Writing about my musical path for the New York Times last month, I noted that the one strand of continuity for me, between instruments and repertoires, was Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Part of that continuity was my dissatisfaction with the work. Don’t get me wrong, the Goldbergs are incredible. But, from piano to harpsichord to organ, I felt there was always some way in which I was let down by the work when faced with the constraints of the instrument.
A Goldberg Variations Playlist
Transcriptions, arrangements, and improvisations on Bach’s austere masterpiece.
