Whenever I have heard him in the past, Nicholas Angelich has
seemed like a very heavy-handed pianist. Everything about his
playing is strident and confident, not percussive as such; his
sense of phrasing and legato is developed enough to avoid that
accusation, just heavy. That sort of approach works well enough
for Brahms, his recording of the Second Concerto (Virgin
2663492) is excellent, but he only has to take it back
as far as Beethoven and the textures begin to get swamped by
the sheer weight of his playing.
How then will the Goldberg Variations fare? Surprisingly,
the answer is that on the whole it works fine. His assertive
style is everywhere evident, but not everything is loud. In
fact, he seems to exaggerate the quieter dynamic to balance
out his more boisterous dynamics in the louder movements.
At 5:20, the opening aria is on the slow side. The duration
is partly explained by the fact that he observes the repeats,
but even so it is also very slow. He plays the opening chord
and then there is a pregnant pause as you wait for the second,
it feels like forever. After a few bars, the ear becomes accustomed
to the pace and the music takes on a feeling of momentum, without
actually speeding up. In fact, Angelich is fairly disciplined
with his tempos, and while this is a Romantic reading in most
senses, the stability of the tempos in each individual movement
compensates for some of the indulgences of dynamic and articulation
later on.
When the variations proper begin, Angelich's trademark heavy
touch begins to make itself apparent. With the exception of
the quieter variations, the playing throughout is forceful and
confident, but always flowing and lyrical. Angelich lifts many
of the textures through carefully judged details. The relationship
between the written notes and the ornaments, for example, is
fascinating. By presenting the written notes with such surety,
he is able to contrast the ornaments, which are usually lighter
and often very slightly belated. That's a nice touch, although
perhaps the contrast is a little heavy.
Something else that is very heavy is Angelich's bass lines.
The question again arises over whether they are appropriately
articulated of just heavy-handed. I would inclined toward the
former, especially given the structural significance of these
bass lines, and the fact that most other pianists emphasise
the melodies to the detriment of left hand clarity.
The recorded sound suits Angelich's playing. The liner doesn't
mention what piano is used, but it has a warm, round sound and
plenty of power towards the bottom, ideal for showing off this
pianists strengths. The recorded sound emphasises atmosphere
over pinpoint clarity, but there is no excessive resonance,
and Angelich ensures that every line of the counterpoint shines
through.
Bach isn't the sort of repertoire that you would expect to benefit
from Angelich's Lisztian pianism, but there are a surprising
number of insights here that more timid pianists, let alone
harpsichordists, don't quite manage. That combination of lucid,
legato phrasing and confident keyboard technique deliver satisfying,
and always musical results. But musical as it undoubtedly is,
I would struggle to describe this recording as subtle. However,
if like me you feel that there is too much subtlety in most
Bach interpretation these days, Angelich might just be the man
for you.
Gavin Dixon
Masterwork Index: Goldberg
Variations
Nicholas Angelich (piano)
