Album

Above everything else, Richard Egarr wants to make his harpsichord sing, to let its ringing tones and majestic sonorities sculpt a legato line similar to the sound of the human voice. While this may seem an unlikely if not altogether impossible goal given the plucked and struck harpsichord's justified reputation as a keyboard instrument with little or no sustaining capability, Egarr does come close to his goal in this recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations coupled with his Goldberg Canons. The tonal opulence of his harpsichord, a splendid copy of an earlier instrument re-voiced with seagulls' quills and re-tuned in a system with distinctly warmer overtones, is only part of the reason; the greater part is Egarr's touch, his technique, and his interpretations. His touch is less an attack and more of a caress. His technique is virtuosic but never obvious. His interpretations, while intellectually bracing, are also emotionally affecting, balancing the rigor of his canons with the sorrows of his adagios and the wit of his Quodilbet by the ethereal beauty of his Aria da capo. While Egarr does take all the repeats, thereby doubling the length of the work, and adds 14 brief canons to the end of the program, his performances are so light, so deep, so indescribably but undeniably vocal that, when the second disc ends, all one wants to do is start it over again. Harmonia Mundi's sound is clear, full, and vivid.

© James Leonard, All Music Guide

CD 1 of 2
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Goldberg Variations, BWV988 (Clavier-Übung IV) Work 1:30:16 Richard Egarr Harpsichord
1	Aria	4:20			$0.99
2	Variation 1 (a 1 clav.)	2:38			$0.99
3	Variation 2 (a 1 clav.)	1:58			$0.99
4	Variation 3 (canone all'unisuono a 1 clav.)	2:55			$0.99
5	Variation 4 (a 1 clav.)	1:14			$0.99
6	Variation 5 (a 1 o vero 2 clav.)	2:32			$0.99
7	Variation 6 (canone alla seconda a 1 clav.)	1:17			$0.99
8	Variation 7 (a 1 o vero 2 clav., al tempo di giga)	2:04			$0.99
9	Variation 8 (a 2 clav.)	2:38			$0.99
10	Variation 9 (canone alla terza a 1 clav.)	2:08			$0.99
11	Variation 10 (fughetta a 1 clav.)	1:54			$0.99
12	Variation 11 (a 2 clav.)	2:34			$0.99
13	Variation 12 (canone alla quarta a 1 clav.)	2:45			$0.99
14	Variation 13 (a 2 clav.)	5:41			$0.99
15	Variation 14 (a 2 clav.)	2:32			$0.99
16	Variation 15 (canone alla quinta a 1 clav.: Andante)	4:08			$0.99

CD 2 of 2
1	Variation 16 (ouverture a 1 clav.)	2:51			$0.99
2	Variation 17 (a 2 clav.)	2:34			$0.99
3	Variation 18 (canone alla sexta a 1 clav.)	1:47			$0.99
4	Variation 19 (a 1 clav.)	1:28			$0.99
5	Variation 20 (a 2 clav.)	2:53			$0.99
6	Variation 21 (canone alla settima a 1 clav.)	2:46			$0.99
7	Variation 22 (a 1 clav. alla breve)	1:47			$0.99
8	Variation 23 (a 2 clav.)	2:43			$0.99
9	Variation 24 (canone all'ottava a 1 clav.)	3:20			$0.99
10	Variation 25 (a 2 clav.: Adagio)	8:04			$0.99
11	Variation 26 (a 2 clav.)	2:39			$0.99
12	Variation 27 (canone alla nona a 2 clav.)	2:10			$0.99
13	Variation 28 (a 2 clav.)	3:00			$0.99
14	Variation 29 (a 1 o vero 2 clav.)	2:36			$0.99
15	Variation 30 (quodlibet a 1 clav.)	1:48			$0.99
16	Aria da capo	4:32			$0.99
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer 14 Canons, for unspecified instruments or keyboard, BWV1087 Work 8:37 Richard Egarr Harpsichord
17	1.Canon simplex	0:21			$0.99
18	2.All' roverscio	0:19			$0.99
19	3.Beide vorigen Canones zugleich, motu recto e contrario	0:11			$0.99
20	4.Motu contrario e recto	0:11			$0.99
21	5.Canon duplex a 4	0:21			$0.99
22	6.Canon simplex über besagtes Fundament a 3	0:41			$0.99
23	7.Idem a 3	0:34			$0.99
24	8.Canon simplex a 3, il soggetto in alto	0:22			$0.99
25	9.Canon in unisono post semifusam a 3	0:31			$0.99
26	10.Alio modo, per syncopationes et per ligaturas a 2	0:26			$0.99
27	11.Canon duplex übers Fundament a 5	1:33			$0.99
28	12.Canon duplex über besagte Fundamental-Noten a 5	1:01			$0.99
29	14.Canon a 4 per augmentationen et diminutionen	0:50			$0.99
30	13.Canon triplex a 6	1:16			$0.99