Mr. Hurwitz, this was absolutely hilarious! You are a real critical treat.
@tragoudia5 ай бұрын
They might have called the album The Pringles Variations, 30 flavours on a recipe by Bach. Nice to see you're into Icelandic yoga.
@wouterdemuyt10135 ай бұрын
God Dave I laughed myself silly, what a treat on a Saturday morning. Thank you so much!
@eisenaechery75915 ай бұрын
Had a very hard time deciding between “tentacular appendages” and “flatulence” 😂
@gianlucadanzeo57915 ай бұрын
As a geologists who does some research and teaching in Iceland, I loved your appreciation of the landscape and geology of Iceland, and the Geysir gift shop! Not to mention the pose-work in this video. And still, you deliver the real value in the review... thanks for that. Love the channel. Keep up the good work Dave!
@brennanjordan94475 ай бұрын
Seems like quite a bit of money was spent on the packaging. Dave, after those spectacular poses, I can only imagine we’ll be seeing you in the next Dolce & Gabbana show in Paris. Rock on. 🤘
@franciscocanas56865 ай бұрын
Just wanted to let you know I think your reviews are preposterously entertaining. Thank you, and please keep'em coming! (subscribed, obviously)
@dektarium5 ай бұрын
Thanks, will do!
@DavesClassicalGuide5 ай бұрын
Olafson extends his digits on the seashore as a way to channel the Force and the Muses and the anima and the zeitgeist and the living force of the Icelandic Gaia. But he's probably thinking how much he'd rather be eating Pringles. I also appreciate that Dave has resurrected his cheerleading skills from high school for this video.
@OuterGalaxyLounge5 ай бұрын
Seriously, I love you Dave. This review is the only gold that came out of the geyser 😊 It’s a classic!
@reamartin64585 ай бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!
@DavesClassicalGuide5 ай бұрын
Spot on. I was listening to Hannes Minnaar doing these on the piano the other day: so much more balanced and better if every way.
@deHaanA5 ай бұрын
Once again, I love how you cut through the bullshit, Dave. Thank you!
@bendingcaesar655 ай бұрын
Freakin' hilarious, Mr. Hurwitz, thanks. I've always regarded Iceland as a potential emergency landing spot if a plane carrying me to London dropped an engine, but now that I know there are 30, count 'em, 30 flavors of Pringles to be had, the country has moved way up on my "must try before I die" list.
@kevinw.19345 ай бұрын
DGG seems to be taking this tack with all their young artists lately. Not to the same extent as with Olafsson, perhaps, who's even had a couple of music videos. That photo spread is really over the top. I recently attended a performance of the Goldbergs by Evan Shinners (of the WTF Bach podcast.) I was trepidatious, expecting a long, reverential performance. But Shinners launched into the aria with a relatively swift tempo and refreshing muscularity, with a sort of "Let's do this!" spirit. His somewhat egg-heady mini-lectures along the way were truly engaging and actually helped the evening move along. His technique was fully up to the demands, though not as fault-free as that of a full-time professional concertizer. (On the other hand, for the variations specified for two ranks, he used a second piano set at 90 degrees, which was a sight to behold.)
@dennischiapello72435 ай бұрын
"Tenticular appendages"!!!!????!!!! 😹I love it! (Been listening to Boccherini symphonies - love them, thank you!)
@smurashige5 ай бұрын
Glad you like them!
@DavesClassicalGuide5 ай бұрын
It's a strange recording, indeed. Certain variations come off wonderfully well. Variations 7, 8 and 9 are really eloquent and well sculpted, although I liked Variation 25 more than you did because of the pianist's simplicity and sobriety here. On the other hand, Olafsson pushed Variation 29's broken chords to the point where he drops beats here and there. He basically doesn't project a unified whole or a strong sense of cumulative momentum. It's interesting to compare Olafsson alongside the piano Goldbergs that DG released right before this one with Lang Lang. The latter is unabashedly affetuouso throughout, yet he realizes his conception with far more consistency and conviction throughout, like it or not.
@jdistler25 ай бұрын
The keyboard gods have spoken! Thanks Jed.
@DavesClassicalGuide5 ай бұрын
Lang Lang plays variation 25 even longer. Sehr Lang... 😉
@WMAlbers15 ай бұрын
I liked his Var. 25 too! :) Also liked some of his other slower, more contemplative takes, like for Var. 15, Canon on the 5th (makes it sound like another "Black Pearl"). Definitely has his own vision. What others might call "bizarre quirks" are the very things that beguile me. I hear the work in a different light. Just speaking as a layperson ! :D
@NN-df7hl5 ай бұрын
Not a single picture of J.S. Bach, huh?
