
Bach’s Obituary of 1754
“If ever a composer showed polyphony in its greatest strength, it was certainly our late lamented Bach. If ever a musician employed the most hidden secrets of harmony with the most skilled artistry, it was certainly our Bach.“

Goldberg Ars Musica
Insight into the recordings of the Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, Variation 14 – 1st half
Insight into the recordings of the Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, Variation 20 – 1st half
Insight into the recordings of the Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, Variation 20 – 2nd half
Insight into the recordings of the Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, Variation 24 – 2nd half
Insight into the recordings of the Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, Variation 27 – 1st half
Insight into the recordings of the Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, Variation 30 – 2nd half
In 1731, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach called crossing
the hands a “very cunning witchcraft.”
Goldberg Variations
New Album Release
by Emanuel Melchior
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
Goldberg Variations
The Art of Fugue
– Contrapunctus I, Contrapunctus VI
Available as download and CD


Johann Sebastian Bach’s personal copy
A personal copy of the first printed version, complete with emendations (minor edits and corrections), was rediscovered in 1974; it was unequivocally declared as belonging to Bach in 1975.
In addition to carefully handwritten tempo markings, ornaments, articulation marks, and accidentals, the personal copy also contains a series of fourteen canons based on the fundamental notes of the aria, of which only canon numbers 11 and 13 were known about at that time. They are described as: “Diverse canons on the first eight foundation notes of the preceding Aria, by J. S. Bach.”

The Handexemplar (Bach’s personal copy of the published musical text) is now kept in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris (F-Pn MS-17669).
“The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”
Johann Sebastian Bach