Bach: Goldberg Variations

by Fazil Say

Overview

Pianist Fazil Say is hardly known for playing Bach; in fact, his last Bach release before this 2023 release came in 1998, and he can be plenty idiosyncratic when he wants to be. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, affected Say as it did everyone else, and he spent a good part of it in intensive study of Bach's Goldberg Variations, BWV 988. Those who shy away from Say's excesses can rest easy here; the intensive studies show up in what is a rather detailed reading, and even his famous Glenn Gould-like humming is minimized. Say says (now there is an awkward phrase) that he spent considerable time weighing details of articulation and dynamics in some of the variations, and while this perhaps comes at the expense of the overall line, it makes the counterpoint clear and provides some quite memorable passages. Sample the 20th variation for a purely pianistic extravaganza. The effect is somewhat similar to Gould's recordings of the work, especially the first one, but Say is less resolute in imposing his own personality. The biggest question mark here is the sound; Say served as his own producer in a Turkish arts center, with flat results and even a bit of distortion at the piano's top. Nevertheless, Say fans will be delighted, and even others will find that this stands out from the common run of Goldbergs. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	01/13/2023
Label:	Warner Classics
UPC:	5054197233968
Rank:	127343

Tracks

1. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Aria
2. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. I a 1 clavier
3. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. II a 1 clavier
4. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. III Canone all'unisono a 1 clavier
5. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. IV a 1 clavier
6. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. V a 1 ovvero 2 claviere
7. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. VI Canone alla seconda a 1 clavier
8. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. VII a 1 ovvero 2 claviere, al tempo di Giga
9. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XIII a 2 claviere
10. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. IX Canone alla terza a 1 clavier
11. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. X Fughetta a 1 clavier
12. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XI a 2 claviere
13. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XII Canone alla quarta a 1 clavier
14. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XIII a 2 claviere
15. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XIV a 2 claviere
16. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XV Canone alla quinta a 1 clavier
17. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XVI. Ouverture a 1 clavier
18. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XVII a 2 claviere
19. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XVIII Canone alla sesta a 1 clavier
20. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XIX a 1 clavier
21. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XX a 2 claviere
22. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XXI Canone alla settima a 1 clavier
23. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XXII Alla breve a 1 clavier
24. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XXIII a 2 claviere
25. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XXIV Canone all'ottava a 1 clavier
26. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XXV a 2 claviere
27. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XXVI a 2 claviere
28. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XXVII Canone alla nona a 2 claviere
29. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XXVIII a 2 claviere
30. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XXIX a 1 ovvero 2 claviere
31. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Var. XXX Quodlibet a 1 clavier
32. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988~Aria da capo

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Fazil Say   Primary Artist,Piano

Technical Credits

Fazil Say   Liner Notes,Producer
Paul Mitchell   Design
Pieter Snapper   Mixing,Editing,Mastering,Balance Engineer,Recording Producer
Eren Yagmuroglu   Executive Producer
Mustafa Toygun Oezdemir   Executive Producer
Fethi Karaduman   Photography
Kerem Yasar   Photo Production
Kivilcim Konca   Assistant Engineer
Mey Kermen   Photo Retouching
Robert Mantle   Piano Technician
Senem Tekinkoca   Editing
Taner Zadsan   Producer
Johann Sebastian Bach   Composer
Francis Marchal   Liner Note Translation
Paula Darwish   Liner Note Translation
Anne Schneider   Liner Note Translation