@mancal58295 ай бұрын
Bach is not an Instagram influencer…so no
@reamartin64585 ай бұрын
It could be fantastic for DG to put together a mangled-hand competition between Vikingur and Lang Lang!!! "Piano mangled for four-hands."
@davidrowe33565 ай бұрын
Loved it. Great review and the best "visuals" 😄
@frankaoi97015 ай бұрын
I must admit I found myself watching the imagery rather than listening to the actual review. Point well made 😅
@michaelmurray87425 ай бұрын
I really enjoyed this review! DGG trying to create personal cults for certain artists by including strange pictures in the CDs is really ridiculous. Variation No 25: I have heard Vikingur live in concert with Goldberg Variations some time last autumn in Munich and back then the tempo of No 25 was maybe even slightly slower than in the recording. People sitting next to me became nervous, could no longer concentrate and started fidgeting on their seats. In fact I was in some way fascinated by this slow tempo. However, it also meant that No 25 was taken out of context which was most likely not in the sense of JS Bach.
@martinstechele800119 күн бұрын
LMAO!!!! 🤣 I needed that 👍
@dmntuba5 ай бұрын
I look forward to your further reviews of canned potato-chips, as I feel your talents are most aligned in this direction... (and don't give up those modern dance aspirations!)
@michaelcallahan456117 күн бұрын
Wait until I do pretzels.
@DavesClassicalGuide17 күн бұрын
Hi Dave: after hearing your Pringles review; as always excellent review !!, went to Spotify to hear what’s its all about: very nice performance I must say, as my wife told me (coming from the kitchen to our study room following the music: “it looks like this is the way Glen Gould would had played the variations if we would not had a complicated personality”..) many thanks , Gabriel from IL.
@gabibensimon95 ай бұрын
I got my laugh for the day, thanks a bunch!
@providence515 ай бұрын
Love you Dave!
@bohoh19865 ай бұрын
Love your comments on this guy, and the attempt to make him a cult figure lol
@artje1235 ай бұрын
I couldn’t stop laughing! I laughed so hard my eyes watered up and my gut hurt.
@carlconnor51735 ай бұрын
I love some of Vikingur Olafsson's earlier recordings (his Debussy-Rameau album in particular), but even just hearing previews of his Goldberg Variations, I can't help but think he's trying too hard to be quirky and different here.
@andrewhcit5 ай бұрын
I can't understand what people find especially seductive in his way of playing. I heard a lot of snippets of this and other stuff, and I found all of it always dry in expression, mechanical or with very strange changes in the middle of a phrase... I thought it somehow eccentric for differentiation's sake, shuffling style out of the scene. It always shouts to me: "HEY! NOTICE ME!" And so many pianists go into this trap with the Goldbergs since Gould started us thinking of precision and detail-oriented articulation for Bach on piano (and of irritatingly mechanical ornaments, by the way). I mean, why do it like this today? Gould had a context to do it, in which that 'objectivity' was new and fresh, and on piano, which was rare. And he was always coherent during the whole work in that. And what on earth is that over-the top pop-styled visual presentation (a presentation we only have access to INSIDE the product, which means it won't even be useful to get potential buyers' attention!)? I just find all of this a huge nonsense, to be honest. And I'm not saying he's not capable of playing great - he obviously is fabulously equipped! -, but I'm saying I really think he isn't doing it because his approach undermines a better result.
@jg58615 ай бұрын
It’s nothing but a hype machine, people have to be told what to think these days
@reamartin64585 ай бұрын
@@reamartin6458 Yes, I know... I teach teenage people and that's quite noticeable. But unfortunately in many cases the problem affects much older people also.
@jg58615 ай бұрын
Thank you Dave! You saved me from spending money on his Bach disc. I'll stick with the marvelous Perahia, Maria Tipo on EMI, and Beatrice Rana on Warner, and of course all the Gould outtakes on SONY😂.
@walterwinterfeldt32325 ай бұрын
I recommend listening to Gustav Leonhardt's recordings of the Goldbergs on the harpsichord!
@daniandres32112 күн бұрын
Tremendous voguing by Mr. Hurwitz! Call David Fincher it's time to remake the Madonna video. As an aside, I do like the way he plays Philip Glass....
@scarboz405 ай бұрын
I earlier reserved my ticket to his performance here in Philadelphia in January of what else? The Goldberg Variations. To be honest I have not heard any of his recordings but I will take a listen now and see how he stacks up against Perahia and Gould. Very entertaining review! I would advise most people to avoid Pringles or any other brand of potato chips but that’s just health conscious me.
