CD recording of the Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen BWV 988 (the so-called Goldberg-Variations) by Johann Sebastian Bach
The background on completing the recording is not an everyday story. The recording actually was made before my Final Examination Concert at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, when I played this piece as well. The cost of the recording was covered by an individual who was interested in this project. With the help of this patron, I made a trip to Switzerland, where the excellent recording engineer Gabor Kartschmaroff waited for me. The Steinway piano, which is an exquisite instrument made before the First World War, is the property of a Swiss noble family of ancient lineage. I played on this instrument for the first time in one of their private (house) concerts, and later they had the instrument entirely restored, with my suggestion. Its perfectly balanced key-action and streaming, warm tone predestinated it to be chosen for the recording of the Goldberg-Variations, which I completed in two days.
Klotz's book as one of the main spiritual forces behind the recording
Hans Klotz's book (Die Ornamentik der Klavier- und Orgelwerke von J. S. Bach [The ornamentation of keyboard works by J. S. Bach]) has been one of the main intellectual writing which is understood. In order to obtain insight into the actual state of research, though, I studied other works besides two basic books as well (The two basic works are: Die Grundlagen des linearen Kontrapunkts by Ernst Kurth and Der stile antico in der Musik Johann Sebastian Bachs, Studien zu Bachs Spätwerk by Christoph Wolff , which deals with the ancient perceptions of the tempo). As a result, I have drawn many new conclusions, surprising ones that could seem to be perplexing as well. These conclusions, with those derived from Klotz's book, were built in into my interpretation of the Goldberg-Variations back in summer of 2007. The quality of the recording was described by Jenö Jandó, my former teacher at the Liszt Academy, as 'dynamite!' The design of the CD booklet was a work of mine.
The CD was released in October 2009. It will be distributed by the end of 2010.
The Hungarian Instrument Making Guild (MHMC Budapest) financed the recording and took over and the legal administration, thus, the CD could come out. It will be commercialized by the end of 2010.
Johann Sebastian Bach
MHMC Budapest
Steinway & Sons
Critique of Mr. Harris Goldsmith in the New York Concert Review, New York NY, USA, 2010
ARIA MIT VERSCHIEDENEN VERÄNDERUNGEN
'His recording of the Goldberg-Variations by Johann Sebastian Bach [...] is an unforgetable output of his extraordinarily refined technique and profound musical insights, only comparable with recordings of the greatest performers in the world of classical piano playing.' - Oxana Yablonskaya, March 2009
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