In the notes accompanying this album of Bach's Goldberg Variations,
Daniel Propper admits to wanting to learn the masterpiece after he first heard it when he was 13, performed by the legendary
Glenn Gould. That might lead anyone encountering this disc to think that it is an imitation of
Gould's interpretations. However, rather than
Gould,
Propper's approach is more like that of Tatjana Nikolajeva, one of the several people with whom he studied.
Propper does also have some individual thoughts about the work. He approaches the Variations head-on, with determination and strength. His articulation is very clear and very detached. The rich sound of the recording doesn't give much indication that he is using the pedals very much, but rather that the piano has a resonant quality that suits the Bach very well.
Propper still has a distinctive touch even in the softer, slower variations, where most pianists would play legato, such as the long Adagio variation. That touch allows him to control the voicing of the lines in a way that makes them easy to follow.
Propper uses the introspective Adagio to show a more sensitive and thoughtful shaping of those lines than he does in most of the other variations. For the most part, although there could be more subtle shading and eloquence, there is joyfulness in the way
Propper plays these to the point where many variations have a dancing, almost swinging, rhythmic drive, despite the contrapuntal complexities of Bach's writing. The quiet Aria at the opening, which
Propper plays with the same thoughtfulness that appears later in the Adagio, gives few hints of the cheerful spirits that brighten the music, beginning immediately in the first variation. Those happy feelings infuse the final aria with an air of friendly tranquility.
Propper very ably shares with and communicates to listeners the enjoyment of the Goldberg Variations that he has had since that fateful encounter as a teenager.