Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
       Goldberg Variations, BWV 988

Gwendolyn Toth, Lautenwerk
Recorded at St. James Chapel, Cathedral of St. John the Divine,
New York City, June 2000
Lautenwerk by Willard Martin, 1988
Zefiro Recordings 103 [2cds - 83:06]

Summary: Pure Enjoyment - Almost

You might be wondering just what type of instrument is a lautenwerk.
Well, it sounds a little like a harpsichord but is much warmer/rounder
in tone with a shorter decay time.  It's probably best to think of it
as a harpsichord with gut strings or as a cross between a lute and
harpsichord.  One aspect is clear through the listening process; the
lautenwerk is an intimate instrument and therefore bears a similarity
to the clavichord.  The highly esteemed early music specialist Robert
Hill used a lautenwerk for some of his Bach performances as part of
Hanssler's Bach Anniversary series a few years ago, and the instrument
has an inherently enticing and lovely tone.  Also, there is ample
justification for using the lautenwerk for a Bach keyboard work in
that Bach's estate reveals that he had two of them in his home.

Some folks do have reservations about the lautenwerk, and they revolve
around the premise that this intimate way of making music is not conducive
for powerfully demonstrative compositions.  There is certainly validity
to the reservations, but we need to remember that the environment's
acoustics and the approach of the artist are the most important aspects
determining the worth of a performance.

The lautenwerk constructed by Willard Martin has an 8-foot gut with two
plucking positions, 4-foot brass, two manuals with handstops, and a pitch
of A=370.  Be assured that this particular lautenwerk has a lovely tone
of sublime intimacy which offers performers an excellent opportunity to
provide listeners with a distinctive and compelling set of interpretations.

As for Gwendolyn Toth, she is one of the leaders in America's Early
Music Movement.  A graduate of Yale University, Toth has been an academic
teacher at Yale, Mount Holyoke College, Barnard College, and the Mannes
College of Music.  Presently, she teaches harpsichord at Rutgers University
in New Jersey.  Toth has performed on all the different types of keyboard
instruments in use during the Baroque period and employs the principles
of fingering, articulation, and phrasing associated with accurate
historical performance styles.  In addition to concertizing throughout
most of the world, Toth is the director and founder of New York City's
virtuoso period instrument ensemble ARTEK which has recorded Monteverdi's
Orfeo on the Lyrichord Early Music Series label.

I've heard a couple of Goldbergs in recent months that don't delve
much into the human angst and underside of Bach's music, but Toth's
version is the only one that entirely sweeps those themes under the rug.
Her vertical elasticity and bounce are impressive, but her horizontal
elasticity is narrow indeed.  Toth takes the main road and never deviates
from it.  In some of the more poignant variations, she actually constricts
the music through a mechanical sounding and rigid rhythmic flow.

In most cases, this lack of emotional 'breadth and depth" would lead
me to recommend passing on the recording.  However, there is always the
potential for other features to offset what is lacking, and I find that
Toth's recording conveys ample offsets.  First, the use of a lautenwerk
for the Goldbergs is infrequent, and Toth knows expertly how to keep
making the music sounding fresh.  Second, there is a dignity and elegance
to her readings that are quite irresistible.  Third, even when Toth
possesses a rigid rhythmic flow, she manages to make it sound more
distinctive than restrictive.  Most important, Toth clearly conveys her
joy of being intimate with Bach's music; this isn't an ostentatious
display, but one that radiates with confidence and warmth.

Starting with the Aria, Toth gives us a high level of poise and poetry
over a foundation of optimism.  Her rhythmic flow and inner joy permeate
her performances of the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Variations, and I consider the
interpretations among the best on record.

Other noteworthy performances include the 6th Variation where Toth brings
out the unique qualities of the lautenwerk with an exquisitely delicate
reading highlighted by a deliciously woody soprano part that is thoroughly
enjoyable.  Although delicate, Toth pushes the music forward with a
compelling sense of drive and gives us a 'one of a kind' performance.

The 12th Variation is an uplifting and joyous affair, and Toth's optimism
radiates with brilliance.  In the 15th Variation, we meet Toth's mechanical
rhythms I mentioned earlier.  Yes, it can sound rather perfunctory and
clipped in the manner of a wind-up doll, but she applies a very attractive
bounce and urgency to the beat that overcomes the rigidity.  In the 16th
Variation Overture, Toth appeals with her regal rhythms and strong
accenting, handling the double-dotted French style most convincingly.

The 21st Variation, "Canone allasettima", is my favorite in the set with
its bitter-sweet refrains and a wonderful outpouring of hope in the 2nd
Section.  Toth again takes the mechanical rhythmic approach and constricts
the music.  But I still love her interpretation; it perfectly captures
the contrasting moods, and her beat is intoxicating yet quite lively.
This is one of the most rewarding and distinctive versions I have come
across.

The upbeat Variations 22 thru 24 find Toth possessing an 'inner glow'
that permeates this listener's bloodstream.  The 25th Variation, "The
Black Pearl", is not as successful.  This is the one variation in the
work that absolutely requires a strong injection of angst and despair,
and Toth doesn't offer those qualities.  The playing is charming, and
some might call it enchanting.  However, she misses the essential nature
of the piece without giving it an equally valid purpose.  The remaining
variations go splendidly as Toth continues to highlight the joy of life
in Bach's music.

Unfortunately, things don't end well.  The Martin lautenwerk needs
some fine-tuning at this point, and the Aria da capo suffers for the
lack of it.  Initially I thought something might be wrong with my hearing,
but a comparison with the opening Aria puts the problem squarely on the
instrument's shoulders and even more on the record company itself.  There
is simply no excuse for this sour presentation from the recording medium.

Don's Conclusions: Although not sufficiently well-rounded to recommend
as one's sole recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations, the radiant
performances of Gwendolyn Toth represent an excellent supplement to
existing versions in your music library.  I wouldn't place the recording
in the 'must have' category, but it isn't very far behind.  Do beware
of the sour Aria da capo; one listen and you won't play it again.

Don Satz
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