@scp2405 ай бұрын
I'll be there as well, listening with Dave's commentary simultaneously floating around my brain.
@davidalpern92974 ай бұрын
@@davidalpern9297 hope to see you there! I’ve since listened to Olafsson’s Goldberg and I rather enjoyed it. Apparently this is the top selling disc of 2023 at Presto Music. I also listened to his Rameau/Debussy recital and although it was well done and I am a fan of both composers I thought it a weird juxtaposition. No doubt he is very talented and I look forward to the concert in Philly later this month. I belief he is also performing at Carnegie Hall in early February.
@scp2404 ай бұрын
@@scp240 Just a ping to say that I'll be at the sold out concert in Phila. Check with Miles or Brad behind the box office desk to point me out if you'd like to chat. I think there will be some lively conversation following the inevitable standing ovation.
@davidalpern92974 ай бұрын
@@davidalpern9297 ok David that sounds like fun. See you there!
@scp2403 ай бұрын
Of current recordings I really enjoyed David Fray. Wondered if you’ve heard it. The few clips I’ve heard of Olafsson seemed extreme.
@rebeckyc1401Ай бұрын
A work in progress ? Maybe if he records it again after his world tour might be interesting
@albiepalbie5040Ай бұрын
Dave I totally agree with you. I was turned for by the quirkiness of the interpretations of the various movements. I don’t go for such gimmicks. They distract from what’s great in the music.
@mikeleghorn60925 ай бұрын
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
@kushaldasgupta5 ай бұрын
I heard him live playing Goldberg recently and it was quite good, but it's such a pity that record labels try to push their artists in this questionable way, do they really think that is necessary in order for people to buy their cd?
@dariocaporuscio87015 ай бұрын
Looks like you’re working on a hitherto unknown 48-mallet technique for contrabass vibraphone.
@AlexMadorsky5 ай бұрын
I agree this Goldberg is a disappointment. I am a fan, so did the pre-order and got it when it first came out. I probably should return it. I think the photographer and "team" were just trying to get interesting pics that looked dramatic. Yup, the pics are a bit embarrassing. That DG is actually trying to promote Olafsson and Trifonov I think is a good thing. You've asked the record companies to do this. I get an occasional email from DG. More I get videos of Olafsson and Trifonov using young people or extensive lighting, actors to try and make them relatable, esp. to young people. DG video of Olafsson playing an arrangement of Bach's Organ sonata 4 (?) uses mature actors, is simple, visually interesting, focuses on the music and brings me to tears. The Goldbergs can do that. Regretfully, this performance is a disappointment. Thanks for the review.
@grahambell87605 ай бұрын
The way they (DG/Universal/whoever) are packaging these releases reminds me of trying to find a recipe for anything online; there is always some extended write up/backstory from the author that they feel they need to share and make you scroll through for some reason before you find the actual recipe. It's all redundant, especially if the recipe is not very good in the end.
@galenschram93185 ай бұрын
I have no problem with the performance but I prefer Simone Dinnerstein’s. And you’re absolutely correct about the record label’s marketing and photography strategies which is not suitable for such an important composition. It might be suitable for Dianna Krall’s albums 😅
@hamidrezahabibi81115 ай бұрын
I saw VO play the GVs live in Madrid and enjoyed it but concur that he pushes all the tempos to the extreme, but the thing that bothered me most was he often went from a slow to a fast var. by starting the fast with an accelerando, which really distorted the shape of the opening phrase.
@Ashley-qc2sc3 ай бұрын
Speaking of self-indulgent Goldbergs, how does this compare with Lang Lang's? What does Jed think?
@zdl19655 ай бұрын
I commented above. Basically I respect how Lang Lang conveys his overly affetuoso conception with total conviction, consistency and sincerity. I once wrote how Schiff, Hewitt and Perahia approach the Goldbergs like Proust embarking on an epic novel, while Lang Lang is analogous to a Spielberg film epic that's populist, heart-on-sleeve and technically brilliant. I may not agree with Lang Lang, yet there's no question that he realizes his aims to perfection.
@jdistler25 ай бұрын
really funny !
@asheko5 ай бұрын
I just discovered this channel and am eager to go through some of your older videos! My opinion? It almost feels like he is trying to make a "hit" out of one or more variations by either being overly flashy some places, and romantic in others. When you listen to the whole work this results in "helter skelter" like you said. There is something disjointed and unfulfilling about this record. Some variations are taken slow and romantic (like we would expect from Olafsson's "usual" style), whereas other variations literally sound like copies of Gould. Contrasts in playing can be great, but this felt too all over the place and there doesn't seem to be an overall arch or narrative to the thing. I wonder if he was truly ready at this point in his life to play this work. I agree with other commenters that you can somewhat compare this to Lang Lang's recent performance ("young," hyped up pianists). I didn't love Lang Lang but at least he maintained an overall mood and respectable approach throughout the whole work,
@NemesisCOD5 ай бұрын
I agree with you. Lang Lang had a better integrated sense of the piece.
