Bwv 988: The Goldberg Variations By The Leipzig Cantor J. S. Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach (21 March 1685 - 28 July 1750) had been a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose religious and secular works for the purpose of choir, orchestra, in addition to solo instruments attracted as a group the strands of the pre-Classical period and delivered it to its best maturation.

Though Bach did definitely not release brand-new musical varieties, he enriched the fundamental German musical style along with a sturdy contrapuntal process, an unmatched command over harmonic and motivic organization, along with the adaptation of rhythms, forms along with textures coming from abroad, particularly: Italy in addition to France.

Revered with regard to their own perceptive strength, technical control and also inventive attractiveness, Bach's works incorporate the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the "Partitas", The Well-Tempered Clavier, the Mass in B minor, the St Matthew Passion, the St John Passion, the "Magnificat", the Musical Offering, "Die Kunst der Fuge" (BWV 1080), the English and also French Suites, the Sonatas in addition to Partitas with regard to solo violin, the Cello Suites, more than two hundred surviving cantatas, and a similar variety of pipe organ compositions, as well as the actual renowned Toccata and Fugue in D minor and also "Passacaglia as well as Fugue" in C minor, and the Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes as well as Church Organ Masses.

Bach's capabilities being an organist happened to be extremely respected all the way through Europe throughout his stretch of time, even though he appeared to be definitely not broadly accepted like a excellent composer up to a rebirth of interest as well as performances of his music within the first half of the nineteenth century. He is definitely right now frequently considered one of the primary composers of the Pre-Classical style, together with among the finest composers of each of times.

The "Kappelmeister" composed this specific work of genius with regard to a double manual (two keyboards) "clavicembalo" as well as this gave The Leipzig Cantor the particular capability to produce this brilliant music along with long music phrases where both hands could pass over one another and definitely not hit together (as they definitely would do on a single manual keyboard).

That is why barely the particular perfect pianists make an attempt to perform this particular work on the piano, where the two hands may easily clashes on a single keyboard. You will see how Gould manages this difficult task together with apparent ease within a dazzling display of virtuosity.

Along with you'll also discover why in the cinematography of Glenn Gould's recordings the particular keyboard cover of the piano keyboard has been removed to facilitate hands crossing above one other.

In a recent chat together with composer and Stanford lecturer Erik Ulman, Ulman observed that "the Goldberg Variations are potentially the very best of all variation cycles, constructing a full universe from its modest theme." His statements had me digging out my Glenn Gould version and throwing apart at the basic thirty-two bars which Ulman relates to as the unpretentious theme associated with this particular piece.

It swiftly grew to become visible that the inter- and intra- connections in between the particular aria and it's 30 variations ended up more complicated than I could picture.

Mehmet Okonsar's tempos are usually nearer to to those of Glenn Gould than to Jarrett. But there is without question an important refined similitude throughout Okonsar and Jarrett's strategies, even though they are typically accomplished on different instruments, Jarrett's on harpsichord and the multi-faceted music artist Okonsar's on piano.

The actual analogy of the two readings stick to conceptual side. The multi-faceted music artist Okonsar and Jarrett share a fabulous non-exaggerated view of Johann Sebastian Bach. Neither artist is obssessed for the "historical-authenticity" view nor the entire "romantic" approach.

Mehmet Okonsar was born in Istanbul (Turkey) and lived in Paris while in his primary instruction. He began mastering piano in the National Conservatory of Ankara, with Nimet Karatekin and Necil Kazim Akses.

Following about a year and half learning at the Ankara Conservatory, the Okonsar family transferred to Belgium where Mehmet got into the school of Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden at the Brussels Royal Conservatory of Music.

Additionally, the specific style as well as rules of Pierre Sancan who have been the particular mentor of Michel Beroff, met with Okonsar in the person of one of the master's students he met for the duration of his short stay in the Turkish capital at the last years of the nineteen seventies.

His very first significant recital happened in 1979. The program integrated Preludes by Messiaen and also the Pictures of an Exhibition by Mussorgsky.

The piano studies of Okonsar was concluded with all the highest honors any student may ever get at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. "Premier Prix avec Distinction", performing the "Dante Sonata" by Liszt and then "Diplome Superieur de Piano Avec la plus Grande Distinction, Premier Nomme", in 1986, performing the Piano Concerto Op. 42 by Arnold Schoenberg.

At the finish of his piano studies, Okonsar found the actual benefit of working with one of the better composers of Belgium: Madame Jacqueline Fontyn. He as well studied with a student of Messiaen, Claude Ballif. In 1989 he gets his diplomas in Composition-Orchestration from the Royal Conservatory of Music of Brussels.

One afternoon the phone rang and a lady dialing from Switzerland questioned him. Alexis Weissenberg, a pianist Okonsar venerated along with just about worshiped, required him to study with in Switzerland. Cash was short however the master presented Okonsar a complete scholarship or grant. One can witness in all performances by Okonsar how deeply Weissenberg had an effect on him.

Soon after being a Belgian national, Mehmet Okonsar and his wife Lale, artist headed back to Turkey following an invitation from the President Suleyman Demirel who provided him the actual most sought-after title of "State Artist of the Turkish Republic".

Working a lot on technical things, as he says "the actual technologies may possibly "totally free" the artist", his experiments had been offered in a lecture at the Yamaha head office in Hamamatsu, Japan.

Okonsar has performed recitals displaying the full piano works by Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg and Anton Webern. Irrespective of he declines almost all form of "musical specialization", his repertoire is actually to a great extent on the "modern" side with Igor Stravinsky "Three Movements of Petrouchka" the "Sequenza" for the piano by Luciano Berio and also the Klavierstucke by Karlheinz Stockhausen.

The entire playing basically by The multi-faceted music artist Okonsar's of the theme, "Aria", happens to be near that of Glenn Gould. There is without a doubt a powerful apparent ease together with "naivete" that hardly ever hides a particular astounding organization along with a good solid absolutely controlled touch. Those are really unmistakable symptoms for one impressive keyboard technique that will display shortly by means of the impending variations.

The actual transparency of the particular outlines happen to be excellent. Essentially it solely comes close together with Gould. Virtually all scales, arpeggios as well as other runs are really astonishingly equal. Yet, the Belgian artist Mehmet Okonsar manages possibly not to fall into mechanical neither "robotic" playing.

Just a very handful of performing artists can in fact perform The "Kappelmeister" to the piano and also still obtain the purity and also sharpness generally affiliated together with the Harpsichord. The composer, conductor and musicologist as well as pianist Okonsar happens to be one of them. The actual so-called traditional genuineness is really not a dried statement here.

The Turkish born Belgian artist is without question one adept of the "Free Music" viewpoint. Every one of his tracks are really shared through most of the free musician. This is actually an important contemporary state of mind which, regarding to the particular musician will likely be of immense returns to both the actual artist, the very launch along with the main classical music scene.

Likewise the entire leading digital video site Youtube(r) shows a variety the pianist and composer Okonsar's performance online videos. Generally his Compact disc releases are on the other hand uploaded as live performance video clips into the artist's Youtube(r) channel: mokonsar.