Spinning Today (Classical version)

[montesquieu]

Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Telemann, Op.134 and Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel, Op.24



Jorge Bolet, piano

Decca SXL 6969, 1981.

I played quite a bit of Reger in the days when I was forced to learn modern stuff (mainly for exams) alongside my usual renaissance, baroque and classical fare. Enjoyable stuff.

Just reminded me to dig out Rheinberger/Reger arrangement for two pianos of the Goldbergs. For non-fans of the Gouldberg versions this is the perfect antidote.

https://open.spotify.com/album/7xHdY82drUKmgh2xUgpyMI

The Aria is fairly conventional but it soon moves into its own world ...

[Barry]

I played quite a bit of Reger in the days when I was forced to learn modern stuff (mainly for exams) alongside my usual renaissance, baroque and classical fare. Enjoyable stuff.

Just reminded me to dig out Rheinberger/Reger arrangement for two pianos of the Goldbergs. For non-fans of the Gouldberg versions this is the perfect antidote.

https://open.spotify.com/album/7xHdY82drUKmgh2xUgpyMI

The Aria is fairly conventional but it soon moves into its own world ...

I like the sound of that, so just ordered it from Amazon.

Do I take it from your pun that you are not keen on Glen Gould's interpretation?

[montesquieu]

I like the sound of that, so just ordered it from Amazon.

Do I take it from your pun that you are not keen on Glen Gould's interpretation?

Far from it though a little goes a long way ... I think Gould's idiosyncratic approach has its merits and certainly its fans, it's brought a lot of people to this music who might otherwise have never had it come up on their radar, leading them on to explore further.

What I meant was that it's the opposite of Gould's dry, intellectual (though still passionate) presentation, it's a big, bold sound-scapey performance (as indeed is the other one that Jerry found - I hadn't been aware of that) where unlike in Gould's version, it's impossible to be conscious of ever note, just as you can't be in a piece of Chopin or Liszt.

I first heard this in a record, CD and new-agey tat shop in a small town in the Nordheide south of Hamburg. The aria came on and I set myself a task to see if I could figure out whose it was. When the first variation came on I was completely flummoxed by all the extra notes, then captivated, and I just had to come home with a copy (in fact, the CD that had been playing as they only had the one).

[basslover]

This is a very interesting take by a living composer of the Goldbergs - not on Spotify unfortunately as it's Hyperion....