@DavesClassicalGuide5 ай бұрын
If I have a criticism of your reviews, Dave, it's that sometimes you understate your opinions and leave us guessing as to what you mean. Maybe you could introduce a bit of levity into the proceedings. Just a thought. Anyway, keep up the good work. With best wishes from the UK.
@richardwhitehouse87625 ай бұрын
I'll try.
@DavesClassicalGuide5 ай бұрын
Bach and Iceland are a good fit...
@KBMars5 ай бұрын
Did you ever review Lang Lang's Goldberg
@papagen004 ай бұрын
Nope.
@DavesClassicalGuide4 ай бұрын
@@DavesClassicalGuideyou should, it's far worse.
@papagen004 ай бұрын
This review was a kind of "Beaves and Butthead" go classical
@HenkvanElst5 ай бұрын
Glad to hear some comments I finally agree with, I feel like whoever is trying to create this ‘cult of personality’ you mention is also paying off other critics. Getting all these rave reviews for reasons I can’t really understand. At least it’s not as bad as lang langs though.
@mcintertz55935 ай бұрын
Yes indeed
@reamartin64585 ай бұрын
The marketing department run rampant; which is what they'll do when they think they have a special sort of performer. He is, at base, a very fine pianist. But compared to some of his other projects-the Debussy/Rameau especially-this is not very effective. I just saw him play it in St. Paul, and while some of the variations were absolutely lovely, others were terribly rushed and yet others pulled out to the point of distortion like taffy. I trust he will get a better grip on the GBs as he matures. P.S. FYI, when he was introduced in St. Paul by the Schubert Club's head, the name is pronounced Vik-ing-gur, not Vike-ing-gur.
@d.r.martin63013 ай бұрын
I recently heard him doing the Goldberg variations in concert here in Bergen. It was technically brilliant of course. But a little boring. Calculated in a way. Clinical...
@ronnyskaar37375 ай бұрын
He’s a clone of a musical artist he’s not a real McCoy
@reamartin64585 ай бұрын
You could've nailed the Glenn Gould gesture by lowering your nose towards the bottom of the screen
@Bobbnoxious5 ай бұрын
This reminds me of something I noticed with author pictures on the back of hardback books. Generally, the early (critically acclaimed) books would usually have the author posed at a desk looking studious. But the moment the author photo changed to them trying to look “cool” (they got a leather jacket or started unbuttoning their shirts a bit too low) - that’s always the book that was a big disappointment. Shame to hear this, as I am a big fan of VO’s early albums. The ones where he looks like a nerd on the cover. Coincidence?
@michaelanderson91795 ай бұрын
Hilarious sarcasm. I love it! I think these kind of releases are an insult to the intelligence of the listener. They try to sell you music through something completely unrelated to music. Modern times.
@xavierotazu58055 ай бұрын
Always hilarious. Icelanders tend to view themselves as artistic volcanoes (Hello, Björk!) but often mostly get labeled that way by lazy record companies who want to cash in without investing
@peterhaslund5 ай бұрын
I definitely get the impression that the stereotype of the Icelandic musician comes directly from Björk.
@andrewhcit5 ай бұрын
Record companies tend to concentrate more on the artist than the music. I have a CD of Daniil Trifonov playing Rachmaninoff in which they dress him up in an old style suit sitting in an ancient train to make him look like the composer. Can anything be mre ridiculous ?
@patrickm12685 ай бұрын
Yes! The cult of personality. My grandma, like all the boomers in iceland almost doesn't want to have an opinion on a piano work if Vìkingur hasnt made a recording of it. Me: "Grandma, what do you think of x?". Grandma: "STOP!, Vìkingur hasnt made a recording of it yet so i dont have an opinion on it yet"
@slubert5 ай бұрын
"Tenticular"? Is that a word?
@stddisclaimer80205 ай бұрын
Look it up.
@DavesClassicalGuide5 ай бұрын
@@DavesClassicalGuide Until I spelled it correctly…kept getting redirected to all things scrotumnal via "testicular." "Tentacular." is the right spelling; an adjective meaning of or relating to or resembling tentacles. Thanks, Dave.
