Bach: Goldberg Variations [Double Album]

Hannes Minnaar

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Challenge Classics is proud to present a new account of Bach’s Goldberg Variations by the critically acclaimed young pianist Hannes Minnaar. It is his 8th DSD release at NativeDSD Music.  His rendition of Goldbergs sums up all the features of a ‘contemporary’ interpretation at the highest degree:

  • Transparent, detailed, and crystal clear phrasing: each and all notes are discernible.
  • A supreme – but not artificial nor mannered – control and care of tone and sound: touch, color and timbre are all fruit of a clearly deep insight and work.
  • A smooth flow of the discourse: a solid overall concept of the work structure and a plain, simple (never emphasized) ‘singing’ of the melodic line. (Even when he takes a very slow tempo – as in the famous Variation no. 25, about 30% slower than usual – he always sustains the melody, which means it is not the tempo that makes the melody living, but the capacity to make it flow, to ‘connect’ sounds and silences).
  • These Goldbergs are not told as a narrative: it is not a dramatic tale, but the architectural structure is well visible. It is not a story. It is a three-dimensional visual work of art.
  • Northern Star productions gives Minnaar the sound that perfectly matches his concept of the work. The rest is made by the unique Chris Maene Straight Strung Concert Grand CM005 piano generously supplied by Piano’s Maene.

This is a ‘Goldberg’ for the 21st Century.

Hannes Minnaar – Piano

Tracklist

Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.
1.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Aria
04:26
2.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 1. a 1 Clav.
01:58
3.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 2. a 1 Clav.
01:38
4.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 3. Canone all’Unisono.
01:56
5.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 4. a 1 Clav.
01:03
6.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 5. a 1 ô vero 2 Clav.
01:32
7.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 6. Canone alla Seconda
01:00
8.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 7. a 1 ô 2 vero 2 Clav
01:42
9.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 8. a 2 Clav.
02:36
10.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 9. Canone alla Terza.
02:04
11.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 10. Fugetta. a 1 Clav.
01:32
12.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 11. a 2 Clav.
02:08
13.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 12. Canone alla Quarta
02:46
14.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 13. a 2 Clav.
05:00
15.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 14. a 2 Clav.
02:11
16.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 15. Canone alla Quinta
04:38
17.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 16. Ouverture. a 1 Cla
02:49
18.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 17. a 2 Clav.
01:50
19.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 18. Canone alla Sexta.
01:44
20.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 19. a 1 Clav.
01:32
21.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 20. a 2 Clav.
01:47
22.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 21. Canone alla Settim
02:50
23.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 22. a 1 Clav. Alla bre
01:33
24.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 23. a 2 Clav.
02:01
25.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 24. Canone all’Ottava.
03:11
26.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 25. a 2 Clav. Adagio
09:11
27.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 26. a 2 Clav.
02:01
28.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 27. Canone alla Nona.
01:37
29.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 28. a 2 Clav.
02:21
30.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 29. a 1 ô vero 2 Clav.
02:12
31.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Variatio 30. Quodlibet. a 1 Cla
02:11
32.
Aria mit verschiedenen Veränderungen, BWV 988 ‘Goldberg Variations’: Aria da capo
04:32
33.
Gedanken zu Bach Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig A.D. 2020: I. Lontano
03:09
34.
Gedanken zu Bach Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig A.D. 2020: II. Toccata primo
01:12
35.
Gedanken zu Bach Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig A.D. 2020: III. Aria/Ayre (Ach wie flüchtig, ach
02:48
36.
Gedanken zu Bach Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig A.D. 2020: IV. Intermezzo sospeso
00:49
37.
Gedanken zu Bach Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig A.D. 2020: V. Evocazione BWV 854 (Berceuse)
01:03
38.
Gedanken zu Bach Ach wie flüchtig, ach wie nichtig A.D. 2020: VI. Toccata secundo
02:25
39.
Aria (from BWV 988)
04:32

Total time: 01:37:30

Additional information

Label

SKU

CC72859

Qualities

, ,

Channels

, ,

Artists

Composers

,

Genres

,

Analog to Digital Converters

dCS, Merging Technologies with Merging+Clock

Cables

Siltech Mono-Crystal

Mastering Engineer

Bert van der Wolf

Microphones

Sonodore

Monitoring

Avalon Acoustic & Musikelectronic Geithain

Instruments

Original Recording Format

Piano

Chris Maene Straight Strung Concert Grand CM005 generously supplied by Piano's Maene

Piano Technician

Charles Rademaker

Producer

Bert van der Wolf

Product Coordination

Boudewijn Hagemans

Recording Assistant

Martijn van der Wolf

Recording Engineer

Bert van der Wolf

Recording Location

De Waalse Kerk in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on August 3-6, 2020

Release DateSeptember 29, 2021

Press reviews

Positive Feedback

This is a wonderful new recording of the Goldberg Variations that is delightfully fresh in it’s interpretation and performance… His playing is transparent and detailed, with crystal-clear phrasing. There is supreme control of touch and color but nothing sounds in the least artificial or mannered. Even where there is a very slow tempo, as in the notorious Variation No. 24, he sustains the melody and allows the music to flow. All in all, his performance is one of deep insight.

And, as delightful as this Goldberg is, don’t pass up listening to the bonus disc containing “Gedeanken zu Bach” by twentieth century composer Daan Manneke…this work makes a nice counterpoint to the Variations and is presented as a stand-alone work on this album. This by Daan Manneke is deserving of our full attention.

These wonderful performances are further enhanced by the utter clarity of the Chris Maene Straight Strung Concert Grand piano which Minnaar plays (see below for more information), and by the translucent sonics in which master recording engineer Bert van der Wolf captures the music.

The Classic Review

Hannes Minnaar showed impressive advocacy for romantic piano transcriptions to Bach, in his “Bach Inspirations” album of 2013. In this case he is “back to basics” if you will, playing the original score along with a contemporary piece, Daan Manneke’s “Gedanken zu Bach”.

There’s a quiet sense of occasion in Minnaar’s opening aria and following variations. His ornamentations are more subtle on repeats and although he plays some of the variations faster, they never sound capricious. At 9’12” the “black pearl” variation is on the slow side but is impressively cohesive.

I particularly liked Minnaar’s way of differentiating between styles of variations – Variations 17 and 18 sound remarkably different yet related, as they should – and the care with which he treats each short and long notes. The recording in this case is excellent, highlighting every articulation and dynamic change.

Minnaar holds this masterpiece together as a complete whole that will reveal itself more with repeated listening.

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