Jean Rondeau convinces with the Goldberg Variations

Harpsichordist Jean Rondeau is on a European tour with Johann Sebastian Bach's Goldberg Variations through Belgium, Germany, France, Russia, Slovenia, Austria, Great Britain, Spain and Norway, as well as Switzerland, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.

In Germany, he performed in Weikersheim, Berlin, Kassel, Frankfurt and Freiburg in March - and impressed with his interpretation of the work:

"Before Jean Rondeau, étoile montante of baroque music, time truly stands still. [...] One listens spellbound to how Rondeau's ornamentation changes, expands, enchants in each repetition - and with 32 two-part variations, there are no less than 64 of them". (Trismegistic - Hundert 11 - Konzertgänger in Berlin, 09.03.2022, Albrecht Selge)

Deutschlandfunk, 07.03.2022, Claus Fischer, from 06:00

"What the three hundred visitors experienced in the Martinskirche was a great event that almost had spiritual traits. [...] There is no need to discuss virtuosity, the ability for clarity and structure with such a musician. That is the starting point, not the goal." (Hessische Niedersächsische Allgemeine, 09.03.2022, Johannes Mundry)

"But Jean Rondeau, who has abruptly advanced to become the Bach star of the music business with his Goldberg record slowness, was alert. Despite the extreme total playing time of the concerto, there were virtuoso, almost circus-like, contoured, rhythmic and garland-like progressions at a fierce tempo." (Frankfurter Rundschau, 09.03.2022, Bernhard Uske)

"A profound rapture already marked the theme at the beginning of the one and a half hours of pure keyboard art. In the following, too, it seemed as if Rondeau was hovering over the keys. [...] Rondeau mastered all this with remarkably clear playing technique and unobtrusive gesture." (Frankfurter Neue Prese, 12.03.2022, Matthias Gerhart)

Those who missed the concerts will get another chance:
09 April 2022 - Heidelberg Castle: Ticketlink
17 July 2022 - Kloster Eberbach (Rheingau Music Festival): Ticketlink
30 July 2022 - Kurfürstliches Palais Trier (Mosel Music Festival): Ticketlink

The recording has also been released by Warner/Erato.