Colin Booth plays a harpsichord he made in 1997 after an instrument built in 1710 by Michael Mietke (ca. 1656/1671 - 1719) of Berlin.
Writes John Collins: Booth’s meticulous sense of controlled timing is clear, his careful articulation results in every note, especially in the highly virtuosic variations, being heard distinctly without sounding rushed, and his impressive and disciplined technical ability is evident in the crossed-hands passages. . . . The tempi are generally well-judged, being neither too slow nor, as in some performances, too fast, which enables Booth to capture the innate essence of the individual character of each movement. All in all, this is a most valuable addition to the canon of recordings of this work.
Writes Noel O’Regan: Booth characterises each variation very carefully, adds some subtle ornaments on repeats and gives the music a subtle French lilt in places as well as shortening the appoggiaturas in the aria. He uses a good variety of tempi and registration and generally displays a highly intelligent approach to the music which translates into a sense of security and rightness. For me this recording stands out in a crowded field.
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