Goldberg Variations CD - Import

THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS was inspired by Glenn Gould's 1955 recordings of the Bach Variations.

In the 21st century, it's easy to take technology for granted and forget that in the time of Johann Sebastian Bach (b. 1685, d. 1750), there were no cars, busses, airplanes, TVs, radios, movies, tape recorders, electric lights, or computers. People used candles to light their homes, and horses were the fastest way to get around. There were excellent plays and opinionated theater critics to review them, but no cameras to film the actors and actresses. Recording technology had yet to be invented, so the only way to hear classical musicians was to hear them performing live. Although the classical artists of Bach's time could not be recorded, they left behind their compositions, and today's classical musicians continue to keep them alive. There is most certainly a need for classical traditionalists, who give us the opportunity to hear exactly what Bach wrote. But there is also a place for risk-takers who interpret Bach's pieces instead of playing them note for note. Uri Caine is such a risk-taker, and this two-CD set finds the Philadelphia-born pianist taking more than his share of liberties with Bach's "Goldberg Variations." Hardly a classical purist, Caine combines Bach's music with a variety of jazz styles (everything from hard bop to Dixieland to bossa nova) as well as gospel, ragtime, salsa, tango, and traditional Jewish music. Occasionally, this double-CD comes across as iconoclasm for the sake of iconoclasm; things become forced and unnatural when Caine employs DJs and unsuccessfully tries to convince us that hip-hop, electronica, and rave music can be relevant to Bach. But most of the time, his experimentation pays off handsomely. Goldberg Variations isn't for everyone; classical purists, in fact, will want to avoid it. But those who have very eclectic tastes in music will find that this 1999/2000 project, although not perfect, is highly imaginative and even fascinating. ~ Alex Henderson

Recorded between October 1999 and January 2000.

Uri Caine Ensemble includes: Uri Caine (acoustic & forte pianos, harpsichord, Hammond organ, keyboards); David Moss (vocals, percussion); Dean Bowman, Barbara Walker (vocals); Tracie Morris, Sadiq Bey (spoken vocals); Greg Osby (alto saxophone); Paul Plunkett, Ralph Alessi (trumpet); Josh Roseman (trombone); Bob Stewart (tuba); Cordula Breuer (flute, soprano & alto recorders); Don Byron (clarinet); Liz Alessi (bassoon); Annegret Siedel, Gregor Hubner, Todd Reynolds (violin); Michael Friemuth (lute); Drew Gress, Reid Anderson, James Genus (bass); Ralph Peterson, Paulo Braga (drums); Milton Cardona (percussion); Kettwinger Bach Ensemble, Koln String Quartet, Quartetto Italiano Di Viole Da Gamba.

Producers include: Stefan Winter, DJ Logic, Zach Danziger, Tim Lefebvre, DJ Olive.

Engineers include: Adrian Von Ripka, Mark Hohn, Zach Danziger.The Wire (8/00, p.45) - "...[A] riotous take on Bach's music....VARIATIONS are not the voice of Bach speaking through Caine, but Caine speaking with imaginative vitality through Bach."
Down Beat (12/00, pp.73-4) - 5 stars out of 5 - "...One of the year's best records, expanse, authority and imagination are in full alignment..."