David Sanger harpsichord (copy, made by Feldberg, of an instrument by Goujon in the Museum of the Paris Conservatoir)
Recorded in Eltham College, London, Producer Ted Perrv, Engineer John Shuttleworrh. Released at the Saga label (5395) 1975.

The Goldberg Variations, first published in 1742, from part Four of Bach’s own collection oí keyboard works, Klaviertbung (literally “Keyboard Practice”). The theme that Íorms tne basis oÍ the variations (originally called “Aria with difÍerent variations”) is to be found in the Anna Magdalena Note-book, a practice book tfiat Bach compiled for his second wife in 1725; it is the Sarabande which followed the well-known aria Bist du bei mir.
It seems that Bach was not fond of variations as a musical Íorm, and he only used thist echniqueÍor large-scale works in the last ten years oÍ his liÍe. (Apart from the GoldbeÍg Variations, he wrole three other sets oÍ variations – The Art oÍ Fugue, the Chorale Variations on Vom Himmel hoch for organ, and lhe two ricercars Írom ïhe Musical OÍÍering.) We owe the existence of these monumental Variations to the insomnia of a Russian Envov in Dresden, Count Kayserling, and the remarkable virtuositv of his harpsichordist Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, a pupil of Bach’s who, if his birth certificate reads correctly, was only Íourteen vears old when presented with the Variations to play to the Count. Íhe origin of the Variations is given in the following extract from Forkel’s Íife of Bach:
“Count Kayserling fell very ill and could not sleep at night. Goldberg, who lived with him, had on these occasions to spend the night in an adjoining room so as to be able to play to him when sleepless. Once the Count said that he would like Bach to write some harpsichord pieces for Goldberg, oÍ a quiet and at the same time cheerÍul character that would brighten him up a little on his sleepless nights. Bach thought that the best thing would be some variations – a Íorm which he had previously thóught little of by rgaso_no Í the persistence of the same basic harmony throughout.
The Count always called them árs variations. He could nol hear them oÍten enough, and Íor a long time, whenever he had a sleepless night, it was “Dear Goldberg, play me one of my variations”. Bach rivas perhaps never so well rewarded for anv of his works as for this. The Count gave him a golden goblet containing a hundred louis d ‘ o r . ”

The Variations are one of three keyboard works for which Bach specified a two-manual harpsichord. In the other two works, the Italian Concerto and the French Overture, he had indicated changes oÍ manuals through the marks’piano’and ‘ f o r t e ‘ .
In these Variations each one is preceded the indication, “for one”, or. “for two keyboards”, or occasionally “for one or two kevboards”. The indications do not seem to facilitate easy execution but rather point to diÍÍerent tone-colours for difÍerent voices. For instance, the Íirst variation specifies one keyboard, even though the piece makes use of crossing. oÍ the hands, a device that is veiy characteristic of this work and is generally considered one oÍ the most typicalfeatures of brilliant harpsichord style in which the mechanical possibilities oÍfered by two keyboards are most efÍectively exploited. Even in the fiÍth variation, where the hands cross continually, Bach indicated “for one or two kevboards”.
Of all the canons, only the last (variation 27) requires two manuals, and yet surprisingly enough this canon has only two canonrc parts and no accompanying voice. The direction, “two keyboards” clearly indicates the use oí two difÍerent tone colours in the otheÍ canons, the indication “one kevboard” indicates that Bach was not trying to achieve contrapuntal clarity and emphasize the technical construction of these variatioris, but rather trying to hide their complex composition.

The Sarabande, or ‘Aria’ as it is named, both starts and Íinishes the whole work. The bass oÍ the Aria is used for the variations. a technique that results in the same harmony for each variation. This kind oÍ composition was especially favoured in England in the Seventeenth century, and in fact the same bass that Bach used in’these variations can be found in a Chaconne by Henry Purcell.
Each third variation is a canon, and in each case the interval between the imitative parts is increased by one step so that the first canon is at the unison, the second at the ihterval of the second, the third a canon at the third, and so on to the canon at the ninth. The variations are ordered in two parts; the sixteenth variation opens the second part with an Overture in the French stvle. This is one of the “Free” variations that also follow in triads.
Art & Sound Ltd. 1975

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