Andreas Staier is clearly in love. Having walked out with Anthony Sidey’s copy of a giant 1734 Hass harpsichord in two previous recital discs, he here plights his troth by choosing it for his first Goldberg Variations. The instrument has plenty of seductions – lute stop, buff stop, even a thunderous 16-foot register – and Staier is ready to fall under their spell. And why not? It makes perfect sense to offer a Goldberg rich with the colours made available by the last flowerings of harpsichord technology (one of the booklet-note writers here has worked out that this particular harpsichord has 59 stop combinations!), especially as the trend in recent decades for a more monochrome sound world makes it an exciting novelty. So sit back and let yourself be wooed by the sheer “bigness” of Variations 4, 10 and 29, the other-worldly lute-stop reediness in No 15 followed by the explosive introduction of the 16-foot in the overture-like No 16, the partnership of buff and “natural” registers delightfully clarifying the crossing-over of parts in No 20 (echoes of the Moog here), or the eerie combination of left-hand lute stop and right-hand “natural” in the “Black Pearl”, No 25.

The “Black Pearl”, by the way, also demonstrates to perfection Staier’s ability to bring a complex melodic line to life on the harpsichord with subtle articulation and rhythmic displacement, a timely reminder that it takes two to make a good match. Happily, Staier’s effortless virtuosity (hear the trills in Variation 28!) and sensible musicianship go together to make this a strong Goldberg to set beside admired alternatives such as the relaxed cantabile of Richard Egarr (6/06) or the buoyant briskness of Pierre Hantaï’s first (Opus 111, 4/94), even if those recordings are clear of the bass-heaviness and occasional rumblings that afflict this one. The instrument is undoubtedly a major star here but that need not stop us from recognising its player as a master harpsichordist.