Linear yet deeply moving, Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Goldberg Variations” reign supreme among his keyboard compositions. Closing this season’s Friends of Chamber Music series at Gates Concert Hall, American pianist Simone Dinnerstein delivered the 32-part work with poise, purpose and prismatic interpretation.
As if in her own private reverie, Dinnerstein played her way through the often deceptively simple, variegated themes in one sitting, by memory, meticulously shaping the personality and poetry of each variation according to her own muse.
Not in the least overshadowed by Glenn Gould’s legendary recordings of the large-scale variations, Dinnerstein boldly asserted her own definitive adaptation of Bach’s pursuit of miscellany within unity of structure, form and patterns.
From a loose, almost casual swagger in the first variation, Dinnerstein effortlessly completed hand-crossed, accented phrases before settling on the imitative, cadenced second variation. Further along, in the spirited seventh variation, the virtuoso showed her playful side, preceding the technically thorny Variation 8.
In Variation 9, Dinnerstein illuminated the slow, steady bass line even while she expertly rendered subdued accelerations and gentle rhythmic shifts.
The majestic Variation 16 marked the warmth and depth of Dinnerstein’s tone, whereas Variation 20 showed off her technical precision and velocity.
The densely textured Variation 28 sped up the pace — complete with flawlessly executed trills — toward Variation 29, highlighting Dinnerstein’s rapid finger work. Landing on Variation 30, the pianist delved into its celebratory nature with equal parts fun, focus and abandon.
Despite a couple of memory lapses, the cumulative consequence of Dinnerstein’s pianism was an inspired, inventive declaration of the Goldbergs’ musical multiplicity.
