BACH: GOLDBERG VARIATIONS - Vladimir Feltsman, piano (Liner Notes)

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH GOLDBERG

Vladimir

recorded live in Moscow

S. BACH GOLDBERG

I was initially awakened to this piece by

Glenn Gould's first recording many

years ago on Columbia, which I still like.

I was 17 at the time and started working

on it right away, although I didn't play it

in public until seven or eight years later.

The Goldberg Variations are very

special to me; I've actually been

studying them now on and off for nearly

two decades. And since my arrival in the

U.S. five years ago I've been deeply

involved with them. I've played them all

over Europe, including the Moscow

Conservatory, where this recording was

made.

This is probably the most demanding piece l've played in concert. To prepare,

I have to put myself in a very special

mental and physical state. To me,

performing the 30 variations is a

process of bringing together light that is

reflected in 30 different ways. The

piece at the beginning is a vast ocean;

by the end the ocean has receded to a

single drop of living water.

To my mind, the biggest problem with

the Goldbergs is how to handle the

repeats. It's absolutely clear that they

must all be played that's not optional.

Gould didn't take all the repeats; many

performers don't. He played a repeat

only on every third variation the canons.

That explains why his recording is

approximately 45 minutes long and mine is closer to 80.

Usually, people vary repeats in two

ways--by changing the articulation and

dynamics. But for me, that somehow

was not enough. After thinking about it

a great deal, I decided to expand the

range of the piece. I change

registrations, vary ornamentations and,

probably the most unusual, switch

voices (i.e., soprano and alto voices change position with tenor and bass) by

crossing hands. So I have five ways to

achieve variety: articulation, dynamics,

ornamentation, registration, and

"interswitching" of the voices.

Why? It became clear that the

polyphonic space of Bach's music

provides a relative notion of "up" and "down. " It is a structure that functions

independently within itself and might be

viewed from any angle. In other words,

the music of Bach is living proof of a

very ancient and deep idea: “As below,

so above. "

For some people this recording might

come as a shock. There's no question

that my interpretation is extremely

unusual, and I am ready to take any

blame or glory for it.

Of course, I believe it's legitimate. I've

studied Bach for many years and played

most of his clavier pieces. For some of

them, the English Suites for example,

he wrote two versions of the same

dance movement--particularly the

Sarabandes. Version 2 was Version 1

with a lot of improvisation, additions,

new ornaments and Baroque

accessories. So he provided us with a

literal example of how he wanted the

same piece played a second time. I used

that as my guideline.

Also, we know that in the Baroque era it

was considered perfectly alright to

improvise in performance, especially

when you were playing something

twice. So my idea seems quite in

keeping with the spirit of Baroque

culture.

You'll note that, although I play all 30

variations twice, the last aria is not

repeated. That's because the building

block of the Goldberg Variations is

number three -- trinity. The first time the

aria is played it is repeated, which

means the last time, after all 30

variations, it should be played only

once, for a total of three.

I see the form of the Goldberg

Variations as two mirrors that, through

the repeats, continuously reflect each

other. They start off facing each other and begin to move toward each other:

at the center of the piece, after

Variation 15, they pass through each

other. At the end, the left side is on the

right and the right side on the left. The

piece ends exactly at the same point in

space and time where it began. Since

these are two-sided mirrors, for a total

of four sides, the result is the reflection

of the whole piece inside and an

eternity from outside. It's infinity infinite.

Put a different way. the sum total of this

music is zero. And zero is eternity. --Vladimir Feltsman

One of the monuments of the keyboard

repertoire, the Goldberg Variations were

published in 1742, the same year Bach

completed Book I| of the Well Tempered

Clavier. At the time, the composer held

the title of Royal Polish and Electoral

Saxon Court Composer in Leipzig.

As to the derivation of the work. popular

lore has it that one Count Kaiserling, the

Russian ambassador to the Saxon

court, was having trouble sleeping at

night and so commissioned Bach to

write a piece that Johann Gottlieb

Goldberg Kaiserling's musician in

service and one of Bach's better pupils-

could play to put his master to sleep. It's

hard to believe that the tonic actually

worked, given the magnetic brillance of

the Goldbergs, but such is the tale that

has been handed down through the

ages. -Susan Elliott

VLADIMIR FELTSMAN

is internationally

recognized as one of the most

important pianists of his generation. A

compelling artistic personality hailed for

the dramatic impact and individuality of

his interpretations, he brings his

prodigious technique, command of

sonority, and evocative musical

imagination to an extensive repertoire

that ranges from Bach to 2Oth century

composers and includes more than

thirty concertos. Mr. Feltsman

concentrates on music from the central

German tradition, and is also committed

to the performance of new music. He

has premiered compositions by

contemporary Soviet composers Alfred

Schnittke and Nickolai Karetnikov.

Since his dramatic arrival in the United

States from the Soviet Union in the

summer of 1987 and his triumphant

Carnegie Hall and Kennedy Center

debut recitals, Mr. Feltsman has

become one of the most sought after

pianists on the international scene. He

has performed with virtually all the

major orchestras in North America and

abroad and he is a frequent guest at

major music festivals. Born in Moscow in 1952, Mr. Feltsman made his public

debut at the age of 12 as soloist with

the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra.

His first prize victory in the Concertina

International Competition in Prague in

1967 led to his enrollment in the

Moscow Conservatory. Four years later,

Mr. Feltsman won the Marguerite Long

Competition in Paris, resulting in

appearances with all of the major Soviet

orchestras, tours of several European

countries and recordings.