For many pianists, Bach's Goldberg Variations BWV988 is an essential advanced repertoire in the bucket list. This very unique work of J S Bach is no doubt a gem: it consists of thirty short variations, each illuminating with distinct character, mood and color, snuggly wrapped by an enchantingly beautiful Aria that opens and closes the Variations.
Needless to say the Goldberg Variations is a notoriously hard repertoire of Bach's keyboard composition. But why?
Bach wrote Goldberg variations for the two manual harpischord. To play it on the single manual modern piano is a no brainer challenge because there are places where you need to cross your hands to execute two voices and most of the time the texture is very dense. To make this work, a deep study in the score to figure out the fingerings is critical. Well, is it technically possible? Yes it is. The renowned Canadian pianist Glenn Gould had done it incredibly well. For the latest recordings by contemporary pianists of the younger generation check Lang Lang, Beatrice Rana, and Pavel Kolesnikov.
The Goldberg Variations is a showcase of what Bach could do for the keyboard containing the essence of his art. You can see a wide variety of styles and forms in the set of 30 Variations: canons (1 or 2 manual, various interval), overture, dances, fughetta, adagio, quodlibet and aria (Sarabande). Since each unit is short, the mood shifts rather quickly from one to the next.
The design of this collection is brilliant in that it "arrives" and "vanishes" with the same Aria, while in between the rich and colorful episodes unfold one after another like a glimpse of life. You will find the most cheerful, fast tempo dances, and you also will find the darkest melody singing the deepest sorrow. For this reason, Goldberg Variation is certainly not a work about life that has just begun; it is a conclusive work that reflects and reconciles.
Legend has it that Bach composed the Variations for the purpose of helping with the sleepless nights of one count, who requested his harpischordist Goldberg to perform for him. Goldberg Varistions thus became Bach's one single work of this kind: variations for the G major, except for just a few G minor. Interestingly, for me the variations work the opposite way. The richness and liveliness of the music simply gets me too excited, or too emotional to fall asleep!
I have started the journey of studying and recording the Goldberg Variations myself and have just released my second EP on the variations 7-12 on Spotify and iTune. I confess it is a journey full of hardwork: back pain, wrist pain, relentless section practice and deep diving into the score and self reflection on expression and interpretation. But it has been incredibly rewarding. I love it.
Stay with me for more sharing on "The Agony and Ecstacy about Playing Bach's Goldberg Variations". My hope is to build the capacity and knowlege about this iconic work and share my inspirations with you all!
Lang Lang
Beatrice Rana
Additional readings about the Goldberg Variations
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