Delos has just issued a new recording on harpsichord of the Goldberg
Variations.  The performer is Jory Vinikour, born in Chicago in 1983.  He
appears regularly in concert and can be heard in the movie "Jefferson in
Paris".  I haven't bought a Delos recording in a few years; what caught my
attention was Jory's last name which is similar to the fictional character
Holling Vinkour from the TV show Northern Exposure.  I loved that show.

The Delos catalog number is 3279.  It's a two disc set of about 85 minutes.
The regular cost is *1* premium priced cd; I bought it at a $4 discount.
The cover is attractive and the disc covers themselves are highly
distinctive.  Liner notes are short and say very little that hasn't been
said before.  I compared Vinikour's performances to the best of Jarrett,
Pinnock, Verlet, Gilbert, Suzuki, and Hantai.

I'll get the negatives out of the way first.  Vinikour's bass lines are
weak at times as in the first four variations.  He can be choppy, and
sometimes it's difficult to get a true legato.  One-dimensional
performances of insufficient depth are given in the 7th and 19th
variations.

There's much in the disc's favor.  Vinikour is never wayward or perverse.
Each variation is at least a pleasure to listen to.  He tends toward quick
tempos but can reverse that with a very slow Black Pearl.  He has a knack
for finding the center of "the joy of Bach".

As for specific variations, I like Vinikour's Black Pearl more than any
other version I've heard.  Variations 12, 20, and 26 are as good as it
gets.  I love his 24th variation which is a favorite of mine, and the
aria is very good.  There are many other fine variations as well.  Most
important, this recording holds my interest throughout the work, and I
have a short attention span.

Don's Conclusions:  Vinikour's Goldberg Variations has some significant
failings which remove it from the essential category.  But there is 'gold'
in this set and in sufficient supply for me to strongly recommend it.  I
liken it some to the Feltsman version.  With both, significant critcism is
valid, but the total is greater than the sum of the parts.  Also, both keep
getting better as they traverse the Goldberg Variations.  I think you can
buy Vinikour with confidence.

Don Satz
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