Goldberg Variation 12 compare and contrast 1955 and 1981

 

Immediately upon hearing the two different versions it is apparent that the 1955 version is played at a significantly faster tempo than the 1981 version. This faster tempo makes the earlier version sound much lighter and playful and makes the melody feel more connected since in both versions most of the notes are shortened to mimic a harpsichord. Another prominent distinction between the two versions is that beat one of each bar in the opening is heavily accented in the 1955 versions whereas each quarter note beat is given the same amount of importance in the 1981 version. Potentially due to the recording equipment used the 1981 version has a much fuller sound since the accompaniment line has more presence than it does in the 1955 version. One striking similarity between both versions is that  each individual note is of similar length to its counterpart in the other version despite the large difference in tempo. While both of these recordings are of the same piece and share many of the same qualities in dynamics, style and form there are still many differences between the two.