Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0089408069222
Label: Telarc
Manufacturer: Telarc
MPN: 80692
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Telarc
Release Date: 2007-08-28
Studio: Telarc

Dinnerstein's Goldberg Variations was recorded in the neoclassic auditorium of the Academy of Arts and Letters in New York in March 2005. The piano she plays, a 1903 Hamburg Steinway model D concert grand, was originally owned by the town council of Hull, in Northeast England. During World War II, Hull was extensively bombed and the town hall in which the piano was housed was severely damaged. The piano, however, survived intact and was used in a series of concerts after the war to restore Hull's spirit. In 2002, it was restored by Klavierhaus in New York City, in time to be used at the re-opening of the World Trade Center's Winter Garden, playing the same role as it had in Hull over fifty years earlier.
This is destined to be one of the best-remembered and significant classical releases of 2007. Simone (pronounced "See-mo-nuh") Dinnerstein has recently been attracting lots of media attention, from Oprah’s magazine to The New York Times. Within a classical-music circuit increasingly unwilling to take artistic risks, hers has been the rare success story. The 30-something pianist (a former student of Peter Serkin), backing herself, wowed critics with some notable concerts and eventually secured the support of a major label to release a self-produced recording Dinnerstein had made in March 2005. This Telarc account of the Goldberg Variations thus marks her solo debut CD (following some earlier collaborations with cellist Zuill Bailey on the Delos label). For once, the publicity is trying to keep up with the musical achievement--rather than the other way around.

Dinnerstein's seriousness of purpose is immediately obvious from her choice of the Bach masterpiece to make her mark. With the specter of Glenn Gould's own epoch-making 1955 debut playing the same work—not to mention a vast catalog of competing interpretations—Dinnerstein is nothing if not bold. But what's really extraordinary here is the liberating sense she conveys of its not having all been said before—without resorting to tiresome idiosyncrasies to stand apart from the crowd. Her remarkably deliberate way with the opening aria is unusual, to be sure. But it establishes the stakes for what will follow, where Dinnerstein's thoughtfulness and spectacular clarity seem to discover new facets at every turn. Her pianism embraces a prismatic array of touches, whether the feathery lightness of Variation 5, the burbling rhythms of Variation 14, or the tragic weight of the "black pearl" Variation 25. The cumulative effect is exhilarating, intensely moving, and an affirmation of the Goldbergs' infinite variety. --Thomas May

Customer Rating:
Summary: There's a vast gulf between her and Glenn Gould
Comment: Omig-d, valley girls, give me a break. This is no Glenn Gould. Grow a brain and turn off Oprah, would you please?

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Good version of the Goldberg Variations
Comment: Simone Dinnerstein, a former student of the great Peter Serkin, actually produced this recording herself. Given the very different responses to this recording, I had better make certain things clear at the outset. I am not a pianist. I am not trained in music. I have never listened to Glenn Gould's or Wanda Landowska's versions of the Goldberg Variations. I am listening to this as a musical amateur, trying to get a sense of Dinnerstein's performance. That said, this is a satisfying recording to me.

Some reactions to various of the works on this CD (there is an aria and 30 variations). The aria seems to be played well and cleanly. There is a melancholy air to this piece. The is an affecting although not necessarily a scintillating version; it is thoughtful and played at a sober pace.

Variation # 1: Dinnerstein plays this energetically, playing well off of the aria, providing considerable contrast in dynamics. This is a crisper piece, standing in nice distinction to the aria.

Variation # 2: This is more reflective than # 1. There is a contemplative mood suffusing this variation. It seems nicely musical to me.

Variation # 5: Up tempo! Quite a change of pace from Variation # 4. To use a term that I'm sure I should not, this is a "toe tapper." It is played in animated fashion; I enjoyed this variation greatly.

Variation # 16: This starts boldly with a lot of volume. But it is musical at that. There is a nice change in dynamics in comparison with Variation # 15, which is almost elegiac..

Then, Variation # 25, called, as I understand it, "The Black Pearl." This is a more thoughtful, reflective piece. To my ears, it is played affectingly. I cannot compare this with other versions, since this is the first time that I have listened to this variation, but on its own terms it is quite enjoyable. There is a lugubrious tonality to this piece.

Variation # 30: Light and reflective. There is no melancholy here!

30 variations on a theme is rather exotic music for me to evaluate. I do not pretend to be an expert. Nonetheless, for me as a listener, this version by Dinnerstein works pretty well. I can't say that I would rate this as a great version, but it is certainly pretty solid from my perspective.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: goldberg varations, landowska
Comment: i ordered landowska, u sent me the pretty simone. i returned it to u. u sent it back to me. i sent it back to u. u sent it back to me. i gave up.landowska is the point, not the pretty simone tinkling the ivories on a PIANO.it is all about the harpsichord. wake up.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Beauty of Steinway in 1903
Comment: Her performance is pleasant as the body is caressed. Not only pleasant, but the 14th and the 20th variation are aggressive. She has technique because she can neatly play the technical 20th, 26th, 29th and 30th variation. The 13th variation is the longest (5:15). The 25th variation is 4:20. The performance time of all is 78:20. However, because all the repetitions are done except the 25th variation, 78 minutes is not necessarily too long. There are a lot of tune with a quick tempos, too. After all the opening aria is the longest (5:39). Steinway Model D made in Hamburg in 1903.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Simone Dinnerstein plays Bach's Goldberg Variations
Comment: Bach: Goldberg Variations. If you've ever questioned the value of owning different interpretations of the same musical work, just listen to this interpretations and compare it to that of Gould, or Landowsa, or anyone else. The artist, of course, makes a great difference. And this artist is one of the greats. Among the great interpretations of this work I find that hers resonates with me personally. This is intimate and sensitive. A Bach keyboard piece sounding romantic? That's how this interpretation strikes me. Whatever the details, it has affected the several people I have shared it with, and all agree that it is exceptional. You will think so too.

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