Album: Bach, Goldberg Variations – David Shemer (JBO)

The first thing to note in Shemer's beautifully measured Goldberg Variations is the pitch of his Franco-Flemish harpsichord, a whole tone lower than modern concert pitch.

Steeped in mathematical theory and dotted with folk-songs, Bach's set of 30 variations seems both vast and intimate. Shemer takes the aria slowly. Most striking is the beauty of his transitions, particularly from the dazzle of Variatio 14 to the sensual Canone alla Quinta.