J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations

One is more likely to hear Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations on piano than harpsichord, especially given the benchmark set by Glenn Gould in 1956. For this recording, made 34 years after Gould’s, pianist Keith Jarrett sides with the older instrument. The famous Aria glows with the warmth of his maturity, establishing an emotional veracity that takes gentle hold and never lets go until the Aria’s return. Balancing introversion and extroversion, he lets the music develop on its own terms, never forcing his hand in the process of making it heard.