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Variations
Bach: Goldbergs; Brahms: Handel; Beethoven: Diabellis

Daniel Barenboim, Yefim Bronfman, András Schiff

EuroArts DVD 2066468

Three of the greatest sets of variations by the "3Bs", filmed in 1987-1991 by three youthful looking pianists who are still fully active, though Yefim Bronfman is not often to be heard in UK.

Comparisons are not called for; this is a DVD that brooks competition* from the numerous CDs of each of them on the market.

I can do little better than to quote from and fully endorse EuroArts publicity briefing:-

- - from the legendary Metropolitan Munich Catalogue, three of the greatest sets of keyboard variations ever composed, performed by three of today’s greatest artists.

go to the heart of these monumental creations in performances that are highly personal. - -

All of them are well recorded and sensitively filmed and wear their age well. If any readers are chary of DVD recitals in comparison with the best CDs, this may be a good one to encourage reconsideration. There is none of the restless jumping from one camera view to another that mars some DVDs (e.g Barenboim's of Beethoven sonatas (e.g. 20 changes plus a couple of zooms and rotations in the six-minutes first movement of Op. 101).

As a pianist, my only small regret is that we are not offered views of the pianists pedalling, just as important as watching the fingers.

Peter Grahame Woolf

*"Nero, unable to brook competition, forbade him to recite in public"