David Korevaar shapes each of Bach’s 30 Goldberg Variations as separate entities rather than components of a larger structure. Although he’ll often proceed from one movement to another, the tempos do not necessarily correlate. No particular game plan seems to govern the pianist’s decisions regarding repeats–and when he does repeat, he goes wild with ornaments. This sometimes bogs down rather than enhances the melodic lines, notably when Korevaar adjusts the rhythm in order to accommodate a particularly fanciful mordant, trill, or turn. On the whole you won’t find Glenn Gould’s bouncy rhythmic sense or incisive swing, nor Murray Perahia’s finely grained sense of style.
However, on the plus side, Korevaar’s audacious textural interplay in the cross-handed variations certainly evokes the composer’s two-manual harpsichord registrations. Also note Korevaar’s uncommonly forthright and animated approach to the minor-key variations, and observe how well he characterizes the Quodlibet’s expansive, after-dinner “sing along” origin in contrast to Simone Dinerstein’s overly reverential “tiptoe thru’ the turnips”, so to speak.
It’s clear that Korevaar revels in his Shigeru Kawai EX Concert Grand’s ample yet transparent sonority, so vividly captured by Ivory Classics’ production team. In short, despite initial reservations, David Korevaar’s unhackneyed, intelligent, sincere pianism adds up to more than just another Goldberg Variations recording. You may or may not like the overall approach, but there’s no denying its legitimacy or his ability to carry it off successfully.
