Goldberg Variations - J.S. Bach
Yeah, it's a funny name all right. But there's nothing funny about the group, an amazing ensemble of female recorder players who will astound and delight you.
I've been thinking about Bach's Goldberg Variations lately, in connection with the planning of our upcoming 2022-23 season, 'Bach's World'. As it turns out, the Goldbergs will not be appearing on our concert series, as is the case in fact with most of Bach's oeuvre, far too vast to cover comprehensively in a single season.
(Or in a single lifetime, for that matter.)
But to ameliorate the situation--how can we entirely omit such a wonderful piece of music?--we are planning a series of Bach Talks in which we'll introduce and explore some great works which we won't be actually performing. One of these will concern the Goldberg Variations.
In taking an advance look at the project--a fun and (hopefully) enlightening 90-minute presentation on Bach's set of variations built upon a bass-line --I've discovered a vast array of recordings and performances played upon a most diverse array of instruments. Virtually all the old and modern keyboard instruments have been used, of course (harpsichord, organs of various characters and dimensions, fortepiano, pianoforte, accordion [!] and so forth); but that's just the beginning.
Many wonderful ensemble arrangements have also been made and recorded by consorts of similar instruments, including today's recording for recorders, as well as arrangements for string orchestra, brass ensemble, viol consort, and plucked string instruments. There are also plenty of arrangements for dissimilar instruments, including for recorder and organ; for recorder, saxophone and percussion; and for jazz trio.
At this link, you can hear single variations from many of the arrangements mentioned above, as well as a number of others.
And then there are the more outré versions, such as Uri Caine's bizarre and (at times) dizzying take on Bach's famous variations. Not to be missed (though, at least by me, not to be entirely fathomed either.)
I won't go into detail today about the Goldbergs--saving that for next season's Bach Talk thereupon--but as promised above, here are links to the theme and a few of the variations as played by Seldom Sene. Amazing stuff!
The aria upon which the variations are built
The first variation
The 30th and final variation (the quodlibet)
I'm attaching the Bärenreiter score of the Goldberg Variations in case you'd like to follow along and/or explore further on your own.
Oh, and here's a little video on Seldom Sene, my new favorite recorder ensemble. And don't miss this crazy performance played upon instruments apparently made of plywood.
Yeah, it's a funny name all right. But there's nothing funny about the group, an amazing ensemble of female recorder players who will astound and delight you.
I've been thinking about Bach's Goldberg Variations lately, in connection with the planning of our upcoming 2022-23 season, 'Bach's World'. As it turns out, the Goldbergs will not be appearing on our concert series, as is the case in fact with most of Bach's oeuvre, far too vast to cover comprehensively in a single season.
(Or in a single lifetime, for that matter.)
But to ameliorate the situation--how can we entirely omit such a wonderful piece of music?--we are planning a series of Bach Talks in which we'll introduce and explore some great works which we won't be actually performing. One of these will concern the Goldberg Variations.
In taking an advance look at the project--a fun and (hopefully) enlightening 90-minute presentation on Bach's set of variations built upon a bass-line --I've discovered a vast array of recordings and performances played upon a most diverse array of instruments. Virtually all the old and modern keyboard instruments have been used, of course (harpsichord, organs of various characters and dimensions, fortepiano, pianoforte, accordion [!] and so forth); but that's just the beginning.
Many wonderful ensemble arrangements have also been made and recorded by consorts of similar instruments, including today's recording for recorders, as well as arrangements for string orchestra, brass ensemble, viol consort, and plucked string instruments. There are also plenty of arrangements for dissimilar instruments, including for recorder and organ; for recorder, saxophone and percussion; and for jazz trio.
At this link, you can hear single variations from many of the arrangements mentioned above, as well as a number of others.
And then there are the more outré versions, such as Uri Caine's bizarre and (at times) dizzying take on Bach's famous variations. Not to be missed (though, at least by me, not to be entirely fathomed either.)
I won't go into detail today about the Goldbergs--saving that for next season's Bach Talk thereupon--but as promised above, here are links to the theme and a few of the variations as played by Seldom Sene. Amazing stuff!
The aria upon which the variations are built
The first variation
The 30th and final variation (the quodlibet)
I'm attaching the Bärenreiter score of the Goldberg Variations in case you'd like to follow along and/or explore further on your own.
Oh, and here's a little video on Seldom Sene, my new favorite recorder ensemble. And don't miss this crazy performance played upon instruments apparently made of plywood.