# Your favourite Goldberg Variations BWV 988 recordings?



## JSBach85

The Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, is a work written for harpsichord by Johann Sebastian Bach, consisting of an aria and a set of 30 variations, published in 1741. Is considered among the masterpieces of harpsichord works in baroque era.

This is a list of my current recordings:

Leonhardt / Warner Classics









Pinnock / Archiv Produktion









Pierre Hantai / Opus111









Andreas Staier / Harmonia Mundi









Bob van Asperen / Erato









Any further recommendations for harpsichord?


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## Pugg

​
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)	Goldberg-Variationen BWV 988
Pieter-Jan Belder.
It's on sale at JPC.


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## wkasimer

Some other harpsichord versions:









Robert Hill. Recorded live, and the sonics are excellent - one of the better recorded harpsichord versions.









Blandine Rannou. Beautifully played and beautifully recorded. Some may welcome Rannou's ornamentation, others may find it excessive.









If you find Rannou's ornamentation over the top, you'll want to avoid Ottavio Dantone. I love this one, but it's not for everyone.

And a recent piano version I've been enjoying, by a pianist otherwise unknown to me:









(the pianist is Giovanni Mazzocchin, if you can't read the cover)


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## Triplets

My longstanding favorite is Sergey Schepkin, recorded by the Ondine label, a Piano recording. Not sure if it is still available on CD.
My first encounter was the Harpsichord version played by Gustav Leonhardt. I had it on a Vanguard lp but no longer have my vinyl collection.
I recently purchased a Blu Ray of American Pianist playing the work with other theme and variation works by Byrd, John Bull, and Sweelnick. I don't really care for the Pianist Bach, which while beautifully rendered is a little to careful and lacks a strong profile for the individual variations. However, the accompanying works are worth the price of the disc


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## lucasbiblio

I will follow this thread very closely, I love the Goldberg variations for harpsichord. 

Curiously I can not like the piano versions, they do not have the same feeling.

I like this recording of Christiane Jaccottet,


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## wkasimer

Triplets said:


> My longstanding favorite is Sergey Schepkin, recorded by the Ondine label, a Piano recording. Not sure if it is still available on CD.


I assume that you're referring to this one, which is actually on the Onkagu label:









Schepkin is one of my favorite Bach pianists - he plays in the Boston area pretty frequently, since he's on the faculty at the New England Conservatory. That recording is still in print. Schepkin has, though, recorded the Goldbergs again:









Unfortunately, this one seems to be available only in Japan (although it was recorded, if I remember correctly, in Boston's Jordan Hall). I like it even better than the first one, but it's virtually impossible to find, unless you happen to attend a Schepkin recital.

He is, BTW, recording Bach's keyboard music over time; so far, there are new recordings of the Partitas and French Suites.


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## Triplets

wkasimer said:


> I assume that you're referring to this one, which is actually on the Onkagu label:
> 
> View attachment 101913
> 
> 
> Schepkin is one of my favorite Bach pianists - he plays in the Boston area pretty frequently, since he's on the faculty at the New England Conservatory. That recording is still in print. Schepkin has, though, recorded the Goldbergs again:
> 
> View attachment 101915
> 
> 
> Unfortunately, this one seems to be available only in Japan (although it was recorded, if I remember correctly, in Boston's Jordan Hall). I like it even better than the first one, but it's virtually impossible to find, unless you happen to attend a Schepkin recital.
> 
> He is, BTW, recording Bach's keyboard music over time; so far, there are new recordings of the Partitas and French Suites.


 Sorry about mixing up Ongaku and Ondine. I'm having a slow day at work but don't have my collection in front of me. The last time I had checked Schepkin on Arkiv Musik, months ago, the first Goldberg was no longer listed, which is why I thought it was out of print.
I had bought Schepkin's recordings of the WTC back when the Goldberg was released, and purchased his recent French Suites and Partitas. 
Hey, if you attend a Schepkin recital and can buy his new Goldberg, I'll reimburse you!


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## wkasimer

Triplets said:


> Hey, if you attend a Schepkin recital and can buy his new Goldberg, I'll reimburse you!


With pleasure!!!!


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## Bulldog

Exceptional harpsichord versions not mentioned:

Rousset on Decca
Wilson on Naxos
Bonizzoni on Glossa
Esfahani on DG
Frisch on Alpha
Ross on Virgin Classics


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## Gallus

Murray Peraiha for me.


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## Marinera

Pierre Hantai 
Celine Frisch


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## Pugg

Gallus said:


> Murray Peraiha for me.


Remind me, did he record them on harpsichord?


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## DarkAngel

Agree with Rannou & Frisch mentions















Adding Schornsheim (1st) & Dubreuil

And love the Hantai (1st version) you already have......
I expected Staier to hit this out of the park, but strangely cautious rendition (by his high standards)


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## Ras

I have a strange favorite:
I like an arrangement for five recorders released in 2017 on Brilliant Classics:


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## Brahmsianhorn

There is this dude named, um, Glenn something. Anyone remember him?


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## Josquin13

I think you have 5 very good recordings. Are you not happy with (some or all of) them?

If you're looking to get a different view of the Goldbergs, I'd probably recommend Fabio Bonizzoni and to a slightly lesser extent, Blandine Rannou. Ton Koopman can be interesting too, if you're looking for a harpsichordist that makes liberal use of ornamentation:














Pierre Hantai's 2nd recording is also very fine:






As for Christophe Rousset, I don't think he's at his best in the Goldbergs, and prefer his later recordings of the English & French Suites.

