Many Bach and Perahia fans have likely been looking forward eagerly to the
release of Perahia's recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations on Sony.  I
was fortunate to stumble across it a few days ago and immediately started
listening in my car.  Eventually, I switched over to my main home speakers
and got done to the enjoyable business of comparing Perahia's performance
to the best piano versions I know.

The following is a synopsis of my notes while listening to Perahia and
other piano versions:

Aria - mainstream, nothing special.  Tureck (DG) and Gould (82) much better.

Var.1- mainstream, too many trills.  How about more staccato, fewer trills.

Var.2- continuing with trills, too loud at ending of second theme.  I just
listened to six other versions which are special and distinctive; Perahia
isn't.

Var.3- trills subside, among best versions, fast like Lifschitz, great
drive and bass line, noticing sound problem as if every note comes from
a similar point on the spectrum, most affects bass line/notes which have
little distinction (not Perahia's fault).

Var.4- another excellent performance, creative phrasing and accenting.

Var.5- fast and competitive with all versions except for Tureck (DG).

Var.6- variation needs a dream-like quality, Perahia delivers, as good
as my standards (Tipo/Hewitt), great series of ascending chords toward
conclusion of second theme.

Var.7- dominated by pervasive trills, unacceptable.

Var.8- good performance marred by occasionally weak right hand out of
balance.

Var.9- gorgeous music which Perahia plays as well as my favorites, Tipo and
Tureck (Philips).

Var.10- I prefer this fugue as serious as possible, analytical, highly
emphatic and ceremonial; Tureck (Philips) does all of this, Perahia not
quite there but better than most.

Var.11- joyous music, competitive performance, great momentum in second
theme, first theme is too choppy and lessens musicality.

Var.12- Perahia takes the quick and strong route, very good reading, not
as special as Tureck (DG) and Gould (82).

Var.13- I'm looking for intense longing such as with Tipo and Yudina,
Perahia is fairly close, beautiful performance.

Var.14- power and continuous momentum key ingredients, Perahia among the
best, has most effective first theme with stunning legato.

Var.15- very dark music, good performance, quick tempo reduces the darkness.

Var.16- a French-style overture with heroic beginning and fast/powerful
fugue, Perahia gives mainstream reading which can't match Tureck (DG) or
Gould (82) who change the symmetry of the fugue.

Var.17- Another instance of not matching Tureck or Gould, very fast tempo,
mainstream.

Var.18- Hewitt, my standard, possesses an urgency Perahia can't match, his
repeat of first theme is too weakly projected.

Var.19- he doesn't sound highly involved in the music, no match for Hewitt
and Gould (82) who lift this variation skyward.

Var.20- fast music where many performers, such as Gould, lose a sense of
poetry.  Perahia maintains a high degree of poetry at fast tempo, gives
best performance of all piano versions I know, but the variation is not one
of my favorites.

Var.21- this variation is one of my favorites, needs frequent/short shifts
in tempo/dynamics, Gould does it perfectly, Perahia is a little too quick
with minimal shifting but reading is effective.

Var.22- joyous music which I prefer played with some sharpness and heroism,
Tureck (Philips) is about perfect, Perahia much too smooth with zero
heroism, not competitive.

Var.23- music is happy roller coaster ride.  Once, the music had me
thinking that the contents of my stomach were sliding up and down (bad
experience), Gould (82) is fast and dynamic, so is Perahia although a
little slower.

Var.24- one of Bach's most beautiful pieces, Perahia provides all its
beauties, one of best versions.

Var.25- I don't subscribe to the "black hole" conception, want some life in
the performances, Tureck (DG) fills the bill very nicely, Perahia not quite
as lively but better than most other versions.

Var.26- excitement/tension are the key ingredients, Koroliov is my
standard, Perahia not as good with less sharply defined counterpoint.

Var.27- Perahia is good but can't match Koroliov's exuberance, Gould's
playfulness, or Tureck/Philips' joy and staccato.  Also, the sound is
not crisp enough to really connect with the conversation between the two
canonic voices.

Var.28- Schiff reigns supreme in this variation of trills, providing a wide
panorama of images.  Perahia, though competitive with other versions, can't
reach Schiff's level of poetry or proportion.

Var.29- an energetic toccata which Koroliov does best, Perahia joins him
with feats of pianistic virtuosity.

Var.30- I like Lifschitz best for his ceremonial swagger; Perahia isn't
quite there.

Conclusion on Perahia's Goldberg Variations:

1.  This is a mainstream performance of high quality and very infrequent
problems of performance.  Perahia delivers relatively smooth readings, not
caring much for angularity.  His pacing is quite normal, and tempos tend
toward the faster end although they are never excessive.  If there are two
failings, it's a lack of depth to the more profound variations and that at
no time did Perahia astound me.

2.  The value of Perahia's set for collectors who already have many piano
versions is questionable.  Being a mainstream version, adding Perahia might
be a bit redundant.  For those not having any recordings, Perahia can be
safely recommended as an excellent choice except for:

3.  The sound is somewhat of a problem.  It's very integrated without
much separation; that damages those variations which cry out for crisp
counterpoint.

4.  My basic recommendations for piano versions of the Goldbergs remains
with Gould (82) and Tureck (DG).  But Perahia, Koroliov, Tipo, Hewitt,
and Tureck (Philips) give much pleasure.

Don Satz
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