Yunchan Lim - Bach: Goldberg Variations (Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, 2025) (2026)


This is impressive — but I don’t find it fully convincing. Technically, there’s nothing to fault: articulation is clean, voicing is transparent, and the faster variations sparkle with control. But beyond the surface brilliance, I’m not always sure what the larger emotional argument is. The performance feels shaped by intelligence and ambition more than by inevitability.

The live Carnegie Hall setting adds a certain aura, but it also amplifies the interpretive boldness — sometimes to the point where tempo choices feel demonstrative rather than organic. I admire the clarity and the courage, but the depth doesn’t always settle. When the Aria returns, I recognize the symmetry — I just don’t quite feel transformed by it.

Pros

  1. Technical command – Counterpoint is lucid; fingerwork in rapid variations is exceptionally controlled.

  2. Interpretive courage – Willing to take risks with tempo and articulation rather than defaulting to reverence.

  3. Textural clarity – Inner voices remain audible; structural lines are easy to follow.

Cons

  1. Emotional gravitas feels underdeveloped – Momentum sometimes replaces introspection.

  2. Tempos can feel performative – A few choices draw attention to the pianist rather than to Bach.

  3. Limited replay gravity – Intellectually engaging, but not the version I instinctively return to.





Genre: Classical
Country: South Korea

Final Verdict: 63% (Good Album)
Yearly Ranking: 80th / 146

Highlight: J.S. Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Var. 25. a 2 Clav. Adagio (Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, 2025)

Made me think of:
Glenn Gould
Angela Hewitt
Víkingur Ólafsson

#newalbum #newalbum2026 #albumrelease #newmusic #albumoftheday #nowspinning #NowPlaying #musicdiscovery
#Classical #YunchanLim #SouthKorea
#LP #Album #release

 

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