The legend behind the Goldberg Variations suggests they were commissioned by Count Keyserlingk for his harpsichordist, Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, to help him with sleepless nights.
Interpretation
This album features Bach's Goldberg Variations, originally a keyboard piece, transcribed and performed on a solo violin by Jorge Jiménez.
Critical Reception
In 2014, Bach scholar Martin Jarvis proposed the revolutionary theory that Anna Magdalena Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach's second wife, might have composed the Aria and even the Cello Suites, though these claims have been dismissed by other scholars.
Composition History
The Aria, which forms the basis for all 30 Goldberg Variations, appears in the Notenbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach, a collection of compositions dedicated to Bach's second wife.
Composer Biography
Johann Sebastian Bach experienced a profound personal tragedy in 1720 when his wife, Maria Barbara, died while he was away with Prince Leopold, and he only learned of her death upon returning home six weeks later.
Performer Biography
Jorge Jiménez, the violinist on this recording, is known for his historically informed approach to performing music from the Middle Ages to the 21st century.
Instruments
Jorge Jiménez plays a Francesco Ruggieri violin from 1680, provided by the Jumpstart Jr. Foundation, and a Michelangelo Bergonzi from 1780.
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