Rachel Fryers (piano)

Bach’s Goldberg Variations are fascinating for musicians to interpret, since they were initially played on a two-manual harpsichord and require difficult and innovative fingering techniques to play on a piano. Fryers opted for a fairly traditional rendition, including all the repetitions which slowed the pace down too much at some points. Her playing was not quite relaxed or expressive enough in the slower sections, but the piece soared in the frenetic second half. Her dexterous dancing fingertips in variations 20 and 28 brought the performance to a staggering finale, and greatly enhanced my appreciation and understanding of the piece as a whole.

Friends’ Meeting House, 25 May 2013

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