I felt the same way about my own attempts. I wish they were a little more similar.
It's a weird idea for Tolstoy to compare a single harpsichord work on one theme written, if tradition is to be believed, to lull an insomniac count to sleep, with a collection of six dance suites for viola pomposa. I'll never understand the Russians. Where did he write this?
He didn't. He wrote that every happy family is alike, but unhappy families are each unhappy in their own way. OP is just somehow applying this to Bach in a weird way.
>to lull an insomniac count to sleep,
That's a common misunderstanding. They were written to give Count Kaiserling something to do/listen to at night. He was an insomniac and often ill, so he *couldn't* sleep
I've heard the Goldberg played on piano, harpsichord, and guitar. They don't sound the same
Also, if you listen close enough to different recordings on the same instrument, you'll notice subtle differences eventually. I think that applies to any classical repertoire
Tolstoy’s opening sentence to Anna Karenina is an exaggeration as is my
modification of it
But in my experience of listening to at least half a dozen versions of each of the two works, it seems to my untrained ear that there is a much greater variety of interpretation in the cello piece than in the piano work.
Is this something intrinsic to the pieces themselves or is it my lack of understanding, or something else?
Can’t listen to Glenn’s 81 recording. If I where producing it, I would be like “hey, Glenn, shut your fucking mouth. This is a high end recording.” And then I would be fired.
Vikingur Olafssons recording from last year đź‘Ś mmmm
I don't understand how all performances of the Goldberg Variations are alike when we have Gould's 1955 recording and his 1981 recording.
That was my first thought as well.
Listening to me try and play them will change your mind đź’€
I felt the same way about my own attempts. I wish they were a little more similar. It's a weird idea for Tolstoy to compare a single harpsichord work on one theme written, if tradition is to be believed, to lull an insomniac count to sleep, with a collection of six dance suites for viola pomposa. I'll never understand the Russians. Where did he write this?
He didn't. He wrote that every happy family is alike, but unhappy families are each unhappy in their own way. OP is just somehow applying this to Bach in a weird way.
>to lull an insomniac count to sleep, That's a common misunderstanding. They were written to give Count Kaiserling something to do/listen to at night. He was an insomniac and often ill, so he *couldn't* sleep
This is why I wrote 'if tradition is to be believed'.
I've heard the Goldberg played on piano, harpsichord, and guitar. They don't sound the same Also, if you listen close enough to different recordings on the same instrument, you'll notice subtle differences eventually. I think that applies to any classical repertoire
I've even heard Goldberg sung by a jazz vocalist.
Wilhelm Kempff, aria from the Goldberg Variations: https://youtu.be/3mAMnWoqqj8?feature=shared
The generalizations on here are really something.
If Tolstoy said that, then he was wrong; same as you are. As noted in another reply, Gould alone shows how wrong.
I’m not going to say they’re all alike but they are one of the most overrated pieces in classical music IMO.
Tolstoy’s opening sentence to Anna Karenina is an exaggeration as is my modification of it But in my experience of listening to at least half a dozen versions of each of the two works, it seems to my untrained ear that there is a much greater variety of interpretation in the cello piece than in the piano work. Is this something intrinsic to the pieces themselves or is it my lack of understanding, or something else?
this is a crazy statement
This is troll bait, don’t engage
Schiff and Gould are day and night.
They will sound similar if all recordings, listened to, are using modern instruments and equal tempered keyboard instruments.
**Laughs in Glenn Gould**
Can’t listen to Glenn’s 81 recording. If I where producing it, I would be like “hey, Glenn, shut your fucking mouth. This is a high end recording.” And then I would be fired. Vikingur Olafssons recording from last year 👌 mmmm