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Title: Bit Lacking in Soul
Review: A harsh headline, perhaps, but there are so many other wonderful Goldbergs out there it would be a sin to start with this one. I imprinted on the Gould interpretations (1955, 1981) so am perhaps partisan, but I've found wonderful humanity in other recordings, notably that of Igor Kipnis. I had read that Tureck's style had influenced Gould, so I had high expectations. Those poor people that say Bach is boring, monotonous, mechanical -- they've probably been forced to listen to interpretations like this. I wish it were otherwise, but this sounds like a piano teacher. No clear artistic message comes through. It's technically refined, though slow in tempo. The overall impression is - no soul, no swing, no message. A Goldberg that fails the Turing test. Forgive me!
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