Whatever it is, bach It captivates our spirit in a way that satisfies both the pure and lively spirit, or those who can turn music into an inner force. Therefore we must ‘Goldberg Variations‘ that … What concerns us today is that they play pianos, two pianos, duet pianos, synthesizers, string trios with and without synthesizers, accordions, jazz, one and two guitars, organs, harps, string orchestras … and from here to quartets there is nothing.
The author of this version is Francois Maymonwhich seems to justify itself in the small book that accompanies the quartet’s albums, assuring that not a single comma has been changed from the original, but that it has simply distributed the “load” among the four members of the group, sometimes reduced to three, and other times to two.
And let’s consider that if the piano respects that the sound of the harpsichord does not have pedals, then it was not difficult to go from the harpsichord to the piano, since the harpsichord is an instrument that encourages reflection and reflection, or keyboard virtuosity.
But perhaps after these instruments, The string quartet offers us a complete vision of an outstanding polyphonic work. At the same time, it demonstrates a very high level of expressiveness. And what’s more, we have additional benefits. It means that the voices are broken down individually, and what sounds harmonically on the keyboard, or presented as a four-voice polyphony, appears separated within the quartet, as if spread out, like a fan opening (I mentioned this at one point about synthesizers, too, but each voice sounds different).
Generally, we appreciate sets that are as uniform in tone as possible, but in this case Diversity further contributes to distinguishing voices. Here it was the cello that took on a harsher, moodier color compared to the sweetness of the violin and viola.
The big surprise is It was their concert a large foldablewith a delicate explanation of the first aria (and the last), there was a whole ensemble of pure velvet, from which they offered us an unusual variety, suggested by the great complexity of the variations.
Carol Petitdemnge (Violin II)
It is not common to change instrument layoutBecause in a quartet, where facing the violin is almost mandatory in a Baroque orchestra, but where the score rarely calls for it, the only benefit was a powerful cello facing the audience, which left us uneasy. However, they were very conscious of the “volume” aspect, and it can be said that this was one of their most distinctive features.
Although it showed a sense of dynamism from the first variation, it was not until the fifth that it reached its climax. A countermeasure called “bubbling”For their inner nerves sometimes caused them to rise from their seats, and already in the sixth they showed signs of extraordinary virtuosity, with pizzicato accompaniment, with such great perfection and synchronicity that it was difficult to hear. We are not pointing out variations where one of the members remains silent.
However, this point cannot be ignored. The 8th highlighted a joyous moment between Violin I and the cellist. And again the silky and delicate No. 9, two muted violins. In No. 13, the sweet melody of Violin I, viola, and cello was accompanied by a huge arpeggio-like sound of small movements, which may not be called chords, but they did not obscure the beauty of the melody, making it attractive (Violin II does not appear here). Speaking of this tranquility, we must emphasize its gentleness. Minor mode variationsLike number 15, very smooth dynamics stand out, but I’m not sure how many ‘p’s there are in them. And later, another song in the same G minor also has great lyricism.
Another stop along the way: French style “overture”where they raised points of solemnity and pomp, and then engaged in another escapade. Another sound that takes advantage of that Maymun Like No. 23, it is pizzicato, full of ascending and descending scales, imitated at dizzying speed.
Without a doubt, the level was very high and the first violin was exceptional. Yang Misajust like viola, different colors of intervention Yuko Hara;But we were passionate about the second violin. carol petitdemangeNo. 25 shines with its strength and dedication, eager to show off all its rich color palette. Cellist Joel Martinez, on the other hand, took the leading role in the most authentic counterpoint, filling virtually every intervention with force and vitality.
Amateurs are well aware of the possible origins of these variations. These variations were written by Bach to entertain people with insomnia. Count Hermann Karl von Kaiserling. But who can sleep with such beauty?
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