Table of Contents
- 1 What is the theme of the Goldberg Variations?
- 2 What is the structure of the Goldberg Variations?
- 3 What is a variation set in music?
- 4 How long does Goldberg Variation take?
- 5 How many variations are there in the Goldberg Variations?
- 6 Why are Goldberg variations hard?
- 7 How well do the Goldberg Variations compare to the earlier recordings?
- 8 What was the last recording of Gould’s music?
What is the theme of the Goldberg Variations?
The “Goldberg Variations” was published by Bach using the title “Clavierbung.” The basic theme of the composition is on “single ground bass,” along with variations displaying Bach’s exceptional command on diverse styles of music along with his delicate techniques.
What is so special about Goldberg Variations?
Consisting of an opening aria and then 30 different variations on it, the Goldberg Variations — named after its first performer Johann Gottlieb Goldberg and published in 1741 — is Bach’s most popular keyboard work, partly because it isn’t laden with the academic formality of the Well-Tempered Clavier, and covers so …
What is the structure of the Goldberg Variations?
The genre structure of the Goldberg Variations includes preludes, dance, inventions, canons and toccata. Among them, canon is the most important genre in this structure.
What instrument were the Goldberg Variations written for?
harpsichord
What are the Goldberg Variations? Around 1741, Bach published a long and complicated keyboard piece, calling it Aria with diverse variations for a harpsichord with two manuals (keyboards).
What is a variation set in music?
The simplest variation type is the variation set. In this form of composition, two or more sections are based on the same musical material, which is treated with different variational techniques in each section.
Why are the Goldberg Variations called the Goldberg Variations?
The Goldberg variations were first published in 1741, when Bach about 56 years old (in the last decade of his life). They’re named as such because a man named Johann Goldberg, a super skilled keyboardist, was likely the first one to perform it. The Goldberg Variations were originally written for harpsichord.
How long does Goldberg Variation take?
The length of a performance of the Goldberg Variations can therefore vary drastically: Gould’s 1955 recording is 38 minutes 34 seconds long, while his reconsidered, slower 1981 version (see below) is 51:18. By way of contrast, fellow Canadian Angela Hewitt’s 1999 record is 78:32.
What key is the Goldberg Variations in?
G major
Goldberg Variations/Keys
How many variations are there in the Goldberg Variations?
30 variations
What are the Goldberg Variations? The work itself consists of 30 variations, starting with a single ‘Aria’. After transforming the music over the course of an hour, using different time signatures, textures, and harmonies, the beautiful first aria returns, with a completely different feel from the first hearing.
Why is variation used in music?
A variation is music that is based on the original theme but is somehow different. A composer can vary the theme by changing the rhythm, changing the harmony, or by decorating the melody by adding additional notes. As long as the music is similar to the theme but not the same, it would be considered a variation.
Why are Goldberg variations hard?
The Goldberg variations were designed to be pleasant enough and listened as a coherent whole, so they are more sought after, resulting in a larger competition. And you can’t go easy on either the difficult or easy ones without impacting your overall performance.
Why did Gould record Bach’s Goldberg Variations in 1955?
With his 1955 recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, the young pianist made a compelling case for a work that, at the time, was considered an obscure keyboard composition by an otherwise imposing master of Baroque music. Gould made his counter-argument for the piece’s rightful prominence by taking wild liberties with the source.
How well do the Goldberg Variations compare to the earlier recordings?
Reissued together now to mark the 20th anniversary of his death, the two recordings of the Goldberg Variations provide a fascinating comparison. The earlier one has been scrupulously remastered for the new album, and sounds more lifelike and immediate than ever before.
What makes Gould’s Goldbergs so special?
Gould makes an argument for his own radical vision of how the piece should be played. He sees his own jagged cadence not in defiance of but as a requisite to Bach’s score. Even listeners who put the Goldbergs on as background music are likely to sit up and pay attention when Gould pours it on during Variation No. 5.
What was the last recording of Gould’s music?
The last recording to appear in Gould’s lifetime, completing the discographical circle that had begun so spectacularly with the same work in 1955. “I would like to think that there is a kind of autumnal repose in what I’m doing, so that much of the music becomes a tranquilizing experience.