of the
work, there is a repeated pattern of two variations in free style
followed by a canonic variation.… The two variations preceding
each canon consist for the most part of a 'character piece' followed
by a virtuosic piece with rapid figuration and hand-crossing to
be performed on two manuals. The character variations display a
wide variety of styles, some of which use dance patterns."
It is obvious from her writing that Joanne is a professor of music
(at the University of Richmond) as well as a musician.
In order to distinguish her recording from the many
other Goldberg Variations recordings that are out there while
displaying both sides of Ms Kong's prodigious talents, Joanne and
Brioso decided to make it a two-CD package. The second disk is a
performance of what is probably the other of the two greatest works
in the genre of keyboard variation - Beethoven's 33 Variations
on a Waltz by Diabelli, Op. 120, written eighty years after
Bach's Variations. Joanne won the Grand Prize in the International
Piano Recording Competition for a 1985 performance of this work,
so it is another work that she has been performing and perfecting
for years.
 Personally,
I have never been as interested in Beethoven as I am in Baroque
music. However, for the last few months I have been learning Beethoven's
"Ode to Joy" (An die Freude) from the Ninth Symphony
for a performance with the SSO at the opening ceremony of the Esplanade
on October 11 (plus a free performance at UCC on 8 October), and
this has greatly stimulated my interest in Beethoven. The Diabelli
Variations is one of those works that is very easy to listen
to and very easy to enjoy, either as background music or as serious
listening. And the fact that a lot more people like the piano than
the harpsichord significantly increases the appeal of this CD set.
The sprightly Vivace waltz theme at the beginning, offered
by Anton Diabelli in 1819 to the greatest composers of Vienna to
give them a chance to demonstrate their skills at writing variations,
is somewhat reminiscent of the spirit of Bach's Variations.
Once Beethoven himself takes over with the first variation, however,
that spirit is overtaken by the lyrical and romantic spirit of the
composer and his age - and the infinite capacities of the piano
to express that spirit. Unlike the driving beat of the first disk,
most of this work is quiet and gentle, very soothing to the spirit,
though with a good share of technically difficult passages. Joanne
plays the work with great sensitivity and subtlety, and it is clear
that her mastery of the piano is every bit as thorough as her mastery
of the harpsichord. Since I am a newcomer to this work, allow me
quote again from Joanne's eloquent description:
"Beethoven, like Bach, exhausts the full range of expressive
possibilities in his variations, creating a lengthy drama of extraordinary
emotional range and musical nuance, wherein the profound and spiritual
qualities inherent to the opening theme are ultimately realized….
Beyond the compositional skill with which the original thematic
material is manipulated, accompanied by extremes of harmonic exploration
and an impressive diversity of pianistic textures, the greatness
of the Diabelli Variations lies in its conceptual, inner
logic. Each variation maintains a distinct musical identity, yet
there is a sense of dramatic inexorability as each unfolds into
the next, reflecting Beethoven's mastery of large-scale musical
design." Ah, what beautiful writing! If you want to read more,
buy the set! It might well become one of your favourite recordings.
I'm sure Glenn Gould himself would love it. Unfortunately, he passed
away in 1982 at age 50, only one year after finishing his re-recording
of the work.
Brioso Recordings' high quality
CDs are only available by ordering through their web site at http://www.brioso.com.
If you missed Barry
D. Steben's hairy mug in the Carmen chorus or Beethoven's Ninth,
you have one more precious chance before the year is out -- the
Messiah performance on 13-14 December -- IF you already bought a
ticket.
To
respond to this article, please post your comments to classical@inkpot.com
23.9.2002ŠJ Barry D.
Steben
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