A brief introduction to: J.S. Bach's "Goldberg-Variations"

One of the finest works in Cembalo-(Piano-Music) is definitely Johann Sebastian Bach's composition "Aria with 30 Variations and Aria da capo for a two-manual harpsichord" from 1741, which was a remittance work for the Earl Hermann Carl v. Keyserlingk in Dresden,Germany.

Above: Original cover from the first release in 1741

According to the legend, the Earl suffered from insomnia. So his cembalist Johann Gottlieb Goldberg had to play for him in the evening, so that he could fall asleep. Because he got bored from all the tunes Goldberg played, the Earl asked Bach to write something new for Goldberg. We don't know, what the Earl thought about this "musical medicine", but this great work is far away from being a lullaby...

So, Bach thought about how he could manage that task...

Normally, it was the melody-line, which was variegated in a work with variations. In this work however, Bach decided to take the descending bass-line of the "Aria" "G, F#, E, D, B" as the fundament of all 30 variations. (see the example-pictures, the repeated bass-notes are marked in red):

.

This way of composing variations was very unusual, but with this method, Bach gained a lot of freedom in diversifying the melody.

Another striking thing is the fact, that every third variation is a canon. Bach composed these canons in ascending intervals. Variation III is a canon at unisono, Variation VI is a canon at the second, Variation IX is a canon at the third, and so on until Variation XXVII, which is a canon at the ninth.

Variation XXV marks a climax in the whole work, because it is the only one, which is an "Adagio". It is a very contemplative piece and one of the masterworks ever written for keyboard in the Baroque Era.

At the end of Variation XXX, there is a repetition of the Aria (Aria da capo), which makes the work an accomplished piece of musical architecture. Its symmetry,intelligence and emotional profoundness marks a milestone in musical history.

If you want to get a first impression of this work, you can use the link below. It's a MIDI-Version of the whole work and lasts approx. 55 minutes. Be sure to choose a "Bright Piano"-sound in the options of your MIDI-Player (i.e. WinAmp). This version, of course, does not claim to be a perfect artistic interpretation of the work. It should be only a stimulation to go closer into the work. But it is worth while, so take the time, lean back and enjoy!

If you want to listen to a perfect interpretation, I recommend the recordings of Glenn Gould. His "Non-Legato"-style goes perfectly with the piece and offers a high degree of transparency and acuity. He recorded this work twice: In 1955 , it was his remarkable debut on stage (a very impetuous interpretation of a young man) and in 1981, it was his last recording before he died some months later (a very mature interpretation of a great artist). I recommend to listen to both recordings in comparison. This gives you a good impression of the possibilities of different interpretations of this masterpiece of music!

Midi: Goldberg-Variations