Bach - Goldberg Variations

The Guardian 80

Beatrice Rana (piano)
(Warner Classics)

Yet another recording of Bach’s masterpiece – at present the go-to piece for both aspiring pianists and harpsichordists – needs to be something very special. Beatrice Rana’s live performances have divided opinion, but this recording creates a wholly individual, inward mood. She cultivates an extremely wide range of sound, in some variations as hard-hitting as Glenn Gould, at others dreamy and serene. She is quirky at times, drawing out little accompaniment figures that are not important in the big scheme, and you fear she will lose her way. But then she galvanises the final variations into an exuberant, moving sequence before returning to the peace of the aria with utter calm.