@stddisclaimer80205 ай бұрын
Hahaha Dave. I adore your cynical viewpoints. This was the gayest pose and review ever. You are the devil himself. Don't stop this crazines. You should start selling wallpapers with your reviewing pose. Greetings from your biggest fan from Slovenia.
@zevnikov5 ай бұрын
Thank you!
@DavesClassicalGuide5 ай бұрын
He's a disappointment. His first recording was really enjoyable, but the ones that have followed are boring--and then there's the recording made on a creaky upright piano--but why?
@poturbg86985 ай бұрын
I agree. True artists tend to avoid vanity as the principal product of their undertakings.
@reamartin64585 ай бұрын
funny!
@peterlundin79535 ай бұрын
Not looking forward to his “mangled feet” album !
@glenngouldificationАй бұрын
🤣😂😅😅😂🤣🤣😂🤣🤣🤣😅😅😅🤣
@josephpearson22305 ай бұрын
😂😂😂
@lemanouchecbien15 ай бұрын
I tried to like it but it was just not "of a piece". Sad.
@able7635 ай бұрын
I have heard this,and to me it sounds just like midi. Don't think the point of this recording at all. About the slow variation... He actually plays not slower than Gould in the 1981 version, but he does the repetitions,which Gould doesn't.
@classicalemotion2 ай бұрын
Yes, but it sounds slower in context.
@DavesClassicalGuide2 ай бұрын
Mmmm can I criticize... No need to tear the guy down, bullying Too much about the hands and pictures and creativity. Just about the work is more then enough
@joskabouwАй бұрын
No, it is not enough. The CD is a physical product. Packaging and presentation directly influence our perceptions of the artist and the music, and they are valid subjects for criticism too.
@DavesClassicalGuideАй бұрын
@@DavesClassicalGuide no need to do these poses! Just poor criticism Their or his creative team decided to do something you may not appreciate. Just say you don't like it. Done I have no need to criticize your looks or bully for it. That doesn't mean you can have a perspective on clásica music that can broadens my opinion on something i haven't heard yet
@joskabouwАй бұрын
Thank you I really found the satire here hilarious!
Mr. Hurwitz, this was absolutely hilarious! You are a real critical treat.
They might have called the album The Pringles Variations, 30 flavours on a recipe by Bach. Nice to see you're into Icelandic yoga.
God Dave I laughed myself silly, what a treat on a Saturday morning. Thank you so much!
Had a very hard time deciding between “tentacular appendages” and “flatulence” 😂
As a geologists who does some research and teaching in Iceland, I loved your appreciation of the landscape and geology of Iceland, and the Geysir gift shop! Not to mention the pose-work in this video. And still, you deliver the real value in the review... thanks for that. Love the channel. Keep up the good work Dave!
Seems like quite a bit of money was spent on the packaging. Dave, after those spectacular poses, I can only imagine we’ll be seeing you in the next Dolce & Gabbana show in Paris. Rock on. 🤘
Just wanted to let you know I think your reviews are preposterously entertaining. Thank you, and please keep'em coming! (subscribed, obviously)
Thanks, will do!
Olafson extends his digits on the seashore as a way to channel the Force and the Muses and the anima and the zeitgeist and the living force of the Icelandic Gaia. But he's probably thinking how much he'd rather be eating Pringles. I also appreciate that Dave has resurrected his cheerleading skills from high school for this video.
Seriously, I love you Dave. This review is the only gold that came out of the geyser 😊 It’s a classic!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Spot on. I was listening to Hannes Minnaar doing these on the piano the other day: so much more balanced and better if every way.
Once again, I love how you cut through the bullshit, Dave. Thank you!
Freakin' hilarious, Mr. Hurwitz, thanks. I've always regarded Iceland as a potential emergency landing spot if a plane carrying me to London dropped an engine, but now that I know there are 30, count 'em, 30 flavors of Pringles to be had, the country has moved way up on my "must try before I die" list.
DGG seems to be taking this tack with all their young artists lately. Not to the same extent as with Olafsson, perhaps, who's even had a couple of music videos. That photo spread is really over the top. I recently attended a performance of the Goldbergs by Evan Shinners (of the WTF Bach podcast.) I was trepidatious, expecting a long, reverential performance. But Shinners launched into the aria with a relatively swift tempo and refreshing muscularity, with a sort of "Let's do this!" spirit. His somewhat egg-heady mini-lectures along the way were truly engaging and actually helped the evening move along. His technique was fully up to the demands, though not as fault-free as that of a full-time professional concertizer. (On the other hand, for the variations specified for two ranks, he used a second piano set at 90 degrees, which was a sight to behold.)
"Tenticular appendages"!!!!????!!!! 😹I love it! (Been listening to Boccherini symphonies - love them, thank you!)
