Mostly Music
segunda-feira, junho 16
J. S. BACH Golberg Variations, BWV 988. Jean Louis Steuerman (pn). ACTES SUD AT 34112 (73:29)
Black background, focus on a few piano keys, white and mustard lettering: the cover is simple, tasteful, sober and discreet. Much the same can be said about the performance. The very first musical phrase reveals qualities that shine through the whole CD: a tender serenity, a noble touch, a controlled flexibility. Being a rather radical partisan of period instruments, my first choice of keyboard for Bach would never be the piano. And yet I have to confess that this recording kept my attention up to the very last note, and made me wish for more.
The Goldberg Variations is considered one of Bach’s “difficult” works. Partly due to its length, it is very rarely played in public and remains an intimate piece, a musician’s delight, the kind of music one plays for oneself. Perhaps exactly because of that, it exerts a special fascination for keyboard players, as a technical challenge to be overcome, but much more as an experience that will deepen their emotional grasp. Steuerman himself, in the CD’s liner notes, declares “I had a sense that this music would change the world for me, with the promise of an exhilarating experience if only I could learn its complex score”.
And learn it he did. His playing demonstrates a long-cherished intimacy with every single turn of phrase. The melancholic theme is enunciated straightforwardly, trills calmly performed, not as a nervous ornamental frill, but rather as a means to caress a specific note. This very direct yet gentle style creates a marvelous effect, a feeling of tranquil acceptance, of being aware of the inevitability of sorrow. After that, each Variation stands out for its particular character, unfailingly perceived and masterfully brought to life.
There is a fabulous array of emotional shades here: unwavering energy, pleading cries, unrestrained joy, light insouciance, courageous despair. As in a kaleidoscope, these different colored fragments are re-combined with every new movement. When at last the theme reappears, it sounds almost exhausted after so many adventures, sadly distraught and quiet. And yet, behind the slower tempo and quieter dynamics, one senses a tinge of triumphant pride. Steuerman manages to guide us through this maze of musical intentions without ever sounding limp or rushed - reflective moods are pensive but never dead, and fast passages sound like fluid cascades of notes, lines always clear, perpetually disentangling themselves, never blurring the main idea.
If at first I might have wished for a more extravagant conception, one with broader gestures or a freer rhythmic drive, ultimately I was entirely convinced by this very elegant and accomplished performance. Finally, it would be unfair not to praise the exceedingly careful production, apparent not only in the beautifully designed booklet with poetic texts, but also in the very fine sound engineering that registers the subtlest changes in dynamic and timbre. This is a CD that I will enjoy for many years to come.
