The Open Goldberg Variations

Bach's Goldberg Variations, played by Kimiko Ishizaka

In the case of Bach's Goldberg Variations, it is impossible to avoid the long shadow still cast by Glenn Gould's 1955 debut recording

Review by Michael Christenson, May 29, 2012.

For me, listening to Variation 23, it seemed, in comparison to Gould, that she was slurring, or possibly misspoke; but on repeated listenings, it became clear to me that I had become so conditioned by Gould's over-articulation that I mistook personality for a character flaw. Gould's performance is a stunning technical feat, but he does come off as somewhat as an android in comparison to Ishizaka's more human interpretation.

The Open Goldberg Variations are available for download as MP3 and WAV from Kimiko Ishizaka's music site.