Professor Joachim Kaiser, dean of German music critics, rarely himself
writes reviews, preferring to assign them to slightly lesser lights.  But
in today's Sueddeutsche Zeitung (Munich) there he was reviewing Murray
Perahia's handling of the Goldberg Variations, plus four Busoni
transcriptions of organ works.

Seldom, if ever, has Kaiser been so unrestrainedly ecstatic:" Perahia
played totally without conceit...Yet the 53 year-old pianist did take
Bach impressively seriously.  He demonstrated a sovereign grasp of his
instrument...When Bach in Variations 5,14,20,23, and 26 demands breakneck,
hair-raising sensitivity, Perahia came up with it majestically.  His was
a triumph of sensitivity and virtuosity...."

But one cloudy lining to all the silver there was.  "Murray Perahia,"
ruled Kaiser," should not not have dropped any of Bach's bars.  But that's
what he did when he simply ignored the indicated repeats in the slow
Variations."

This did violence to Bach's music, Kaiser contended.  "Everything fast is
repeated as prescribed.  But sadly not the lost-in-the-world slow parts.
Spiritual and emotional proportions of Bach's great music were thus
damaged."

(Culver lives!)

Denis Fodor                     Internet:[log in to unmask]