Ketil Haugsand offers a very fine interpretation too. However, Haugsand is an instrument maker as well, and has tinkered with the sound of his harpsichord in ways that may not be to all tastes. Personally, I can occasionally have some reservations about the sound of his instrument in certain movements, but others don't seem to mind. The performance is on You Tube, so you can decide for yourself:






Finally, I'd recommend both Jory Vinikour and Pascal Dubreuil too:






https://www.outhere-music.com/en/albums/goldberg-variations-ram-1404

Goldbergs I'd like to hear--Christine Schornsheim, Zusanna Ruzickova.

My two cents.


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## DarkAngel

Brahmsianhorn said:


> There is this dude named, um, Glenn something. Anyone remember him?


Yeah the name rings a bell (gould) but the author here is searching for favorite harpsicord renditions, there is less famous guy named Glen Wilson mentioned by Bulldog who is very good (and very hard to find any CDs, he appeared in massive bach 2000 boxset)


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## Bulldog

DarkAngel said:


> Yeah the name rings a bell (gould) but the author here is searching for favorite harpsicord renditions, there is less famous guy named Glen Wilson mentioned by Bulldog who is very good (and very hard to find any CDs)


Although Wilson's Goldbergs is on Naxos, it's only available through the Naxos Music Library streaming service.


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## wkasimer

Brahmsianhorn said:


> There is this dude named, um, Glenn something. Anyone remember him?


I listened to him this afternoon. It may have been revelatory back in 1955, but a lot has happened in Bach keyboard performance in the past 60-plus years. I find Gould rather monochromatic, and I miss the repeats. And the extramusical noises are pretty annoying.


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## KenOC

wkasimer said:


> I listened to him this afternoon. It may have been revelatory back in 1955, but a lot has happened in Bach keyboard performance in the past 60-plus years. I find Gould rather monochromatic, and I miss the repeats. And the extramusical noises are pretty annoying.


Gould's 1955 Goldbergs have been "re-performed" on a fine Yamaha grand in very good stereo sound, and no vocals! This is the version I listen to when I want the '55s.


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## Bulldog

KenOC said:


> Gould's 1955 Goldbergs have been "re-performed" on a fine Yamaha grand in very good stereo sound, and no vocals! This is the version I listen to when I want the '55s.


We have gone over this before. I'll stick with the original recording; the one you prefer has been sanitized.


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## wkasimer

KenOC said:


> Gould's 1955 Goldbergs have been "re-performed" on a fine Yamaha grand in very good stereo sound, and no vocals! This is the version I listen to when I want the '55s.


Still no repeats, and still monochromatic. :devil:


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## realdealblues

There are lots of good recordings out there on both Piano and Harpsichord... 

As far as repeats, I can take or leave them...they don't necessarily ruin the work or enhance it for me.

For my own personal private listening I prefer Gould's 1981 recording. So much thought and depth in that performance going far above just playing notes on a page.

On harpsichord I like Karl Richter's 1970 recording.

Again, there are plenty of others but those two recordings have received the most listens by me over the years...


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## Captainnumber36

Kempff, certainly! I love his smooth yet expressive take on them!


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## premont

I'm not a great fan of piano versions or ensemble versions of the Goldbergs, but concentrate upon harpsichord versions. 

Harpsichord versions (which I think are recommendable) in casual order:

Wolfgang Glüxam
Blandine Verlet (the Philips version - her first recording of the work)
Trevor Pinnock
Pieter-Jan Belder (second version on Brilliant)
Frédérick Haas 
Gustav Leonhardt (either Teldec or DHM)
Kenneth Weiss 
Pierre Hantäi (both versions)
Masaaki Suzuki 
Kenneth Gilbert 
Scott Ross (the live version on Erato)
Sabine Bauer
Helmut Walcha 

And two organ versions:

Elena Barshai 
Mads Damlund


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## Agamenon

My Combo:

Harpsichord: Pinnock.
Piano: Perahia.


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## JB Henson

Gould '81. No question.


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## Rogerx

Alexandre Tharaud will do it for now.


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## Kreisler jr

Yesterday, I happened to listen to Sergej Schepkin (Ongaku 1995, he might have re-recored it since then). This is very good although rather "pianistic" with a few things bordering on the gimmicky (he takes sometimes the right hand into the higher octave in repeat, I think, and I find some tempi too fast), certainly different from "solid", "reverent" interpretations. Not sure if Schepkin's 1990s Bach is still findable somewhere.


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## wkasimer

Kreisler jr said:


> Yesterday, I happened to listen to Sergej Schepkin (Ongaku 1995, he might have re-recored it since then). This is very good although rather "pianistic" with a few things bordering on the gimmicky (he takes sometimes the right hand into the higher octave in repeat, I think, and I find some tempi too fast), certainly different from "solid", "reverent" interpretations. Not sure if Schepkin's 1990s Bach is still findable somewhere.


Schepkin's is among my favorites. The Ongaku recording isn't hard to find in Boston, since Schepkin spends a lot of his time in the area, and I often see copies of this CD in used CD bins. But I particularly like his second recording, although it's hard to find and expensive. He eschews some of the "gimmicks" that you point out from his first recording:

On Amazon, it's B0049EZGJS (for some reason, I can't post the link properly).


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## SanAntone

Piano
András Schiff (ECM)
Jeremy Denk
Beatrice Rana
Zhu Xiao-Mei (2014)
Daniel-Ben Pienaar
Evgeni Koroliov
Ragna Schirmer
Rosalyn Tureck

Harpsichord
Pieter-Jan Belder (Brilliant)
Robert Hill
Pierre Hantai
Celine Frisch
Gustav Leonhardt (1965)
Glen Wilson
Blandine Rannou

Ensemble
Fretwork
Cafe Zimmermann

Other
Wolfgang Rubsam (Lute Harpsichord)


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