Track Listing

1. Aria
2. Variation 1 a 1 Clav.
3. Variation 2 a 1 Clav.
4. Variation 3 a 1 Clav. Canone all' Unisuono
5. Variation 4 a 1 Clav.
6. Variation 5 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav.
7. Variation 6 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Seconda
8. Variation 7 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav.
9. Variation 8 a 2 Clav.
10. Variation 9 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Terza
11. Variation 10 a 1 Clav. Fughetta
12. Variation 11 a 2 Clav.
13. Variation 12 Canone alla Quarta
14. Variation 13 a 2 Clav.
15. Variation 14 a 2 Clav.
16. Variation 15 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Quinta. Andante
17. Variation 16 Overture a 1 Clav.
18. Variation 17 a 2 Clav.
19. Variation 18 a 1 Clav. Canone all Sesta
20. Variation 19 a 1 Clav.
21. Variation 20 a 2 Clav.
22. Variation 21 Canone alla Settima
23. Variation 22 a 1 Clav. Alla breve
24. Variation 23 a 2 Clav.
25. Variation 24 a 1 Clav. Canone all' Ottava
26. Variation 25 a 2 Clav.
27. Variation 26 a 2 Clav.
28. Variation 27 a 2 Clav. Canone alla Nona
29. Variation 28 a 2 Clav.
30. Variation 29 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav.
31. Variation 30 a 1 Clav. Quodlibet
32. Aria da capo

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #222082 in Music
• Released on: 2006-06-29
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Single

Review
... he [Pius] surmounts the contrapuntal hurdles and offers a stylish, deeply expressive interpretation notable for its clear voicing, eloquent phrasing and wide range of color and dynamics. --The New York Times

Review
Absolutely incredible! Considering the complete Goldberg Variations include a theme (Aria), 30 variations and a concluding Aria, with a total performance time of about 53 minutes, the sheer volume of notes is a major feat in itself. Those thousands of notes in a classic harmonic setting are performed with amazing accuracy by young marimbist Pius Cheung. One could spend pages discussing the appropriateness of transcriptions from the Baroque period, but there would be general agreement that there is some relation between the marimba, with its struck bars of wood, and the clavier or harpsichord, with strings that are plucked or struck. Cheung adds a tasty amount of musical nuances that Bach would have likely approved of had he heard today s modern marimba. The richness of tone of the instrument is clear on the recording and the bass line is especially warm and secure. It should be noted that the 30 variations are not motivic variations but based on the bass line and harmonic structure of the opening Aria. This performance brings out the bass line is a subtle but effective way that perhaps the clavier could not. Only a few adjustments were made from the original music and those are limited to taking some of the lower bass notes that were out of the marimba s range up an octave and editing some of the ornamentations. Variation 28 is an exception with a number of adjustments from the original. --F. Michael Combs, Percussive Notes - PAS

Review
In my opinion, Pius Cheung is a remarkably gifted and accomplished young artist. I always enjoy listening to his elegant and virtuosic music-making. --Gary Graffman, Legendary Pianist

Customer Reviews

Amazing!
Not only is this amazing, but it is musically satisfying. I must confess to having an addiction to the Goldberg Variations; I have many performances of this work on harpsichord and piano and have begun listening to it in transcription. I am fascinated by the choices performers make and how those choices reveal to me a different facet of these remarkable variations. Not that I keep every performance that I buy. I have given away, not only several on harpsichord or piano, but a sleep inducing performance by string trio, a screeching woodwind version and a ponderous one on organ.
This performance on marimba wears well. Some of the ornaments have had to be modified and some bass lines moved up an octave, but it is - overall - faithful to the original. Tempos are generally slower than keyboard performances and few repeats are taken. The sound of the instrument gives it an otherworldly aura. Mr. Cheung is a virtuoso on his instrument. He is a graduate of The Curtis Institute and a superb musician. Recommended!

Quite a lovely version of the Goldbergs
I very much enjoyed these performances on Bach on the marimba. It is mellow, haunting, lovely.

good arrangement
It is a quite good arrangement.
However, the volume in the part of a slow tempo sounds high too much.