Album

Perhaps no one in the 20th century became as firmly associated in the public's imagination with J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations as Glenn Gould, the Canadian pianist whose best-selling recordings of the piece are legendary. After Gould died in 1982, violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky transcribed the Goldberg Variations for string trio in his memory, and this version owes much to Gould's fluid, strongly characterized interpretations, notably in the connected phrasing and crisp articulation that carry over into the part writing. Trio ZilliacusPerssonRaitinen has made this arrangement a specialty, and this performance is a surprisingly effective showcase in the hybrid SACD format. One might not imagine a string trio being large enough in size, wide enough in dynamic range, or varied enough in sonorities to provide the rich listening experience that audiophiles prize in multichannel recordings, but the playing of violinist Cecilia Zilliacus, violist Johanna Persson, and cellist Kati Raitinen is quite colorful and expressively diverse, sufficiently so that the ear never tires of the ensemble sound nor of the individual playing. This is saying a lot, for this traversal of the Goldberg Variations is close to an hour in length, which is on the short side of recordings, for some run much longer with repeats. Yet in the time allotted, this trio takes full advantage of its resources and delivers a version that is almost as personal and insightful as Gould's. Caprice's recording is clean and focused, and the group is surrounded with a pleasantly resonant yet not overly echoic acoustic.

© Blair Sanderson, Rovi

CD 1
Johann Sebastian Bach Composer Goldberg Variations, BWV988 (Clavier-Übung IV) Work 57:04 Trio ZilliacusPerssonRaitinen Ensemble, Johanna Persson Viola
1	Aria	4:14			$0.99
2	Variation 1 (a 1 clav.)	1:54			$0.99
3	Variation 2 (a 1 clav.)	1:26			$0.99
4	Variation 3 (canone all'unisuono a 1 clav.)	1:05			$0.99
5	Variation 4 (a 1 clav.)	1:02			$0.99
6	Variation 5 (a 1 o vero 2 clav.)	1:09			$0.99
7	Variation 6 (canone alla seconda a 1 clav.)	1:09			$0.99
8	Variation 7 (a 1 o vero 2 clav., al tempo di giga)	1:13			$0.99
9	Variation 8 (a 2 clav.)	1:00			$0.99
10	Variation 9 (canone alla terza a 1 clav.)	1:43			$0.99
11	Variation 10 (fughetta a 1 clav.)	1:25			$0.99
12	Variation 11 (a 2 clav.)	0:59			$0.99
13	Variation 12 (canone alla quarta a 1 clav.)	1:39			$0.99
14	Variation 13 (a 2 clav.)	3:28			$0.99
15	Variation 14 (a 2 clav.)	1:43			$0.99
16	Variation 15 (canone alla quinta a 1 clav.: Andante)	2:16			$0.99
17	Variation 16 (ouverture a 1 clav.)	1:27			$0.99
18	Variation 17 (a 2 clav.)	1:06			$0.99
19	Variation 18 (canone alla sexta a 1 clav.)	1:36			$0.99
20	Variation 19 (a 1 clav.)	1:11			$0.99
21	Variation 20 (a 2 clav.)	1:03			$0.99
22	Variation 21 (canone alla settima a 1 clav.)	1:23			$0.99
23	Variation 22 (a 1 clav. alla breve)	1:26			$0.99
24	Variation 23 (a 2 clav.)	2:12			$0.99
25	Variation 24 (canone all'ottava a 1 clav.)	1:37			$0.99
26	Variation 25 (a 2 clav.: Adagio)	4:53			$0.99
27	Variation 26 (a 2 clav.)	2:03			$0.99
28	Variation 27 (canone alla nona a 2 clav.)	1:58			$0.99
29	Variation 28 (a 2 clav.)	1:17			$0.99
30	Variation 29 (a 1 o vero 2 clav.)	1:14			$0.99
31	Variation 30 (quodlibet a 1 clav.)	2:45			$0.99
32	Aria da capo	2:28			$0.99