Bach, Sylvia Marlowe - The Goldberg Variations

A wonderful breathtaking performance from Sylvia Marlowe ! Thanks !

Rest of the documentation: The following is an outline of the Goldberg Variations: 1/2

ARIA
Var. 1 a prelude in spirit, in texture a duet, with one voice
mostly in 16ths, the other in 8ths.

Var. 2 a trio. the upper two voices imitative, as though in
preparation for the canons to follow.

Var.3 CANON AT THE UNISON: another trio, with
the upper voices in exact imitation at one
measure's distance. Each measure of this variation
is equivalent to two in the Aria.

Var. 4 four-part counterpoint is heard for the first time.

Var. 5 the first of the arabesque variations, calling for
Scarlatti-esque hand-crossing.

Var.6 CANON AT THE SECOND: over an independent
bass, two voices in exact imitation at one
'measure's distance. the later voice always
starting a whole tone higher.

Var. 7 a duet in Siciliano rhythm.

Var. 8 arabesque.

Var.9 CANON AT THE THIRD: two canonic va-ices
over an independent bass. The canon is at one
measure's distance, and the later voice enters
one third lower than the leader.

Var. 10 FUGHETTA: four-part counterpoint once more,
moving in sturdy, march-like four-bar phrases.

Var. 11 arabesque with flowing triplet motion against
long held or trilled notes.

Var. 12 CANON AT THE FOURTH: over a free bass, the
second voice imitates the first one measure later
and one fourth lower. This canon is by inversion,
i.e. the leader's upward intervals are turned
downward in the imitation, and vice versa.

Var. 13 an elaborate cantilena whose texture is that of a
trio, but differing from those of Var. 2 and the
canons in that it is the upper voice that is alone
rather than the bass. Both in that and in the glory
of its embellishments, this variation is more like
the Aria than anything we have heard since the
beginning.

Var. 14 arabesque in which much is made of a 32nd note
figure alternately in the two hands.

Var. 15 CANON AT THE FIFTH: there are only three
variations in minor, and this is the first. As in
Var. 12, the imitation is by inversion. The measure
after the double bar brings a lovely subtlety: the
idea previously used by the canonic voices now
serves as accompaniment. The expressively
slurred pairs of 16ths dominate the mood.

Var. 16 OUVERTURE: in a siructural tour de force, the
two halves of the theme are presented as the two
parts of a French Overture, first a majestic introduction
in dotted rhythms, then a contrapuntal
allegro.

Var. 17 arabesque with rapid changes of hand position,
and with figurations most unusual for Bach, e.g.
the broken parallel sixths.
Var. 18 CANON AT THE SIXTH: somewhat march-like
(cf. Var. 10). The "theme" appears mostly in the
upper parts.

While the cover art is beautiful (The Blessed Mother and the Jesus Child), I'm not sure what that has to do with the piece being played.

Stunning, unique performance.

모든 음들이 한 마음 한 뜻으로 움직인다. 수많은 골드 중에 가장 빛나는 골드!

The Best!

Very precise playing. Metre strictly adhered to.

Rest of the documentation: The following is an outline of the Goldberg Variations: 2/2

Var: 19 a trio, somewhat like a minuet or passepied in
spirit, and unlike its predecessors in that the
chara'cter of each voice is not systematically
maintained.

Var. 20 arabesque with the two voices in constant and
brilliant chase.

Var.21 CANON AT THE SEVENTH: a vocal theme is
imitated at half a measure's distance. Each
measure of this variation is equivalent to two of
the Aria's.

Var. 22 four-part texture and march·like gait.

Var. 23 arabesque: a duet in scale-wise motion whose
32nds provide some of the most rapid movement
so tar. There are astounding and forward· looking
passages in thirds and sixths.

Var. 24 CANON AT THE OCTAVE: a lyric piece, with an
effect of great spaciousness produced because
the distance of imitation is two full measures.
In the' first half, the imitation is an octave below
the original, in the second half, it is above.

Var. 25 an embellished aria, and one of Bach's greatest.
Though the mode is minor, Bach maintains all
the pitches of his original bass, and an extraordinary
exploitation of chromatic harmony
results.

Var. 26 arabesque in which one hand plays in sarabande
rhythm, the other in continuous running 16ths,
both hands assuming both tasks.

Var.27 CANON AT THE NINTH: this light and witty
piece is the only canon not accompanied by an
independent bass, and it ;s the only' one to call
for two keyboards. In the first half, the imitation
is above, in the second, below. Note that · the
customary distribution of two and three part
textures found in the second and third of each
group of variations has been reversed for Vars.
26 and 27.

Var. 28 huge skips and the ~Imost constant excitement
of quasi-trills begin the finale.

Var. 29 powerful martel/ato chords continue the impulse.
Both this variation and the previous one depart
far from the norms of Bach's keyboard writing.

Var.30 QUODLIBET: this group is concluded not by a
canon, but by phrases of two folk-songs, treated
imitatively and proceeding over the firm and
familiar bass. Their words:

I've been away from you for so long
Come here, come here, come here.
Cahbage and turnips drove me away.
Had my mother cooked some meat
Then I'd have stayed longer.

There follows the only possible conclusion:
ARIA DA CAPO,
Forkel's story of the composition of the Goldberg Variations
concludes: "Bach was, perhaps, never so well rewarded
for any work as for this: the Count made him a present of a
golden goblet, filled with a hundred louis d'ors. But their
worth as a work of art would not have been paid if the
present had been a thousand times as great."
Michael Steinberg