Fabio Bonizzoni - Bach, J.S.: Goldberg Variations (2005)

Harpsichordist, organist, and conductor of the ensemble La Risonanza, Fabio Bonizzoni, tries his hand at Bach's Goldberg Variations. It tends to be a dry and uneven reading of the monumental work. Most of the variations are played steadily, with very few of those little modifications of tempo that are used to create more expressive phrasing on the harpsichord. He does play with tempo a lot in the Aria and Variation 15, but in these he uses almost too much. A pause in one line of music seems to interrupt other lines, making it sound like either pretended profundity or the inability to separate fully the actions of the two hands. His way of creating expressive phrasing comes off best in the Adagio, Variation 25. Otherwise, the variations tend to be motoric. Even the Gigue, Variation 7, isn't bouncy enough to really be a dance. The distinctive short notes are not short enough. And the difference between the two halves of the Overture, Variation 16, is only just noticeable. The tempo changes between variations also are not that great, as Bonizzoni tries to group together each set of three variations. The harpsichord itself has a nice tone that isn't too harsh and is picked up quite well in the recording. Bonizzoni's is an OK effort, but there are much better choices available for the Goldbergs on harpsichord.