Jonathan wrote:

>To prefer the piano for this monumental work is to fly in the face
>of Bach's obvious intentions: to write a contrapuntal work for "two
>keyboards".  but it is only on a two-keyboard instrument that the true
>stature of the work can be fully appreciated.

Excuse me if I sound hostile, but I think these arguments are crap.  This
debate feels very stale.  Haven't we been through it before, the rest of
the world vs HIP.?

The Goldberg variations is my no.1 piece of music.  I love Schiff, Gould
82, Hantai, I dont'like Tureck (on VAI) Gavrilov.  I've enjoyed Sitovetskys
orchestration (on Elektra Nonesuch).  I know there is a new version for
guitar and so on and so forth.

Which is the correct of intrepretating the music? The GV transcends all
that.  It is marvellous piece of music.  I would probably enjoy it if
someone whistled it while slapping their knees!  Even if Jonathan obviously
thinks this is great music I think that the remarks above reflects a point
of view that limits our possibility to appreciate this lovely music.

Patrik