Search - Bach, Vieru :: Goldberg Variations

The young Rumanian pianist Andrei Vieru is out to make a statement with this recording. Instead of just playing the Variations, he starts off with a selection from the Klavierbüchlein, including an early version of the Goldberg theme, then offers his own series of canons on that theme (not the series of canons Bach wrote on the same theme). He's practically shouting, "This is my Bach," an impression furthered by his interventionist playing of the great Variations, filled with emphases and rhythmic alterations that call attention to themselves. However, Vieru hasn't left time on the disc for all the marked repeats. For great Goldbergs on the piano, with imaginative repeats, stick with Feltsman. --Leslie Gerber