The harpsichord used for this recording by Davide Pozzi is a copy by Cornelis Bom, modeled after an instrument by Mietke.
Composition History
In the final 30th variation, Bach incorporates two popular song melodies, one about 'cabbage and turnips' and another with the text 'I haven't been by you for so long,' hinting at the return of the opening Aria.
Recording & Production
This recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations was made in Pieve di San Lorenzo Mondinari, Cremona, Italy, in June 2016.
Compositional Technique
Bach's Goldberg Variations systematically use two manuals, a technique likely derived from his organ compositions, expanding the keyboard's full range to vary the bass line's sound color.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The Goldberg Variations are structured with 30 variations, a number representing plenitude (10x3), with an additional division by 3, symbolizing the Trinity, and each variation typically has 32 bars.
Interpretation
The harpsichord on this recording uses a modified Werckmeister IV temperament, with a tuning of A=415 Hz, chosen to highlight the character of major and minor variations.
Composition History
The Goldberg Variations, originally titled "Aria with Thirty Variations," are the fourth and final part of Bach's Clavier-Übung (keyboard exercise) collection.
