You might be wondering
just what type of instrument is a lautenwerk.
It’s probably best to think of it as
a harpsichord with gut strings or as
a cross between a lute and harpsichord.
Actually, it is often referred to as
a lute-harpsichord. The tone of the
lautenwerk is rounder and warmer than
the harpsichord with a shorter decay
time as well. It is an intimate instrument
perfect for a private environment and
similar to a clavichord in terms of
strength of projection. The highly esteemed
early keyboard artist Robert Hill used
a lautenwerk for some of his Bach performances
as part of Hänssler’s Bach Anniversary
Series a few years ago, and the instrument
has an inherently enticing and lovely
tone. Also, justification for playing
Bach keyboard music on the lautenwerk
is amply provided by the fact that Bach’s
estate included two lautenwerks found
in his home.
The lautenwerk built
by Willard Martin has an 8-foot gut
with two plucking positions, 4-foot
brass, 2 manuals with handstops, and
a pitch of A = 370. Be assured that
this instrument has a gorgeous tone
of sublime intimacy that offers performers
an excellent opportunity to give their
audiences a distinctive and compelling
set of performances.
As for Gwendolyn Toth,
she is one of the leaders of America’s
Early Music Movement. A graduate of
Yale University, she has taught at Yale,
Mount Holyoke College, Barnard College,
and the Mannes College of Music. Presently,
Toth teaches harpsichord at Rutgers
University in New Jersey. She has performed
on all the different types of keyboard
instruments in use during the Baroque
era and proudly employs the principles
of fingering, articulation, and phrasing
associated with accurate historical
performance styles. In addition to concertizing
throughout most of the world, Toth is
the director and founder of New York
City’s virtuoso and period instrument
ensemble ARTEK which has recorded Monteverdi’s
Orfeo on the Lyrichord Early Music Series
label.
With about 100 different
recordings of the Goldberg Variations
in the catalogs at any given point in
time, a new release is not likely to
sound distinguished or meet the high
standards set by artists such as Glenn
Gould, Rosalyn Tureck, Andras Schiff,
and a quite a few others. One area of
distinction not in Toth’s favor is that
I have never heard a version of the
Goldbergs that is as thorough in sweeping
under the rug the angst and underside
of Bach’s music. Her vertical elasticity
and bounce are impressive, but the horizontal
elasticity is narrow indeed. Toth takes
the main road with an unswerving dedication
and never deviates from it. In a couple
of the more poignant variations, she
actually constricts the music through
a mechanical sounding and rigid rhythmic
flow.
In most cases, this
lack of ‘breadth and depth’ would lead
me to recommend taking a pass on the
recording. However, the potential for
other features to offset what is lacking
always exists, and I find that Toth’s
performances convey ample offsets. Above
all else, this is as enjoyable a set
of performances as I’ve heard in recent
years. Toth clearly extends to us her
joy of being intimate with Bach. This
is not an ostentatious display of joy,
but one that radiates with warmth and
confidence.
Additional favorable
performance features include Toth’s
ability to draw out the unique sound
characteristics of the lautenwerk and
always keep the music sounding fresh.
Another exceptional aspect is Toth’s
blend of elegance and dignity that shows
through in most of the variations. Lastly,
even when she adopts a rigid mechanical
rhythm, she manages to make it sound
more distinctive than restrictive through
her irresistible vertical lift.
Starting with the Aria,
Toth gives us a high level of poetry
and poise over a foundation of optimism.
Her rhythmic flow and inner joy permeate
her readings of Variations 1, 2 and
4, and I find each of them among the
best performances on record.
Other noteworthy interpretations
include Variation 6 where Toth brings
out the unique qualities of the lautenwerk
with an exquisitely delicate reading
highlighted by the delicious tones of
the woody soprano voice. Although delicate,
Toth pushes the music forward with a
compelling sense of drive and gives
us a ‘one of a kind’ performance.
Variation 12 is an
uplifting and joyous affair, and Toth’s
optimism radiates with brilliance. In
Variation 15, we meet Toth’s mechanical
rhythms I mentioned earlier. Yes, it
can sound rather perfunctory and clipped
in the manner of a wind-up doll, but
she applies a very attractive bounce
and urgency to the beat that overcomes
the rigidity. In Variation 16, Toth
appeals with her regal rhythms and strong
accenting, handling the double-dotted
French style most convincingly.
Variation 21, "Canone
allasettima", is my favorite of
the set with its bittersweet refrains
and a wonderful outpouring of hope in
the 2nd Section. Toth again
takes the mechanical rhythmic approach
and constricts the music. But I still
love her interpretation; it perfectly
captures the contrasting moods, and
her beat is intoxicating yet quite lively.
This is one of the most rewarding and
inimitable versions I have come across.
The upbeat Variations
22 through 24 find Toth possessing an
inner glow that permeates this listener’s
bloodstream. The "Black Pearl"
Variation, No. 25, is not as successful.
This is the one variation in the work
that absolutely requires a strong injection
of angst and despair, and Toth doesn’t
offer those qualities. The playing is
charming, and some might call it enchanting.
However, she misses the essential nature
of the piece without giving it an equally
valid alternative purpose. The remaining
variations go splendidly as Toth continues
to highlight Bach’s joy of living.
Unfortunately, things
end on a sour note. The Martin lautenwerk
needs some fine-tuning at this point,
and the Aria da capo suffers for the
lack of it. Initially I thought that
something might be wrong with my hearing,
but a comparison with the opening Aria
puts the problem squarely on the instrument’s
shoulders and even more on the record
company itself. There simply is no excuse
for such a sour presentation through
the medium of recordings.
Although Gwendolyn
Toth’s performances are not sufficiently
well-rounded to recommend it as one’s
sole recording of the Goldberg Variations,
her radiant interpretations represent
an excellent supplement to existing
versions in the music library. Toth’s
readings are for sheer enjoyment, and
the unique sounds of the lautenwerk
add to the pleasures. I wouldn’t place
the recording in the ‘must have’ category,
but it isn’t very far behind. Do beware
of the Aria da capo; one listen and
you won’t play it again.
Don Satz
Gwendolyn Toth, Lautenwerk