Jacques Loussier Trio: Bach's Goldberg Variations

Jacques Loussier Trio: Bach's Goldberg Variations

Jacques Loussier Trio: Bach's Goldberg Variations

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Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach
Performer: Jacques Loussier Trio
Performer: Jacques Loussier
Edition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2000-05-23
Music Label: Telarc
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Music reviews of Jacques Loussier Trio: Bach's Goldberg Variations

Music Review: I wish Loussier had strayed and dared more
Rating: 4 Stars

I love the Goldberg Variations - in any form. In fact, I prefer them "transcribed" for the piano than in their original harpsichord guise. My point here is that, whenever played on any other instrument than the one it was written for, even a keyboard instrument and even if all the notes from the original score are played, Bach is indeed transcribed. The Goldbergs played on the organ (Bach: Goldberg Variations) or accordion (Goldberg Variations Played on the Accordion) is no more, no less transcribed than played at the piano.

And I love transcriptions: they offer a fresh way of hearing the old warhorses. What transcriptions can do for the Goldbergs is not only offer surprising and ear-catching instrumental timbres, but also clarify the many strands of Bach's multi-voicing and counterpointing. I have transcriptions for two cimbaloms (Bach - Goldberg Variations on 2 Cimbaloms - Szakaly / Farkas), string trio, string orchestra, brass band (Bach: Goldberg Variations), saxophone quartet (Bach: Goldberg Variations BWV 998), even synthesizer (New Age Bach: The Goldberg Variations). And I'm missing the versions for marimba and for harp (and am not aware that they've made a version for kazoo ensemble yet, but as soon as it comes out, I'll jump).

As expected, Jacques Loussier (joined by his usual partners Benoit Dunoyer de Segonzac, double-bass and André Arpino, drums) offers a transcription indeed, but of a different nature: its purpose is not, like the other transcriptions, to play all the notes written by Bach (or as many as feasible on the instrument), but precisely to change them. Like the vesion by John Lewis (The Chess Game Part 1), it is a series of jazz variations on the Goldberg variations, and a classic example of "Third Stream", or the mixture of Jazz improvisation on classical music themes, a term coined by Gunther Schuller in 1957.

Bach's Goldbergs are indeed particularly well-suited to that kind of exercise: not only because they are themselves a series of variations (and there is a tradition in Classical music of so mirroring an original work, as with Leopold Godowski's famous Etudes on Chopin's Etudes), but also because, in baroque style, through ornamentation, the principle of varying the variations is embedded into the very conception of the work. Another example of such variations on Bach's Goldberg variations, albeit in a completely different style (avant-garde classical), would be Goldberg's Ghost (see my review) or Robin Holloway's Gilded Goldbergs.

How one will react to Loussier's jazz version of the Goldberg variations depends, of course, on one's response to jazz in general and to Loussier's jazz in particular. Too bad Miles Davis or Ornette Coleman didn't do their own versions! Like John Lewis', Loussier's style of jazz is swing and cool, but fairly inconspicuous - the kind of "lounge" jazz you might hear in a cozy bar (or in a film by Claude Lelouch), not obtrusive or aggressive, nothing to disturb the ongoing conversations. Try variation 7 (track 8), which sounds to me like music of Michel Legrand. It is definitely easy and pleasurable listening. I personally wish it had been a little more challenging, but each will react according to personal taste.

Within the limitations of such style, I do find Loussier's arrangements a tad disappointing at times. In many variations, the arrangement is actually rather minimal, with Bach's piano part played "straight" (as written) and only double-bass pizzicatti and (usually soft) drums adding the jazz color. I can see the reason for it when Loussier does that in the first part of the aria or variation and jazzifies either the end of the first part or the beginning of the second part, as in the opening aria or in var. 11 to 13, var. 23 & 24, var. 27 (in variation 3 he even cuts the second part altogether, concluding part 1 with a jazzy improvisation), since this more or less conforms to what Bach had in mind with the very architecture of his variations (always in two parts, each part susceptible of repeat at the performer's discretion, the point of taking the repeat being for the performer to add his own ornamentation - which only recent performing practice has really taken advantage of). In fact Loussier does few repeats proper (second parts of the opening aria and var. 2, 5, 6, 10, first part of 19, both parts of 30), limiting is elaborations to the end of part 1 or beginning of part 2, which is close enough to the spirit of Bach's baroque-era practices. But even there Loussier's straying from and jazzyfication of Bach's melodic line is usually disappointingly short, before he returns to the fold and concludes the variation. A number of variations he plays in fact absolutely "straight" (e.g. as written by Bach), with only double-bass pizz. and (usually soft) drums giving the jazz coloring (var. 1, 5, 6 only concluded by a few syncopations, var. 12 with only a few added syncopations, the pyrotechnic var. 14 where Loussier lessens to some degree the pyrotechnics by playing only the upper piano part, var. 16, var. 20, 21 & 25, var. 26 were Loussier plays only the right hand, leaving Bach's bass line to the double bass, var. 29). The final aria is played bare, as written, with no accompaniment - an appropriate return to the original Bach at the end of the journey (and what heard on headphones sounded like very soft drum brushes turns out to be only the noise of the pedal mechanism). But, by playing at a fast tempo and with playful staccato, as in var. 16 and var. 19, Loussier brings out the inherent "jazzyness" of Bach's keyboard writing. In var. 28 it is the other way around: here Loussier plays the accompaniment figures in 16th and 32nd notes rather than the melody, but he radically changes Bach's color by playing at a much slower tempo than the customary one.

