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Goldberg Variations BWV 988
Played by Sergio Vartolo (Clavicembalo)
Discussions |
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Vartolo´s GV |
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Thomas Radleff wrote (February 3, 2003):
The harpsichord on which Sergio Vartolo is playing the Goldberg Variations, is a Christian Zell copy by Barthelemy Formentelli. Vartolo seems to chose his instruments very carefully; in all his other recordings he doesn´t use this one anymore; mostly Venetian models for Frescobaldi, Taskin-copies or spinettoni for Scarlatti.
Two discs: 49:08 + 52:33; the second disc begins with Var. 16.
His recording indeed is very long, but seldom I have the impression it is slow. Perhaps without knowing his Frescobaldi recordings you might be offended by his excessive, sometimes manieristic rubato - like a speech that comes to his mind right now.
Ah, Tactus ! Like Ricercar, one of these wonderful labels, bearing many a surprise, but hard to find, and impossible to order anywhere. (Any sources...?) |
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Riccard-Nughes wrote (February 3, 2003):
< Ah, Tactus ! Like Ricercar, one of these wonderful labels, bearing many a surprise, but hard to find, and impossible to order anywhere. (Any sources...?) >
Directly from them http://62.101.95.195:591/tactus/index_eng.htm
2 good Italian on-line shops : www.iperdue.com www.stradivarius.it |
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Jim Morrison wrote (February 3, 2003):
[To Thomas Radleff] Thanks Thomas,
This probably isn't much use to you, but Tactus is easy to track down in the USA.
Heck, Tower records online has 118 titles and at: http://www.allegro-music.com/
you can find 217! including nine by Vartolo, some on organ, some on harpsichord.
Jim (who has a special fondness in his heart for recordings with excessive rubato/agogic accents! I've never heard anything from Vartolo but he sounds like someone I should look into.
Would you recommend his Frescobaldi on Tactus? Any different from the Naxos set?) |
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Pete Blue wrote (February 3, 2003):
Thomas R. asks: "Any sources?"
I think H&B, which used to be based in Texas, had a copy or two. Try them: www.hbdirect.com (they never seem to discount, though). |
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Bradley Lehman wrote (February 3, 2003):
Thomas Radleff wrote:
< Ah, Tactus ! Like Ricercar, one of these wonderful labels, bearing many a surprise, but hard to find, and impossible to order anywhere. (Any sources...?) >
Here in the US I get the Tactus recordings directly from: http://www.allegro-music.com or their half-price "cyber music surplus" section. Great selection, great prices, great service. |
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In Defense Of Vartolo: His GV, Not His Frescobaldi |
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Pete Blue wrote (February 6, 2003):
I have had my copy of the 2-CD set on Tactus of the Goldberg Variations played by Sergio Vartolo for only a short time, but I like it more on every playing. None of the characteristics described by the detractors of Vartolo's Frescobaldi are present in his Bach.
I find the playing consistently dramatic and risk-taking, with delightful ornamentation and convincing tempo choices both within each variation and overall.. In all 103 minutes there isn't a pedestrian moment (or at least not more than one!). If like me you're an admirer of Ottavio Dantone's WTK, I believe you'll like these Goldbergs. I got a used copy from Half.com at a great price but I believe new copies are reasonable.
Which brings up a question: I own a bunch of GVs played on both piano and harpsichord, and I can't say I have a preference for one instrument over the other in this work. Then why do the GV seem more "important" on harpsichord than on piano? I don't believe it's because my harpsichord recordings are better played, because I've heard a lot of GVs I don't own, on both instruments, and I don't think the "best" harpsichord performance beats the "best" piano performance, qua performance. It's just that when I want to listen to a monumental GV,I invariably turn to the harpsichord.
Is this merely an idiosyncrasy of mine or are there other possible explanations? |
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