Glad you like them!
It's a strange recording, indeed. Certain variations come off wonderfully well. Variations 7, 8 and 9 are really eloquent and well sculpted, although I liked Variation 25 more than you did because of the pianist's simplicity and sobriety here. On the other hand, Olafsson pushed Variation 29's broken chords to the point where he drops beats here and there. He basically doesn't project a unified whole or a strong sense of cumulative momentum. It's interesting to compare Olafsson alongside the piano Goldbergs that DG released right before this one with Lang Lang. The latter is unabashedly affetuouso throughout, yet he realizes his conception with far more consistency and conviction throughout, like it or not.
The keyboard gods have spoken! Thanks Jed.
Lang Lang plays variation 25 even longer. Sehr Lang... 😉
I liked his Var. 25 too! :) Also liked some of his other slower, more contemplative takes, like for Var. 15, Canon on the 5th (makes it sound like another "Black Pearl"). Definitely has his own vision. What others might call "bizarre quirks" are the very things that beguile me. I hear the work in a different light. Just speaking as a layperson ! :D
Not a single picture of J.S. Bach, huh?
Bach is not an Instagram influencer…so no
It could be fantastic for DG to put together a mangled-hand competition between Vikingur and Lang Lang!!! "Piano mangled for four-hands."
Loved it. Great review and the best "visuals" 😄
I must admit I found myself watching the imagery rather than listening to the actual review. Point well made 😅
I really enjoyed this review! DGG trying to create personal cults for certain artists by including strange pictures in the CDs is really ridiculous. Variation No 25: I have heard Vikingur live in concert with Goldberg Variations some time last autumn in Munich and back then the tempo of No 25 was maybe even slightly slower than in the recording. People sitting next to me became nervous, could no longer concentrate and started fidgeting on their seats. In fact I was in some way fascinated by this slow tempo. However, it also meant that No 25 was taken out of context which was most likely not in the sense of JS Bach.
LMAO!!!! 🤣 I needed that 👍
I look forward to your further reviews of canned potato-chips, as I feel your talents are most aligned in this direction... (and don't give up those modern dance aspirations!)
Wait until I do pretzels.
Hi Dave: after hearing your Pringles review; as always excellent review !!, went to Spotify to hear what’s its all about: very nice performance I must say, as my wife told me (coming from the kitchen to our study room following the music: “it looks like this is the way Glen Gould would had played the variations if we would not had a complicated personality”..) many thanks , Gabriel from IL.
I got my laugh for the day, thanks a bunch!
Love you Dave!
Love your comments on this guy, and the attempt to make him a cult figure lol
I couldn’t stop laughing! I laughed so hard my eyes watered up and my gut hurt.
I love some of Vikingur Olafsson's earlier recordings (his Debussy-Rameau album in particular), but even just hearing previews of his Goldberg Variations, I can't help but think he's trying too hard to be quirky and different here.
I can't understand what people find especially seductive in his way of playing. I heard a lot of snippets of this and other stuff, and I found all of it always dry in expression, mechanical or with very strange changes in the middle of a phrase... I thought it somehow eccentric for differentiation's sake, shuffling style out of the scene. It always shouts to me: "HEY! NOTICE ME!" And so many pianists go into this trap with the Goldbergs since Gould started us thinking of precision and detail-oriented articulation for Bach on piano (and of irritatingly mechanical ornaments, by the way). I mean, why do it like this today? Gould had a context to do it, in which that 'objectivity' was new and fresh, and on piano, which was rare. And he was always coherent during the whole work in that. And what on earth is that over-the top pop-styled visual presentation (a presentation we only have access to INSIDE the product, which means it won't even be useful to get potential buyers' attention!)? I just find all of this a huge nonsense, to be honest. And I'm not saying he's not capable of playing great - he obviously is fabulously equipped! -, but I'm saying I really think he isn't doing it because his approach undermines a better result.
It’s nothing but a hype machine, people have to be told what to think these days
@@reamartin6458 Yes, I know... I teach teenage people and that's quite noticeable. But unfortunately in many cases the problem affects much older people also.
Thank you Dave! You saved me from spending money on his Bach disc. I'll stick with the marvelous Perahia, Maria Tipo on EMI, and Beatrice Rana on Warner, and of course all the Gould outtakes on SONY😂.
I recommend listening to Gustav Leonhardt's recordings of the Goldbergs on the harpsichord!
Tremendous voguing by Mr. Hurwitz! Call David Fincher it's time to remake the Madonna video. As an aside, I do like the way he plays Philip Glass....
