Amati String Trio - J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations (Arrangement for String Trio) (2004) CD-Rip

This a gorgeous version of this difficult and, in my opinion, normally elusive piece. Shemer makes the harpsichord sing, dance, laugh, cry and meditate. Having his instrument tuned to A=392 and recorded in a church certainly helps the contemplative aspect of this work, and the sound is rich and never metallic, as with many versions. If ever there was a case for throwing piano versions into the bin of history, Shemer is your best advocate. He manages to keep the music flowing, both within each variation and between variations, and he makes his musical points in a clear convincing way, unhampered by mannerisms and the awful swaying about that make some versions feel like they were recorded in a raft on the stormy seas; and yet it is subtle and fluid at the same time.