Rave Reviews for Babayan’s Bach in Dortmund
““Babayan played Bach like from another star.””
On 31 October 2024 Sergei Babayan returned to Konzerthaus Dortmund with Bach’s Goldberg Variations. The pianist who had been the first Curating Artist appointed by the prestigious German concert hall had his audience spellbound with an interpretation of his very signature work for the ages.
"Babayan played Bach like from another star. - The Goldberg Variations have been played repeatedly at Konzerthaus Dortmund, but never before on the impressive level as this last Thursday by Sergei Babayan. The 63-year old Armenian puts great importance on colours. Which is why he spontaneously preceded Bach's Aria and 30 variations with a short piece by Arvo Pärt and the B minor Ballad by Liszt, so that the audience could calm down and focus even more on Bach's 60 plus minutes cycle. And indeed, after the monumental Liszt Ballad, the small, simple aria sounded even more intense. Sergei Babayan's love of discoveries is amazing. As if one opened the 30 doors of an Advent calendar and curiously observed each of the variations, joyfully experimenting with each of them how the little Bach melody could be modified. Babayan's absolutely even, perfect, flawless fluidity, his overhwelming imagination of colours, darkening with a little shadow some detail here, delicately exploring worlds in Minor key there and forming an Adagio as if coming from a different star, his riveting virtuosity, allowing him to scamper in whirlwind speed across the keys in some - all this made this interpretation a major event. Evereything in this cycle seemed to come all of a piece, the tension never dropped. His Da capo Aria, concluding a course through so many emotions, sounded like a silent prayer, the greatest possible contrast with the Halloween party outside the Konzerthaus." (WAZ)