The Goldberg Variations is a late Bach work on the ancient piano. The variations of this work are ingenious and steeped in deep connotations. For such a difficult connotation and the long performance time does not guarantee the performance effect, the performers usually do not include it in the program list. But interestingly, some performers not only choose it "without fear of difficulties", but also "love" it, interpreting it with a lifetime of playing career.
I. A brief analysis of the works of the Gothenburg Variations
Bach's Gothenburg Variations is a stunning masterpiece of the Baroque period, which expresses deep emotions through a magnificent and voluminous structure and colorful variations.
(1) Theme singing
The theme of "Gothenburg Variations" is Aria, the melodic line is long and stretched, and the weaving accompaniment is simple and clear. However, the beautiful melodic line is not much related to the later variations, and what is really related is the bass line of this theme, and the harmony of the bass part lays the foundation and direction for the development of the subsequent variations.
(2) Structural symmetry
From the perspective of the whole work, the first Aria and the last one are consistent, and the themes of the beginning and end echo each other, a total of 32 paragraphs, which are divided into two parts by 16 variations. Each variation is divided into two parts with a double longitudinal line. This ingenious layout gives this work a unique design and logical aesthetic.
(3) Musical emotion
In 1955, he broke with convention for a performance in New York and chose the Gothenburg Variations, which was chosen by rare performers, and it was because of the success of this performance that he signed with CBS and because of this performance that gave Gould a worldwide reputation. So in a sense, the Gothenburg Variations began the journey of Gould's artistic life. In 1981, Gould recorded the record version of the Gothenburg Variations, which received unanimous praise from the industry, but unfortunately, it didn't take long for Gould to die. This version turned out to be Gould's "Swan Song". In this 1981 edition, what struck me more deeply was the gentleness and introversion and deeper connotation and deeper appeal that Gould showed through a variety of intricate variations. At this time, Gould integrated himself with Bach, expressing his state of mind in Bach's language. So it's more like deducing a "musical testament", which contains too much life experience.
Second, Zhu Xiaomei: Regarded as the experience of life
Since the end of 2014, the reports and information of a pianist named Zhu Xiaomei have been pouring in, which can be described as an overnight hit. She is known as the "myth" of the classical music world, and all her concerts are almost full and hard to find. In 2014, Zhu Xiaomei's solo concert in Shanghai was sold out within 48 hours of ticketing, and at the strong request of music fans, tickets for a temporary performance were also sold out within ten minutes.
The reason why Zhu Xiaomei has attracted great attention in the classical music circle is largely due to her "dedication" to Bach's works. In particular, the Gothenburg Variations, a variation she played for nearly 30 years. Of all her performances, I prefer the record version recorded in 1999, which is more like a "restoration" of Bach's "original", without too much personal feelings, and has attractive places in the control and shaping of the tone. Especially in the slow part, the long processing of musical sentences has the characteristics of delicacy, fluency and skill.
I think it is most accurate to describe Zhu Xiaomei in a low-key and gentle manner. She once said: "I don't like the attention, I like small places, to communicate with the audience very simple." 」 "She plays only purely from the heart of love for music and the desire to pursue the beauty of art."
Gould: The Song of ghosts and swans
However, in fact, in the piano industry, Zhu Xiaomei is not the only "obsessed" with Bach, before she became famous, there was also another one, known as "starting with Bach." Finally Bach's Canadian pianist - Gould.
There are not many pianists who are called "ghost talents", and the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould is one of the few that has attracted much attention. In terms of his piano performance alone, in the minds of millions of listeners, he is the best spokesperson for Bach, and even he is the embodiment of Bach. It is no exaggeration to say that Gould is a genius, and after the success of his performance, his personal quirks and unique performances also attracted attention: he always hummed when he played, and sometimes he would play on the keyboard with one hand and the other with the other. When playing, Gould sometimes leans over the keyboard, sometimes straightens his waist, sometimes closes his eyes and sometimes stares at the bend to fully immerse himself in his personal world.
It is said that Bach's works are too bland, but in fact, in this work, Bach uses a large number of decorative sounds, leaning tones and lingering tones of expression, which pushes the emotions of the work to a climax and adds emotional color.
In this version, Gould's biggest feature is to express Bach's singing to the extreme, such as in the processing of decorative tones, due to the slow speed, the leaning tone is basically played according to the time value of the notes, and the vibrato performance is added to the appropriate crescendo and weakening processing, so that the decorative effect and expression are greatly enhanced.
Fourth, the similarities and differences between the two performances
In summary, the two are quite different in terms of playing styles.
Zhu Xiaomei's "Gothenburg Variations" is more like restraining her emotions, trying to be as close as possible to the work itself, giving people a sense of introversion and tranquility, while Gould is more spiritual and integrates his understanding of the work.
But the commonality of the two in the treatment of music and art should indeed be thought-provoking, Gould from a highly sought after live performance to a behind-the-scenes recording performance, Zhu Xiaomei does not want to pay attention to it, only wants to simply play, from these we can find that in fact, when the music playing skills reach a certain height, the pursuit of the performer will eventually come down to pure love of music, which is the realm that a high-level musician should achieve.