One just doesn’t decide to record Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations on a whim! A mountainous enigma, this work was never marked by self-evidence. It is constructed like a cathedral, built with tools of passion but also of modesty; an edifice that transcends us but also that one dreams of transcending. Nevertheless, Cédric Pescia did not hesitate for a moment when it came time to choose the stage for his first recording: it would be the Goldberg Variations or nothing else!

A sensitive and thoughtful musician, the Swiss pianist won the first prize at the Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition in Salt Lake City in 2002 and has been riding on a wave of success since then. He provides numerous thoughts about this work in the accompanying booklet, particularly about certain aspects of the interpretation: the instrument, the style, repetitions, etc. This is a recording that has been long in ripening, assuredly a great moment in music.