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CD Review
Johann Sebastian Bach
- Goldberg Variations BWV 988
- Chaconne from Partita in D minor BWV 1004
Dong-Hyek Lim, piano
EMI Classics 215978-2
I have to confess that I was unaware of Dong-Hyek Lim as a concert pianist but with the plethora of musicians coming out of the Far East these days, one could be forgiven for this moment of ignorance. He is definitely a fine and technically accomplished soloist and brings a certain fiery and noble brilliance to the evergreen "Goldberg Variations".
Although still not on a par with the great soloists such as Artur Schnabel or Walter Gieseking who brought sublimity and rarefied beauty to this work, Lim gives an excellent account of himself particularly in the central variations where attention always tends to flag slightly. His interpretation of the Busoni arrangement of the Chaconne is also excellent with poetry and ability combined in a rarefied package.
EMI provide excellent sound for their young soloist whilst the presentation provides a front cover photograph of the artist, one of the things which I don't like about modern CDs nowadays. Otherwise, you cannot really find much fault with this disc and Lim is certainly a name to watch out for in the future.
Copyright © 2008 by Gerald Fenech