I earlier reserved my ticket to his performance here in Philadelphia in January of what else? The Goldberg Variations. To be honest I have not heard any of his recordings but I will take a listen now and see how he stacks up against Perahia and Gould. Very entertaining review! I would advise most people to avoid Pringles or any other brand of potato chips but that’s just health conscious me.
I'll be there as well, listening with Dave's commentary simultaneously floating around my brain.
@@davidalpern9297 hope to see you there! I’ve since listened to Olafsson’s Goldberg and I rather enjoyed it. Apparently this is the top selling disc of 2023 at Presto Music. I also listened to his Rameau/Debussy recital and although it was well done and I am a fan of both composers I thought it a weird juxtaposition. No doubt he is very talented and I look forward to the concert in Philly later this month. I belief he is also performing at Carnegie Hall in early February.
@@scp240 Just a ping to say that I'll be at the sold out concert in Phila. Check with Miles or Brad behind the box office desk to point me out if you'd like to chat. I think there will be some lively conversation following the inevitable standing ovation.
@@davidalpern9297 ok David that sounds like fun. See you there!
Of current recordings I really enjoyed David Fray. Wondered if you’ve heard it. The few clips I’ve heard of Olafsson seemed extreme.
A work in progress ? Maybe if he records it again after his world tour might be interesting
Dave I totally agree with you. I was turned for by the quirkiness of the interpretations of the various movements. I don’t go for such gimmicks. They distract from what’s great in the music.
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!
I heard him live playing Goldberg recently and it was quite good, but it's such a pity that record labels try to push their artists in this questionable way, do they really think that is necessary in order for people to buy their cd?
Looks like you’re working on a hitherto unknown 48-mallet technique for contrabass vibraphone.
I agree this Goldberg is a disappointment. I am a fan, so did the pre-order and got it when it first came out. I probably should return it. I think the photographer and "team" were just trying to get interesting pics that looked dramatic. Yup, the pics are a bit embarrassing. That DG is actually trying to promote Olafsson and Trifonov I think is a good thing. You've asked the record companies to do this. I get an occasional email from DG. More I get videos of Olafsson and Trifonov using young people or extensive lighting, actors to try and make them relatable, esp. to young people. DG video of Olafsson playing an arrangement of Bach's Organ sonata 4 (?) uses mature actors, is simple, visually interesting, focuses on the music and brings me to tears. The Goldbergs can do that. Regretfully, this performance is a disappointment. Thanks for the review.
The way they (DG/Universal/whoever) are packaging these releases reminds me of trying to find a recipe for anything online; there is always some extended write up/backstory from the author that they feel they need to share and make you scroll through for some reason before you find the actual recipe. It's all redundant, especially if the recipe is not very good in the end.
I have no problem with the performance but I prefer Simone Dinnerstein’s. And you’re absolutely correct about the record label’s marketing and photography strategies which is not suitable for such an important composition. It might be suitable for Dianna Krall’s albums 😅
I saw VO play the GVs live in Madrid and enjoyed it but concur that he pushes all the tempos to the extreme, but the thing that bothered me most was he often went from a slow to a fast var. by starting the fast with an accelerando, which really distorted the shape of the opening phrase.
Speaking of self-indulgent Goldbergs, how does this compare with Lang Lang's? What does Jed think?
I commented above. Basically I respect how Lang Lang conveys his overly affetuoso conception with total conviction, consistency and sincerity. I once wrote how Schiff, Hewitt and Perahia approach the Goldbergs like Proust embarking on an epic novel, while Lang Lang is analogous to a Spielberg film epic that's populist, heart-on-sleeve and technically brilliant. I may not agree with Lang Lang, yet there's no question that he realizes his aims to perfection.
really funny !
I just discovered this channel and am eager to go through some of your older videos! My opinion? It almost feels like he is trying to make a "hit" out of one or more variations by either being overly flashy some places, and romantic in others. When you listen to the whole work this results in "helter skelter" like you said. There is something disjointed and unfulfilling about this record. Some variations are taken slow and romantic (like we would expect from Olafsson's "usual" style), whereas other variations literally sound like copies of Gould. Contrasts in playing can be great, but this felt too all over the place and there doesn't seem to be an overall arch or narrative to the thing. I wonder if he was truly ready at this point in his life to play this work. I agree with other commenters that you can somewhat compare this to Lang Lang's recent performance ("young," hyped up pianists). I didn't love Lang Lang but at least he maintained an overall mood and respectable approach throughout the whole work,
I agree with you. Lang Lang had a better integrated sense of the piece.
