Pieter-Jan Belder has
been busy in the recording studios.
At the time of these discs in 1999 he
was thirty-three years old, a pupil
of Bob van Asperen, and an exponent
of Bach, Sweelinck and Mozart. As I
write this he has begun a mammoth Domenico
Scarlatti edition of 36 CDs, which should
see him employed – and blistered – until
well into 2007. The solo harpsichord
works here were also part of a big Brilliant
Bach box – the alliteration is irresistible
– from which these performances have
been extracted.
Belder’s Goldberg
Variations is commendably humane
and technically strongly competitive.
But there are also aspects that tend
to militate against a recommendation.
The Aria is Gould-like in its
speed – which I happen to like but not
everyone will, especially with two repeats
(he takes the repeats throughout). But
elsewhere there are hints of rhythmic
stolidity and of undifferentiated voicings;
some of the variations tend toward the
inert as well, which may well be as
a result of over-caution. These strictures
apply to variations such as No.2, the
second and sixth canons, variations
13, 14 and 23; in general I find his
playing of the canons rather disappointing
and the playing as a whole rather bitty,
and never quite taking flight. His Italian
Concerto is enjoyable though better
in the outer movements where he is very
engaging; in the Largo he might
now take it rather differently. Here
it’s very slightly earthbound. Apart
from a stodgy Sarabande his French
Overture is colourful, perky and
sensitive and the Chromatic Fantasy
and Fugue is a good example of his
command in Bach playing.
The price of this generally
engaging set is disarming. For all the
above comments Belder’s playing is involved
and warm. Given the modest extra outlay
however I’d direct you to the wonderful
Igor Kipnis on Seraphim IMP74501.
Jonathan Woolf
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Pieter-Jan Belder (harpsichord) 
