Goldberg Variations by Tatiana Nikolayeva

Just back from a trip to Japan. The only CD I bought there was a 4CD set of Tatiana Nikolayeva playing J.S. Bach - Goldberg Variations, Inventions and Sinfonias, and French Suites.

Generally speaking, CD prices in Japan are high, so there is usually no point shopping for CDs there. But from time to time, there are bargains or rarities to be found.

I bought this CD set on my last day in Japan, while wandering around the dingy lanes in the underground shopping area of Osaka's Umeda region. There were cheap eateries, cheap tickets retailers, and all kinds of cheapy cheap cheaps. I even came across a mahjong parlour (real one, not electronic mahjong games) - have no idea that such place still exists in Japan!

So it was quite a surprise to find a CD shop specialising in classical and (to a lesser extent) jazz. There I found a lot of USSR-era recordings similar to Nikolayeva's. I was tempted to buy a number of them, but eventually decided to take just this one with me on the plane.

Here's a list of Goldberg Variations recordings I have:

- Glenn Gould (1955)
- Glenn Gould (1981)
- Glenn Gould (1981, on Monsaingeon's film)
- Angela Hewitt
- Jacques Loussier Trio (jazz)
- Tatiana Nikolayeva (1979)
- Murray Perahia
- Charles Rosen
- Rosalyn Tureck (1957)
- Alexis Weissenberg