If I have a criticism of your reviews, Dave, it's that sometimes you understate your opinions and leave us guessing as to what you mean. Maybe you could introduce a bit of levity into the proceedings. Just a thought. Anyway, keep up the good work. With best wishes from the UK.
I'll try.
Bach and Iceland are a good fit...
Did you ever review Lang Lang's Goldberg
Nope.
@@DavesClassicalGuideyou should, it's far worse.
This review was a kind of "Beaves and Butthead" go classical
Glad to hear some comments I finally agree with, I feel like whoever is trying to create this ‘cult of personality’ you mention is also paying off other critics. Getting all these rave reviews for reasons I can’t really understand. At least it’s not as bad as lang langs though.
Yes indeed
The marketing department run rampant; which is what they'll do when they think they have a special sort of performer. He is, at base, a very fine pianist. But compared to some of his other projects-the Debussy/Rameau especially-this is not very effective. I just saw him play it in St. Paul, and while some of the variations were absolutely lovely, others were terribly rushed and yet others pulled out to the point of distortion like taffy. I trust he will get a better grip on the GBs as he matures. P.S. FYI, when he was introduced in St. Paul by the Schubert Club's head, the name is pronounced Vik-ing-gur, not Vike-ing-gur.
I recently heard him doing the Goldberg variations in concert here in Bergen. It was technically brilliant of course. But a little boring. Calculated in a way. Clinical...
He’s a clone of a musical artist he’s not a real McCoy
You could've nailed the Glenn Gould gesture by lowering your nose towards the bottom of the screen
This reminds me of something I noticed with author pictures on the back of hardback books. Generally, the early (critically acclaimed) books would usually have the author posed at a desk looking studious. But the moment the author photo changed to them trying to look “cool” (they got a leather jacket or started unbuttoning their shirts a bit too low) - that’s always the book that was a big disappointment. Shame to hear this, as I am a big fan of VO’s early albums. The ones where he looks like a nerd on the cover. Coincidence?
Hilarious sarcasm. I love it! I think these kind of releases are an insult to the intelligence of the listener. They try to sell you music through something completely unrelated to music. Modern times.
Always hilarious. Icelanders tend to view themselves as artistic volcanoes (Hello, Björk!) but often mostly get labeled that way by lazy record companies who want to cash in without investing
I definitely get the impression that the stereotype of the Icelandic musician comes directly from Björk.
Record companies tend to concentrate more on the artist than the music. I have a CD of Daniil Trifonov playing Rachmaninoff in which they dress him up in an old style suit sitting in an ancient train to make him look like the composer. Can anything be mre ridiculous ?
Yes! The cult of personality. My grandma, like all the boomers in iceland almost doesn't want to have an opinion on a piano work if Vìkingur hasnt made a recording of it. Me: "Grandma, what do you think of x?". Grandma: "STOP!, Vìkingur hasnt made a recording of it yet so i dont have an opinion on it yet"
"Tenticular"? Is that a word?
Look it up.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Until I spelled it correctly…kept getting redirected to all things scrotumnal via "testicular." "Tentacular." is the right spelling; an adjective meaning of or relating to or resembling tentacles. Thanks, Dave.
Hahaha Dave. I adore your cynical viewpoints. This was the gayest pose and review ever. You are the devil himself. Don't stop this crazines. You should start selling wallpapers with your reviewing pose. Greetings from your biggest fan from Slovenia.
Thank you!
He's a disappointment. His first recording was really enjoyable, but the ones that have followed are boring--and then there's the recording made on a creaky upright piano--but why?
I agree. True artists tend to avoid vanity as the principal product of their undertakings.
funny!
Not looking forward to his “mangled feet” album !
🤣😂😅😅😂🤣🤣😂🤣🤣🤣😅😅😅🤣
😂😂😂
I tried to like it but it was just not "of a piece". Sad.
I have heard this,and to me it sounds just like midi. Don't think the point of this recording at all. About the slow variation... He actually plays not slower than Gould in the 1981 version, but he does the repetitions,which Gould doesn't.
Yes, but it sounds slower in context.
Mmmm can I criticize... No need to tear the guy down, bullying Too much about the hands and pictures and creativity. Just about the work is more then enough
No, it is not enough. The CD is a physical product. Packaging and presentation directly influence our perceptions of the artist and the music, and they are valid subjects for criticism too.
@@DavesClassicalGuide no need to do these poses! Just poor criticism Their or his creative team decided to do something you may not appreciate. Just say you don't like it. Done I have no need to criticize your looks or bully for it. That doesn't mean you can have a perspective on clásica music that can broadens my opinion on something i haven't heard yet
Thank you I really found the satire here hilarious!
What satire? ;)