The Goldberg Variations are structured around the number 3, with canons closing each group of three variations and 32 bass notes shaping the cycle, which itself consists of 32 numbers.
Cultural Impact
Beethoven recalled the return to the original theme in the Goldberg Variations in his own Sonata in E major op.109.
Interpretation
Many of the Goldberg Variations were written for a harpsichord with two keyboards, but performing them on a single keyboard, as David Fray does, amplifies the instrumental challenges.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Bach referred to the 30 transformations in the Goldberg Variations as 'Veränderungen,' meaning 'changes'.
Compositional Technique
The Goldberg Variations include three 'black pearls' — variations 15, 21, and 25 — which are in a minor key amidst the work's overall G major landscape.
Composition History
A legend, possibly true, claims that the Goldberg Variations were commissioned by an insomniac count.
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