the first album i bought from uri caine was the goldberg variations. i was drawn to it for three reasons: 1. it were the goldberg variations / it was bach 2. it stood in the jazz section 3. the winter & winter sleeve design
i like bach. in the late seventies/early eighties i used to visit my then recently divorced godfather, who at the time owned a turntable and some 15 LPs. four of which were bach, and he used to put on the toccata and the goldberg variations a lot (don’t know the performer though).
btw when i say turntable, it was a vast piece of furniture, more like a sideboard, that included the turntable, radio (actually wireless seems a more appropriate word in the context) and the loudspeakers
anyway, i’m rather fond of the goldberg variations; i have a great glenn gould edition and the marvelous dmitry sitkovetsky transcriptions for strings, and i’ve been lurking at the ‘new’ gould release (a state of wonder –read the very positive review by simon barrow; i’ll probably give in and buy it this saturday)
but this version was in the jazz section. what the heck? i had a brief listen, and couldn’t believe what i heard. these are not the goldberg variations. this isn’t even bach. sitkovetsky’s were transcribed for strings, but undeniably bach’s goldberg variations. these were not. still i took it home, and it didn’t leave the cd player for a week.
and now there’s beethoven. the diabelli variations. i am not familiar with the orginal work (if anybody can suggest a solid release…) but i already know i like what uri caine has done (and i did recognize bits from the 9th). it’s jazzy, playful, exciting. it’s probably paraphrasing and retelling (a story) but adding emphasis and colour. it’s just that bit, that detail, that reconfirms your interest in classical music and jazz. it’s eclecticism at its best.
[ bach – goldberg variations ]
Sony Classical – Glenn Gould: amazon uk
Nonesuch – transcriptions by Dmitry Sitkovetsky: amazon uk | us
Winter & Winter – Uri Caine: amazon uk | us
A State of Wonder – Glenn Gould: amazon uk
[ beethoven – diabelli variations ]
Winter & Winter – Uri Caine: amazon uk | us
[ uri caine website ]