Britten Sinfonia, Thomas Gould – Bach, Sitkovetsky: Goldberg Variations (2015) [Official Digital Download 24bit/88,2kHz]

Britten Sinfonia, Thomas Gould – Bach, Sitkovetsky: Goldberg Variations (2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/88,2 kHz | Time – 01:12:50 minutes | 1,35 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © harmonia mundi

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) supposedly wrote his Goldberg Variations at the request of Hermann Carl von Keyserlingk who wanted some clavier pieces for his harpsichordist, Johann Gottlieb Goldberg. However, there is no evidence that this was the case, particularly given that Goldberg would only have been fourteen years of age when the variations were written. The indications are that the Goldberg Variations were intended to be an integral part of Bach’s Clavier-Übung series to which they bring an impressive finale.

The debate over whether these variations should be performed only on a harpsichord or whether a modern piano is suitable pall into insignificance when confronted with a modern arrangement for small string orchestra.

Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review :: Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations, originally meant for solo harpsichord, is surely one of the sublime moments of the baroque era, a set of variations that never ceases to yield up precious riches on every hearing. Dmitry Sitkovetsky’s arrangement for string orchestra gives us a version that opens up the shifting moods and the contrapuntal genius of the set in ways that bring the music to us in even more depth. The Britten Sinfonia under Thomas Gould has recently recorded a cornerstone rendition of the arrangement (Harmonia Mundi 807633).

What’s remarkable about the Sitkovetsky scoring and the Britten Sinfonia’s performance is the vast timbral resources of the string orchestra and how it is put to use. The contrapuntal lines are all there to be heard as Bach worked them out with his architectonic genius. But the instrumentation changes for every variation, in both combinations of players and string articulation. Gould and the Sinfonia give us the detailed reading and heartfelt brio that is exhilaratingly true to the arrangement in the best ways. The tempos seem totally right for each variation and the three-dimensional qualities of the string sonance come at you stunningly in this beautiful sounding recording.

An arrangement like this demands a very sensitive collective instrument to succeed fully. Gould and the Sinfonia give us that. They come through with stirring realizations that put your ears in overdrive throughout. I cannot imagine a better performance and the string arrangement is wonderfully definitive. This is music that puts you in a super-human world and keeps you there throughout the duration. Strongly recommended!

Tracklist:

1. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Aria (03:33)
2. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 1 (01:51)
3. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 2 (01:24)
4. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 3, Canone all’ Unisono (02:09)
5. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 4 (01:00)
6. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 5 (01:26)
7. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 6, Canone alla seconda (01:10)
8. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 7, al Tempo di Giga (02:18)
9. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 8 (01:52)
10. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 9, Canone alla Terza (01:28)
11. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 10, Fugetta (01:28)
12. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 11 (02:01)
13. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 12, Canone alla Quarta (01:54)
14. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 13 (03:41)
15. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 14 (02:06)
16. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 15, Canone alla Quinta (04:31)
17. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 16, Ouverture (02:54)
18. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 17 (02:07)
19. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 18, Canone alla sesta (01:24)
20. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 19 (01:57)
21. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 20 (02:05)
22. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 21, Canone alla settima (02:54)
23. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 22 (01:15)
24. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 23 (01:53)
25. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 24, Canone all’ ottava (02:33)
26. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 25, Adagio (05:50)
27. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 26 (02:02)
28. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 27, Canone alla nona (01:58)
29. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 28 (02:10)
30. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 29 (02:11)
31. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Variation 30, Quodlibet (01:38)
32. Britten Sinfonia – Goldberg Variations: Aria (03:51)

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