In the thirty-two movements that make up the Goldberg Variations, Bach offers us a perfect equilibrium between structure, proportion, counterpoint and melody. Diego Ares, for whom this remarkable work has been a lifelong inspiration, sees the key to it in the notion of travel: a moving trip to different environments, enriched by new experiences in the course of the variations, the last of which (the Quodlibet) marks the composer’s salutary return home. A profound and humanistic message and an angle from which the Variations have rarely been approached before.
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REVIEW:
Ares projects an effective blend of intellectual rigour and leisurely reflection in his Goldbergs. His tempos are less hard-driven than some recent rival versions and, commendably, he places virtuosity at the service of the music rather than the other way round. He phrases elegantly, articulates clearly, and injects the music with a well-balanced mix of learning and entertainment. In summary, here is playing rich in ideas and affectionate in sentiment.