In some variations Loussier's jazzyfication consists mainly of added syncopation - admittedly this is the very essence of jazz, and some are very effective like that (var. 4 and var. 10, with double-bass playing Bach's bass line, var 11, var. 18, 22). In var. 20 he doesn't need to add such a syncopation: he plays only Bach's accompaniment line (which in the original score passes on constantly from right to left hand) and it is already there, something you don't hear as much when both hands are played.

Sometimes Loussier will have the variation preceded by short drum or/and double-bass intro (v8, 23, 30) or consisting of a few piano chords accompanied by double-bass pizz and/or drum beats (Aria, var. 2, 6, 9, 11, 19, 24, 27). In var. 29 it is a bridge passage between part one and two of the variation in the form of a lengthy drum improvisation. Sometimes he will change the time signature, turning a 2/4 into 3 or 4/4 (var. 2), or a 3/4 into 2/4 (var. 14). Often the piano will take over Bach's upper and middle voice, and sometimes Loussier will play the middle voice an octave lower (var. 15) which allows for greater clarity, sometimes simplifying Bach's counterpoint (24, 27). In var. 24 he changes Bach's three-part writing into, basically, a one-part, continuous melody flowing seamlessly between Bach's upper and middle voice. The result is a pretty, sentimental "lounge jazz" melody which would be ideally suited for a medley to a film romance. Loussier usually leaves the lower, bass voice to the double bass playing pizzicati (var. 1, 3, 6, 10, 12, 15, 16 2nd part, 18, 21, 23 part 1, 24, 26, 28) or doubling the lower voice played by the piano (v5, 25) - which gives it a jazz color without fundamentally altering Bach's writing. Some may find that all the better. But hearing a jazz "reinterpretation", I would have expected and wished more daringness and risk-taking. What this does, though, is substantially alter the relation between upper voices and lower voice: because of the superior decibel power of the piano, it takes prominence and the 3rd voice sounds muffled. As for the percussion, it hardly has a structural role : it seems there merely to add a "jazzy" color with a display of mostly cymbal brush-strokes.

Only in a few variations does Loussier's invention go a little further: in var 9, he changes Bach's melodic/contrapuntal writing into quasi-Debussy chordal writing: atmospheric and pretty. My favorites are, naturally, those where Loussier strays and dares more and dazzles with playful pianistic fireworks: variations 4, 8. 12, 27. Variation 19 is played relatively straight, but by playing (as in var. 28) the accompaniment figure in staccato sixteenth notes rather than the melody Loussier lends it a nice jazzy playfulness. Variation 17 and 30 really stray from the original and, sustaining pedal helping, skid into dreamy Debussy atmospheres: they are quite beautiful and I wish Loussier had done more of those. The long solo double-bass followed by piano intro to variation 30 is also quite impressive.

Loussier is an accomplished pianist, up to Bach's digital demands. His tempos are sometimes fast (var. 5), sometimes slow (fugue of var. 16, var. 28), and he tends to simplify (var. 16 1st part) or suppress (var. 16-2nd part) the ornamentation written by Bach, but his ornamentation in the 2nd part of the final aria is quite beautiful. But ultimately, I prefer John Lewis' Goldbergs (see reference above). Not that his jazz is more daring than Loussier's: on the contrary, it is in the same pretty, gentle and un-challenging style. But at least Lewis doesn't have drums and double-bass to hide behind; so he really HAS to change Bach's notes, making his Jazz slightly more inventive than Loussier's, I find.

Re-hearing these Goldbergs by Loussier has also prompted me to pull out of my shelves some of his earlier Bach, with his previous trio (Christian Garros, percussion and Pierre Michelot, double-bass): namely Play Bach # 5 (Play Bach 5) and the 1965 live concert at Theatre des Champs-Elysées in Paris (as often the case, a search wouldn't yield it, leading me first to think that it wasn't listed, only to find out by chance that in fact Loussier's name was mis-spelt LouIssier. It was unfindable on the French sister company because "Champs Elysées" was mis-spelt ElysEs. Thanks the Brits for getting it right! I am out of authorized product links, but it is under ASIN: B00004XQ7T). And I was reminded why I enjoy Loussier. The reviewer of another, more recent Bach disc of Loussier (ASIN B00004TK87) has written, very appropriately I think: "I prefer this 'middle period trio' to the more invasive and experimental explorations (sometimes verging on garish) of the early trio, and again prefer it to the later trio (same personnel), where the jazz explorations and improvisations have taken the backseat, becoming mere stylings at times."

Well, his reasons for prefering the "middle period trio" over the earlier one are precisely those why I prefer the earlier one: in the 1960s the jazz of Loussier and his then partners was more daring and exuberant, and the pianist had an irresistible way of slithering out of and back into Bach - or jazz. Maybe on account of too much respect, his Goldbergs are comparatively a bit tame and civilized, with the "jazz explorations and improvisations", indeed, "becoming mere stylings at times."

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