Bach - Goldberg Variation 1, Score Video. (AjLongsPiano)

[ajlongspiano]

Happy Belated Birthday, Bach! I've posted a recording of this before but I taped it again and made a score video. Enjoy! I just started working on the GB's again. Expect Variation 2 sometime in the near future.

Best,

AJ

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[kawai_cs]

Mmm, beautiful! Looking forward to the 2nd one.
I feel like playing some Bach too. 

[ajlongspiano]

Thank you, Kawai! Go play him with all your heart and soul  .

Best,

AJ

[tenk]

Well done. Technically it's all there. I question some of the micro-rubatos, but to me Bach is really about personal taste so if it's what you like, good for you 

Also, are you intentionally playing a D (instead of the written E) in the left hand for the last note of M27? If not you'll want to fix that 

[ajlongspiano]

Thank you, Tenk! I prefer my Bach a bit more on the romantic side. I just think that he's played in a dull and colorless manner by so many people haha. It was probably a finger slip or something. I'll have to double-check next time I'm at the piano!


Best,
AJ

[chopinlover01]

I disagree with the notion that Bach requires pedal to be expressive.

To me, this is more romantic than a lot of Chopin.

[philolog]

Although I haven't heard the entire Serkin performance, it's certainly a romantic interpretation. I wonder if it was characteristic of the time or if it was only Serkin's conception. In either case, it's a lovely view of the piece.

I may be wrong but I thought that the piano's sonority was enriched by tasteful pedaling. "To pedal in Bach or not to pedal, that's the question," and one not easily answered. Too much, of course, wouldn't be successful, let alone appropriate, and it's quite difficult to do discreetly (if not impossible) at even a moderate tempo without smudging the lines.

You might like to know (if you don't already), that Gould, a pianist I often think of as one who avoided the pedal in Bach, didn't always do so. I can remember seeing videos of his in which the camera clearly shows the dampers moving up and down, something which surprised me greatly (it might have been in the video version of the second Goldberg recording, or in Bruno Monsaingeon's "The Alchemist," or maybe both). Worth thinking about...

[ajlongspiano]

I didn't use pedal in this performance.

Best,
AJ

[philolog]

Thanks for clarifying that, A.J. but my comment about pedaling was prompted by the Serkin recording. I'm not at all sure he did use the pedal-----I may have been beguiled by his tone. That plus the piano's innate resonance may have persuaded me that he did.

[ajlongspiano]

Thanks for clarifying that, A.J. but my comment about pedaling was prompted by the Serkin recording. I'm not at all sure he did use the pedal-----I may have been beguiled by his tone. That plus the piano's innate resonance may have persuaded me that he did.

No problem! I was more so responding to chopinlover01's comment. By the way. I think pedal is perfectly fine in Bach, as long as it's used in moderation.

Best,
AJ

[shostglass]

When I heard Serkin's Goldberg variations I was suprised at the amount of wrong notes and weird way of ornamentation.But I was reassured at the the first variation when he started using pedal.

[jimroof]

Thanks for clarifying that, A.J. but my comment about pedaling was prompted by the Serkin recording. I'm not at all sure he did use the pedal-----I may have been beguiled by his tone. That plus the piano's innate resonance may have persuaded me that he did.

It sound to me like Serkin used a lot of pedal in that recording.  He just did so in a way that is less obvious.

[emill]

That was GOOD and quite enjoyable too!

[ajlongspiano]

Thank you, emill! I'm glad you enjoy the recording 

Best,

AJ

[pencilart3]

Fantastic! I forgot to leave a note on this one. If you get the pun. ha.   ha.   ha. anyway great work can't wait to hear #2

[reiyza]

Superb... This recording is better than gould's, well, for my taste anyway...

Though it's quite missing a little(LITTLE) baroque-ish feel... But well played. Please do continue your works.

[ajlongspiano]

Thank you, everyone!!

Best,
AJ

[abielikesu]

I enjoyed your interpretation. Thanks.