The final variation, a Quodlibet, combines the omnipresent bass pattern with two folk melodies, which are believed to be farewell songs.
Compositional Technique
The Goldberg Variations are structured around a series of canons, with imitation beginning at the unison and progressing through intervals up to a ninth.
Composition History
Bach was reportedly rewarded for the Goldberg Variations with a golden goblet filled with 100 Louis d'Or, a significant sum for his time.
Composition History
Baron Keyserlingk requested Bach to compose pieces of a calm and cheerful character for his musically gifted servant, Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, to play during his sleepless nights.
Cultural Impact
The Goldberg Variations, with their blend of fantasy and strict form, significantly influenced later composers such as Beethoven, Brahms, and Reger.
Composition History
The Goldberg Variations were indirectly commissioned by Baron Hermann Carl von Keyserlingk, the Russian ambassador to the Dresden court, who suffered from insomnia.
Performer Biography
Tzimon Barto, the pianist on this album, received his first piano lessons from his grandmother at age five and later studied at the Juilliard School with Adele Marcus.
