Contemplative Goldbergs . Bach wrote very, very few variation compositions like the "Goldberg Variations," but the one's he wrote are most memorable and monumental.  Early in his career, he wrote a magnificant "Aria with Variations in the Italian Manner" (BWV989).  Its repeating aria at the end along with the alternating fast/bright and slow/contemplative variations foreshadowed a model in these so-called Goldberg Variations  - one of the towering 'summation works' Bach wrote late in his life at Leipzig.     With a full quiver of splendid recordings of Bach's keyboard music, it is not hard to believe that Angela Hewitt is the top-selling musical artist for the British Hyperion label.  And this recording of her personal favorite Golderg Variations is another worthwhile CD in the series.  Angela Hewitt's Goldbergs - and really all her Bach or Couperin in general - may be most simplistically characterized as having a more gentle, graceful and heartfelt style.  She particularly excells on bringing out the joyful rhythms in the many Baroque-era 'dances' and as well as the inherent songfulness within the music.  Technically, her smooth-as-silk long legato line, tasteful ornamental infusions, and intelligent progression all combine to create a delightful experience with Bach as heard in this fine recording.      Additionally, Hewitt is a master tonal colorist and is not shy to tactfully use the pedals and nuances of the modern piano to create a greater richness in the music - while taking care to avoid blurring her individual lines.  Accordingly, she elects a wide dynamic range for this recording to elicit maximum expressivity.  Where a pianist like Glenn Gould goes for maximum clarity of parts by completely avoiding the pedal (creating razor-sharp articulations within a very-forward recorded sound), Hewitt strives to balance crisp articulation with tonal beauty through such pianistic nuances as well as through a somewhat-spacious (but clear) recording ambiance.  Her creativity in ornamentation and well-chosen shifts of tempo in the repeats (which she observes here) adds stylistic interest - but without straying too far from Bach's musical intentions.     In comparison to other Goldberg recordings (such as Perhahia's Award-Winning disc), Angela Hewitt's readings here seems to possess a more introspective, pensive tone and mood overall. Perhaps in the back of her mind she is tempering her expression in light of the legend that Bach wrote these pieces for his student Goldberg to play at night to help his employer, the insomniac Count Keyserling, pass the time during his sleepness nights.  Hewitt's expressivity in the opening and closing Aria is as expected, thoughtful and beautiful.  But, in the famous 25th "Black Pearl" Variation, she creates a somewhat veiled atmosphere with a slower tempo not unlike a funeral march.  Personally, I felt it a bit too heavy rather than the more poignant and optimistic mood of Perahia - but such is art and individual preference.  Contrastingly, in the brilliant fast variations, Miss Hewitt brings an ebulient clarity and precision to the music that is refreshing to mind and spirit.  But, it is not the fully unleashed joy that Murray Perahia finds (in movements like the first variation) which overflow with a special vivacity.  But Hewitt's readings here overall are no less enjoyable or admirable as such nuances are often purely personal.  I tend to prefer Perahia's sparkling version on a sunny morning and Hewitt's more contemplative recording when reading late at night.    Other notable Goldberg recordings come from the Bach legend Rosalyn Tureck whose recordings are often a model for any serious student of the piano. Hungarian pianist Andras Schiff has also recorded some gorgeous Bach that often has a similar "sweetness" of style as Hewitt.  As for Glenn Gould, his landmark 1955/1982 recordings rightfully caused a stirring in the music world and have a striking individuality and brilliantly clear articulation of voices (assuming you don't mind his intermittent humming and the less-than-perfect sound quality).  Many others have also given great performances.    Hewitt's Goldberg CD received strong ratings from from many of the top reviewers like Penguin Guide and Gramophone and stands with a few others among the finer recordings.  ClassicsToday was a bit more critical, giving this CD a rating of 8/10 for Artistic Quality and 9/10 for Sound Quality (noting a tendency for emotive restraint in some variations).  I mostly agree with this last (8/10) assessment - out of Hewitt's Bach discography, I found her Goldbergs very enjoyable but just not quite as magical as her others.  But, an additional highlight of this Hyperion CD is surely the superbly annotated notes revealing some history of this music and Ms. Hewitt's musical insights and approaches to each of the 30 variations.  The notes alone might make Hewitt's CD preferable to others if you already have a version you really like.  All-in-all, a most attractive and admirable recording (4.5 stars); but, like other reviewers and Gramophone conclude, Perahia's sparkling version (5 stars) strikes me as very special and takes top honors here in my opinion
Output: POS