Donald Satz wrote (May 4, 1999):
I've mentioned in the past my high regard for Hantai's harpsichord version of Bach's Goldberg Variations on Opus 111 along with a few other versions. I had not listened to Hantai's version for a few months, but last night I listened to it twice in a row because it sounded so good the first time.

Hantai's interpretation is superb and has everything - great expressiveness, power, poetry, structure, and pacing. In addition, the recorded sound is fantastic, and that's not easy to do with recorded harpsichord sound.

So, I can't recommend highly enough this version of the Goldberg Variations. I normally prefer it on piano, but Hantai blows away that preference.

Feedback to the Review

Patrik Enander wrote (May 5, 1999):
Don Satz wrote:
< So, I can't recommend highly enough this version of the Goldberg Variations. I normally prefer it on piano, but Hantai blows away that preference. >
I agree. I prefer the piano, but Hantai is excellent.

Donald Satz wrote (May 11, 1999):
Harmonia Mundi has just released, at mid-price, the Kenneth Gilbert version of Bach's Goldberg Variations. I am familiar with Gilbert's WTC and Art of the Fugue - great interpretations. Is his GV at the same level, and how does it compare to Hantai's version?

Goldberg Variations BWV 988: Details
Recordings: Until 1950 | 1951-1960 | 1961-1970 | 1971-1980 | 1981-1990 | 1991-2000 | From 2001
General Discussions: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Quodlibet in GV | GV for Strings
Discussions of Individual Recordings: GV - Barenboim | GV - P.J. Belder | GV - E. Dershavina | GV - Egarr | GV - Feltsman | GV - C. Frisch | GV - Gould | GV - Hantaï | GV - R. Holloway | GV - J. Jando | GV - Jarrett | GV - Leonhardt | GV - V. Makin | GV - A. Newman | GV - S. Ross | GV Schiff | GV - R. Schirmer | GV - H. Small | GV - G. Sultan | GV - G. Toth | GV - Tureck | GV - Vartolo | GV - Verlet
Review: Goldberg Variations on Piano: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
Review: Round-Up of Goldberg Variations Recordings: Recordings | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7
Reviews of Individual Recordings: GV - Cole | GV - Crossland | GV - Dershavina | GV - Egarr [Lehman] | GV - Egarr [Satz] | GV - Egarr [Bright] | GV- Hantai | GV - Hantaï (2^nd) | GV - Haugsand | GV - Hewitt | GV - Holloway | GV- Ingolfsdottir | GV - Jando | GV - Leonhardt | GV- Lifschitz | GV - Newman | GV - Nikolayeva 3^rd | GV- Payne | GV - Schepkin, Yudina & Serkin | GV - Schiff [ECM] | GV- Small | GV - Suzuki | GV - Toth | GV - Trich | GV - Tureck (Satz) | GV - Tureck (Lehman) | GV- Verlet | GV - Vieru | GV - Vinikour | GV - Weissenberg | GV - Zhu
Article: The Quodlibet as Represented in Bach’s Final Goldberg Variation BWV 988/30 [by Thomas Braatz]

Pierre Hantaï: Short Biography | Recordings of Non-Vocal Works
Reviews of Non-Vocal Recordings: Bach's Well Tempered Clavier Book 1 from Pierre Hantai | Bach's Toccatas for Harpsichord from Watchorn & Troeger (3 Parts) | Hantai’s Bach | Pierre Hantai's 2^nd Recording of the Goldberg Variations | Review of Savall Musical Offering
Discussions of Non-Vocal Recordings: Goldberg Variations BWV 988 - played by Pierre Hantaï

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