Goldberg Variations

While The Musical Offering is Bach’s tribute to counterpoint and The Art of Fugue is a testament to fugue writing, the Goldberg Variations are Bach’s monument to performance practice and to the remarkable genre of variations. One of Bach’s most celebrated and revered pieces, the Goldberg Variations display not only Bach’s exceptional knowledge of the diverse styles of music of his day but also his exquisite performing techniques. On the title page of the score, Bach writes that the variations are ‘composed for connoisseurs, for the refreshment of their spirits’, but makes no mention of a dedicatee. Although the set later received the ‘Goldberg’ title, ostensibly written as a commission for the young harpsichordist Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, this dedication appears to have been fabricated by Bach’s biographer. Without more information from Bach himself, we can only speculate on the reason for the Goldbergs’ composition, but their craftsmanship, elegance and emotional power are never in doubt. In their original form for keyboard, numbering 30 variations in total, they also form one of the most challenging and ambitious series of variations in the history of Western classical music. Their difficulty stems not just from the intricate keyboard