Johann Sebastian Bach - Goldberg Variations, BWV988 (Zhu Xiao-Mei)

01. Aria     
02. Variation 1     
03. Variation 2     
04. Variation 3     
05. Variation 4     
06. Variation 5     
07. Variation 6     
08. Variation 7     
09. Variation 8     
10. Variation 9     
11. Variation 10     
12. Variation 11     
13. Variation 12     
14. Variation 13     
15. Variation 14     
16. Variation 15     
17. Variation 16     
18. Variation 17     
19. Variation 18     
20. Variation 19     
21. Variation 20     
22. Variation 21     
23. Variation 22     
24. Variation 23     
25. Variation 24     
26. Variation 25     
27. Variation 26     
28. Variation 27     
29. Variation 28     
30. Variation 29     
31. Variation 30     
32. Aria Repeat  	

Zhu Xiao-Mei – piano

The Goldberg Variations have had so many brilliant and famous performances. They fall along the whole range from formalistic, text-true to more interpretive playing. Here, pianist and teacher Zhu Xiao-Mei gives us an ethereal performance that is, remarkably, powerful without being overpowering, insightful yet completely self-effacing. It's difficult connecting modern performances to how we might have experienced the same works as they were originally heard, not just due to differences in musical instruments and style, but also to differences in listener experience and expectations. Yet, this performance creates a strong, imaginative, almost tangible sense of the origins of the piece, the sense of following a drifting stream to its source. I think anyone owning this CD will come to treasure it. --- Daniel Coverdale "emaddog"

«C’est dans la paix et la sérénité que Zhu Xiao-Mei aborde les Goldberg, avec un sens du chant déja affirmé dans la belle Aria et que l’on retrouve des la premiere variation et dans bien d’autres (Var. 7, 15, 21 ou 25). La sobriété de son jeu et la limpidité de son toucher, avec une main gauche toujours présente et prompte e tisser sa propre mélodie, exploite les possibilités de couleurs offertes par le piano, sans jamais chercher ŕ imiter le clavecin. Une version sensible et intelligente.» ---Adélaďde de Place, Diapason

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