The Goldberg Variations (BWV 988) is a work written for
harpsichord by Johann Sebastian Bach, consisting of an
aria and a set of 30 variations. First published in
1741, the work is considered to be one of the most
important examples of variation form. The Variations
are named after Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, who may have
been the first performer.
Rather unusually for Bach's works, the Goldberg
Variations were published in his own lifetime, in 1741.
The publisher was Bach's friend Balthas...(+)
The Goldberg Variations (BWV 988) is a work written for
harpsichord by Johann Sebastian Bach, consisting of an
aria and a set of 30 variations. First published in
1741, the work is considered to be one of the most
important examples of variation form. The Variations
are named after Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, who may have
been the first performer.
Rather unusually for Bach's works, the Goldberg
Variations were published in his own lifetime, in 1741.
The publisher was Bach's friend Balthasar Schmid of
Nuremberg. Schmid printed the work by making engraved
copper plates (rather than using movable type); thus
the notes of the first edition are in Schmid's own
handwriting.
It is difficult to believe that Bach would have
published a commissioned work without any dedication to
either Keyserlingk or Goldberg, which makes the story
doubtful, along with the fact that Goldberg was only 14
at the time. Goldberg, however, was a renowned prodigy,
and there are links between Bach and Keyserlingk. Bach
may have given Keyserlingk a copy of the printed
edition and received a reward for it. The aria which is
the subject of the variations is an original creation,
an elegantly serene sarabande which contains everything
Bach needs for a vast universe of variation. Do not
listen for that exquisite tune in the variations,
however. Only some unifying cadential phrasing survives
Bach’s transformations, which are based on the
aria’s architecture and harmonic pattern,
particularly the bass line, making the Goldberg
Variations a sort of mega passacaglia or chaconne.
As András Schiff wrote in the liner notes for his live
recording of the “Goldberg” Variations: “
‘Aller guten Dinge sind drei’ – All good things
are three, thus the 30 variations are divided into ten
groups of three. Each group contains a brilliant
virtuoso toccata-like piece, a gentle and elegant
character piece, and a strictly polyphonic canon. The
canons are presented in a sequence of increasing
intervals, starting with the canon in unison up until
the canon in ninths. In place of the canon in tenths we
have a quodlibet (what pleases), which combines
fragments of two folk songs with the ground bass. The
tonality remains G major for the most part, with
shadows of tonic minor in three variations (Nos. 15,
21, & 25).” -John Henken
The work consists of an aria (sarabande) in 3/4 time,
and features a heavily ornamented melody followed by 30
variations.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldberg_Variations)
Although originally written for Harpsichord. I created
this Arrangement of the Aria from the Goldberg
Variations (BWV 988) for Flute, Bb Clarinet and Cello
at the request of a friend.
SHEET MUSIC