Bach - Goldberg Variations you favourite

@mahgister     What an eloquent thread you have just written and I am with you a hundred percent. Without doubt he was certainly the greatest composer by a wide margin. Beethoven was one of the first pre romantic composers to give his pupils the 48 preludes and fugues to get pupils up to scratch on their technique. Chopin and Liszt also prescribed large doses of Bach for their pupils also.

@mahgister    Regarding Olaffson I hope you get to listen to at least a couple of Goldberg recordings from him before that time comes.
Regards , Jim.

I have no objection in speaking about Chopin's Nocturnes and I shall throw my hat in the ring and say my favourite's are Arrau first then Moravec and then Barenboim. I chose Arrau because of his piano tone which can be orgiastic at times and I just think he covers it all for me. The only thing for me is no way can I listen to them all in a row the way I can The Goldbergs but a cluster of 4 or 5 is very rewarding.

@mahgister  Thanks for the tip about Feltsman I shall investigate today.
Best , Jim.

Getting off to a great start and some I have never heard but are food for thought. I had completely forgotten about Perahia  but as great as the interpretation is the recording of the piano has some equalisation  problems that grate with me. The plus side with Perahia is I got to hear him live in Glasgow a few years ago and have to say it was wonderful. 
      On the Harpsicord I admit to liking , Kenneth Gilbert best then Pierre Hantai both versions then Richard Eggar only with minor reservations with the instrument used in which I find some of the notes in chordal writing a bit discordant.

@chayro    Funny you should mention Zenph as that is the version of the 55 Gould that I always listen to. It is so great to hear a stunning Goldberg's without tape hiss and uneven equalisation and a wonderful piano. The only thing I hate about Gould is his version is completely devoid of repeats.

I think Rana’s account is all encompassing for someone so young. She is certainly going to be one of the greats of this century. If so inclined try her Ravel Miroirs, it is stunning.

While you say you are the only one who mentions her you are certainly not the only one who thinks of her. She was a definite Bach legend, it's just that a lot of people don't want to play mono below par audio records and before anyone shouts me down we are not all like that.

I remember the Phillips series fondly for giving us many artists whom the musical world had mostly forgot ( who can forget the legendary performance of Josef Lhevinne playing the Shulz-Evler arrangement of Strauss's Blue Danube ) people like him make it plain that piano technique doesn't  just belong to this century. I also can think of Edwin Fischer whose Bach's Well Tempered Clavier was my constant companion for many many years. Yes that Phillips series was a favourite of mine.