Bach: Goldberg Variations, Nick Van Bloss (piano) – review

This is the debut CD of British pianist Nick Van Bloss who, in 1994 aged 26, stopped playing for 15 years. He had just participated in a televised recital at Poland's Chopin festival, which gives an idea of his early reputation. Anyone who saw a 2007 BBC Horizon documentary about him will know he suffers Tourette syndrome. I listened in happy ignorance of his biography, only discovering after. The fluidity of line, the unforced lyricism – not always thought an allowable word with Bach, but just listen to this – and the clarity of structure and counterpoint make you sit up. In a crowded market, and in any circumstance, this is a rewarding Goldberg.