Rating: 3/5
Review:
A mixed bag
Mahan Esfahani is a fantastic harpsichordist and a
thoughtful, individual musician so I was very interested to see what his
"fresh approach" to the Goldberg variations would be – and I've found
it a bit of a mixed bag. I have several
dearly loved versions of the Goldberg Variations on both harpsichord and piano,
and although parts of this recording stand very well with them, as a whole I
can't really get on with it.
My problems begin with the first note. I say "note" because although the
score demands two notes played simultaneously, Esfahani separates them, with
the bass sounding just before the top G.
He uses this effect a lot throughout the Aria (and in several of the
Variations) and I'm afraid I find it a distracting affectation which breaks up
the flow of the music and gives it a halting, limping feel. And although that specific effect is absent
in Variation 4, it, too, has a lack of rhythmic continuity which I find very
distracting…and then Variation 5 comes along with the most delightful sense of
lightness and flow, making it one of the loveliest interpretations I've heard.
I found this throughout: some variations are quite
brilliant, others I find hard to listen to.
This is, of course, a matter of personal taste and you may not agree
with my assessment. Technically,
Esfahani is, as always, magnificent and the sound of his harpsichord, superbly
captured by DG's recording, is wonderfully rich and engaging. I'd suggest giving this a try or at least
listening to some samples; you may well get on with it better than I did. Personally, though, I'll be going back to
Pinnock, Egarr, Hewitt and a few others, and I can only give this a lukewarm
recommendation.
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