# Wilhem Kempff's Goldberg Variations



## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Lang Lang was originally my favorite take on the works, but now I find them superficial.

My current favorite is Kempff, who is also lyrical with the pieces, but in a more restrained and effective way.

Thoughts?


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## Monsalvat (11 mo ago)

I thought the lack of ornamentation in the aria was so weird I don't think I actually have listened to this whole recording. Or maybe only once or twice. According to my notes, this was recorded in July 1969. 

For the _Goldberg Variations_, I retain a bit of a morbid curiosity about *Glenn Gould*'s approach but I can't say I _like_ it. I just listen to it every once in a while (the 1955 recording especially). *András Schiff* is probably in general my favorite Bach pianist; I prefer his later ECM recording over the earlier Decca recording, which is a bit too eccentric for my tastes, with some repeats being taken an octave up and a rather heavy use of ornamentation. An honorable mention would be *Murray Perahia*. I don't really like *Angela Hewitt*'s approach to Bach, which is slow and romantic (her recording is fifteen minutes longer than Kempff's). On the harpsichord, this is one of the few areas where I actually don't prefer *Helmut Walcha*, one of my favorite interpreters of Bach usually; his Klemperer-like sternness reduces the charm and liveliness of the _Goldberg Variations_. I also avoid *Karl Richter*'s interpretation for similar reasons; I thought *Gustav Leonhardt* was not quite as stern. Two interesting-looking (and, most likely, antithetical) harpsichord renditions I need to listen to are that of *Zuzana Růžičková* and *Scott Ross*. I remember liking *Trevor Pinnock*'s recording but wishing that more of the repeats had been included. Those are the major recordings that come to mind with which I have some familiarity.

Kempff has a nifty album cover, also.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I also never listened to Kempff being repulsed by the ornament-free aria... If you want to try a rather lyrical version on piano but with all/most repeats and ornaments, try Ekaterina Derzhavina (Dershavina, maybe more alternative spellings) that was on Arte Nova and other very cheap labels. Or maybe Koroliov/Hänssler (who needs two discs). Or Tipo/EMI who is far more romantic than either.
I think Pinnock/Archiv probably compromised with repeats to remain around the ca. 60 min. that were the limit for early 1980s LPs. But AFAIR I liked it quite a bit although there are obviously so many recordings that even with a dozen on the shelves one has only scratched the surface.


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## Montarsolo (5 mo ago)

I have this performance on lp. I was positively surprised by it. It is not a baroque performance. What I remember is that it is a very musical performance. Played very interestingly.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Montarsolo said:


> I have this performance on lp. I was positively surprised by it. It is not a baroque performance. What I remember is that it is a very musical performance. Played very interestingly.


I always thought that after the surprising way he plays the opening aria, it becomes a pretty mainstream mid century modern piano interpretation, very nicely done. In the case of the Diabelli Variations, I can understand why someone would play the theme in a fast and offhand way, just to get it out of the way and let the interesting music begin. I think Kempff's decision to treat the Goldberg's aria like that is much harder to make sense of.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Captainnumber36 said:


> *Lang Lang was originally my favorite take on the works, but now I find them superficial.*
> 
> My current favorite is Kempff, who is also lyrical with the pieces, but in a more restrained and effective way.
> 
> Thoughts?


I did need my glasses for that, the Kempff is beautiful but I prefer a nice good sounding piano , Tharaud for example.


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## Highwayman (Jul 16, 2018)

Kempff is my favourite pianist but his GV is quite controversial. The lack of ornamentations is not necessarily a turn-off for me but the overall softness and lyricism makes it very hard to stay awake deep into the set. GV retains the danger of being boring per se therefore I wouldn`t recommend it to anyone unless they want a soothing background music when they turn in. That being said, it is still vastly superior to LL...


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

Lang Lang is my favorite CM performer. I do enjoy his takes that border between traditional and new age renditions of classics.

It's brilliant.

Maybe when I grow older my tastes will change, but they say you tend to love what you loved in your formative years.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

So I guess, in the end, I still prefer LLs rendition. I was just trying to fit in.


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## Oldhoosierdude (May 29, 2016)

I like Kempff because it is so much different than the other versions I have. 
I have a number of Goldbergs. No favorite one. Kempff, Perahia, Schiff lastest, Serkin's 1996 recording, Tharaud, and Dinnerstein are all interchangeable as far as a favorite. There are several others including Gould that rank just below those. 

Interestingly, Jeno Jando whom I can usually count on recorded a rather not to my taste Goldberg. His Well Tempered was top notch, however.


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## Captainnumber36 (Jan 19, 2017)

I really enjoy Barenboim's WTC.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Captainnumber36 said:


> I really enjoy Barenboim's WTC.



Try Sviatoslav Richter -Daniel-Ben Pienaar and András Schiff


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## Montarsolo (5 mo ago)

Rogerx said:


> Try Sviatoslav Richter -Daniel-Ben Pienaar and András Schiff


Richter is great. Very romantic yet impressive. But whoever made that recording should be whipped. Horrible sound for a stereo studio recording.


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## Animal the Drummer (Nov 14, 2015)

Kempff got his start as an organist and I have a cherished twofer of other Bach recordings of his, not least some wonderful transcriptions. However, his stripped-down version of the Goldbergs - the other end of the spectrum from Lang Lang's (for my money) overpersonalised approach - is not to my taste. For me neither extreme hits the spot.


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I still find it very odd to leave out the written out ornamentation. That one can debate if there should be additional ornamentation (or in repeats) is another question. But in the aria the "ornaments" contribute to the shape of the melody, I hardly recognized the piece when I first heard Kempff!
Another fairly "objective" (but with most? repeats and standard ornaments) approach that is commendable is Rosen/Sony.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Kreisler jr said:


> I still find it very odd to leave out the written out ornamentation. That one can debate if there should be additional ornamentation (or in repeats) is another question. But in the aria the "ornaments" contribute to the shape of the melody, I hardly recognized the piece when I first heard Kempff!
> .


So the question is, why did he do it?


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I don't know. I think I once read that it was "pedagogical", to make the structure the following variations are based on clearer. 
But it seems misguided and I also simply dislike the way the aria sounds "denuded". I never heard Busoni's performance version (he heavily edited the piece and dropped a 3rd or so of the variations) but I am not aware of anyone else doing the aria like Kempff does.


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## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

Kreisler jr said:


> I don't know. I think I once read that it was "pedagogical", to make the structure the following variations are based on clearer.
> But it seems misguided and I also simply dislike the way the aria sounds "denuded". I never heard Busoni's performance version (he heavily edited the piece and dropped a 3rd or so of the variations) but I am not aware of anyone else doing the aria like Kempff does.


The Busoni is OK, nothing like like Kempff. I know it through Klaus Tanski’s recording.


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