If you had to choose one definitive recording of the Goldberg
Variations which would it be? This question is impossible
to answer as the countless number of recordings is incomparable
due to the different instrumentations, historical view points
and even editions of the music used. How can you compare the
sonorities of a 21st century Steinway Concert Grand
piano to the vibrancy of a 17th century style harpsichord?
Frenchman Joël Pontet could have chosen either, as he studied
both at the Paris Conservatoire, and this time he chose the
harpsichord. It is easier to compare recordings on similar instruments,
so it is to other recordings made on strung keyboard instruments
that the comparison shall be made.
This recording was made on a copy of a Rückers harpsichord
by Marc Ducornet in 2006. There are no notes in the CD booklet
about this instrument, but one can assume that this Flemish
instrument has two manuals with an 8’ and 4’ stop
on the lower manual and 8’ stop and buff on the upper
manual. The sound of these instruments is quite unmistakable
for their rich and balanced tone, and it is easy to hear how
carefully the upper and lower registers complement each other,
especially on the upper manual of this instrument. This is particularly
noticeable in Variation 13 when the buff stop is used and the
clarity of voicing is truly exposed.
An appropriate comparison to this recording is that recording
in the late 1990s by Pieter-Jan Belder (Brilliant Classics 92217/11),
as it is made on a very similar instrument. The Rückers
harpsichord used by Belder is by Cornelis Bom. The first difference
between these two recordings is that Pontet makes far greater
use of the 4’ register on the lower manual of his harpsichord.
This gives a more brittle and electric sound to his playing,
making the first variation full of life and energy. The Aria
and first variation on Belder’s recording are played on
8’ alone, which gives his playing a more organic development
and allows the listener to hear the subtleties of his playing
more easily. Throughout the recording, Pontet makes a great
deal more registration changes than Belder, which act to engage
the listener on the surface as well as to characterise the variations
quite specifically. This is often the case with French trained
keyboard players, whereas Dutch and German players are more
restrained in their tonal use. Belder’s more reserved
use of the different sounds available to him means that the
listener has to be more aware of tempi, articulation and phrasing
in order to understand the performer’s interpretation.
That is not to say that there is a lack of delicate phrasing
in Pontet’s performance, there is. Variation 10, the fugetta,
makes use of a large variety of subtle articulation; the touch
is varied to represent the different moods of the keys which
the music passes through, this is highly sophisticated playing.
Both recordings score equally highly on the quality of performance,
instrument and recording. The overriding difference: where Pontet
is adventurous, Belder is thoughtful.
This recording has its own voice and its own place amongst other
recordings of this truly remarkable work. Pontet clearly knows
what he wants us to hear and isn’t afraid to use all of
his skill and the whole textural range of his instrument to
demonstrate this. Occasionally the sound of the instrument detracts
from the phrasing that is there and the 4’ can become
quite tiring to listen to. Pontet’s articulation and phrasing
ideas are so clear, perhaps it would be beneficial to change
the sound less often and let his performance speak for itself.
The sound quality of the recording is so good that it is better
than listening live and the booklet notes are adequate, if not
a little brief. Overall, due to the vast numbers of available
recordings, this wouldn’t make a list of the top 5 recordings
of the Goldberg Variations on harpsichords but would
probably make it into the top 20, which is actually quite high
praise.
Hannah Parry-Ridout
Masterwork Index: Goldberg
Variations
Joël Pontet (harpsichord) 