Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 Aria with 30 Variations

SCHUMANNJ.S. BACH G oldberg Variations

Alexandra Papastefanou Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 Aria with 30 Variations

1 Aria: Andante espressivo [3:59] H Variation 16: Ouverture [3:09] 2 Variation 1 [1:55] I Variation 17 [2:01] 3 Variation 2 [1:34] J Variation 18: Canone alla Sesta [1:25] 4 Variation 3: Canone all’Unisono [1:54] K Variation 19 [1:27] 5 Variation 4 [1:09] L Variation 20 [1:59] 6 Variation 5 [1:45] M Variation 21: Canone alla Settima [2:39] 7 Variation 6: Canone alla Seconda [1:50] N Variation 22: Alla breve [1:32] 8 Variation 7 [1:47] O Variation 23 [2:31] 9 Variation 8 [2:04] P Variation 24: Canone all’Ottava [2:32] A Variation 9: Canone alla Terza [2:21] Q Variation 25 [8:41] B Variation 10: Fughetta [1:52] R Variation 26 [2:12] C Variation 11 [2:15] S Variation 27: Canone alla Nona [2:05] D Variation 12: Canone alla Quarta [2:27] T Variation 28 [2:23] E Variation 13 [4:42] U Variation 29 [2:12] F Variation 14 [2:15] V Variation 30: Quodlibet [1:50] G Variation 15: Canone alla Quinta [4:41] W Aria (da capo) [2:16]

Total Timing: [79:29]

̶ 2 ̶ ̶ 2 ̶ Johann Sebastian BACH (1685–1750) Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 Bach’s Goldberg Variations were published in the autumn following year became Ambassador to the Russian Empire of 1741 as the fourth and final part of his Clavierübung at the court of Dresden and Warsaw. He later became the (Keyboard Exercise) cycle. We do not know when the work Russian Ambassador to the Imperial Court in Vienna in 1744. was written, but the Aria appears in the 1725 Notebook for Anna Magdalena; however, this could have been copied Objections raised to Forkel’s story include the fact that into blank pages of the book as late as 1740. The history Goldberg was only 13 or 14 years of age at this time and and circumstances surrounding the composition have been therefore could not have been able to play these technically handed down to us by Bach’s biographer Johann Nikolaus demanding variations. Why not? Musical history is littered Forkel. Unfortunately, Forkel wrote his biography in 1802, with child prodigies who could achieve the most extraordinary some sixty years after the event, although we know that he technical feats at the keyboard. Another reason for doubt is the did interview some of Bach’s sons about their father. Forkel’s fact that Bach did not dedicate the work to Count Keyserling account has been disputed, and still is, but it is worth repeating – his name is not on the title page and there is no dedication the salient facts here. – and it does not appear that the work was commissioned by the Count. He gave Bach a reward, according to Forkel, but When passing through Leipzig, Herman von Keyserling would Keyserling was rich and no doubt was delighted with the work take his young harpsichordist Johann Gottlieb Goldberg (1727– when he was presented with one of the first printed copies, 1756) to Bach for lessons. On one visit, Keyserling mentioned so why not show his pleasure by rewarding the composer in to Bach that he would like some pieces for Goldberg to play this way? to him during his nights of insomnia. The great composer responded with an Aria and set of thirty variations which have It has also been stated that the variations are totally unsuitable become a landmark in the history of keyboard music. Bach for an insomniac – but their purpose was not as a soporific was rewarded with a golden goblet filled with 100 Louis d’or. to lull the Count to sleep, but to divert and pass time while he was unable to sleep. It is disingenuous to believe The employer of Johann Goldberg was Count Hermann Karl that Goldberg would have played all thirty variations to von Keyserling (1697–1764). He had been appointed President Keyserling each time he was suffering from insomnia. Bach’s of the St Petersburg Academy of Sciences in 1733 and the inventive, mathematical and fecund musical mind could spin ̶ 3 ̶ parts. The Study variations are all in two parts designed to rigorous play of the harpsichord’. The same could be said of exploit various aspects of technique, evenly shared between Bach’s virtuosic study variations. the hands. Variation 5, flowing and even scaled, Variation 8, arpeggios based on rising triads, Variation 11, scales passing For the variations that follow the canons, Bach used a variety seamlessly from one hand to the other as well as arpeggios. of ideas and forms – Fughetta, Gigue, Sarabande and diverse slower tempos to provide contrast before the display of the There are many passages of sequential figuration of the type study variation. Throughout, Bach’s extraordinary invention Carl Czerny (1791–1857) would publish in multiple volumes never permits his restricted harmonic foundation and melody of daily studies for the next generation of keyboard players to line in G major to allow any monotony but, for tonal variety, perfect their technique. Indeed, Czerny edited his own edition just before the halfway point he moves to the tonic minor for of the Goldberg Variations for Peters Edition around 1850, the first of three variations; the Canon at the 5th (Variation adding his own metronome marks, plus tempo, dynamic and 15), the Canon at the 7th (Variation 21), both beginning articulation details. with a similar figure of a semiquaver rest followed by seven semiquavers, while for Variation 25 – three quarters of the At the beginning, although the first variation is a study way through the work – Bach writes an extended sarabande variation, to start the work in motion, Bach places a simple in the minor with a melody line and harmony of complex three and four part variation, utilising imitation, either side of chromaticism reminiscent in style and rhythm to Variation 13. the first canon at the unison. Thereafter, (from Variation 5) he The indication for two keyboards in the preface makes clear follows his pattern of study variation – canon – diverse piece, the intention in this case of highlighted melody on a different until Variation 28. harpsichord stop over a two part accompaniment but is also often indicates where the crossing of parts and hands After the half way mark, the writing becomes more virtuosic becomes physically obstructive on a single keyboard. with an obvious influence from Scarlatti whose Essercizi per gravicembalo, a volume of 30 pieces for harpsichord, was The air is cleared by the following virtuosic Variation 26, a published in London in 1739. It is possible, therefore, that study in even semiquavers written in 18/16 time. After the last Bach could have just discovered these extraordinarily virtuosic canon, at the 9th, Bach concludes his work with two virtuoso works at the time he was writing his Goldberg Variations. variations followed by the last, not a canon at the tenth, but Scarlatti’s Essercizi were also presented to the public as a a variation which he titled Quodlibet. This is a sort of ‘in-joke’ teaching aid, ‘an ingenious banter in the art to exercise you in where Bach takes two popular songs (Ich bin so lang nicht bei ̶ 5 ̶ an unlimited number of variations on his Aria – they may have Nineteen copies of this first edition survive today, the most even been tailored for Goldberg’s particular keyboard talents important being one discovered in Strasbourg in 1974 as it or composed to encourage the expansion of his technique. contains corrections made by Bach and fourteen extra canons based on the bass line of the Aria. Of Bach’s works for harpsichord, only the Six Partitas, Italian Concerto, Overture in the French Style and the Goldberg Bach was around 55 years of age when he wrote this work Variations were published during his lifetime. Bach’s friend and it can be seen as a collection of diverting pieces to be Balthasar Schmid published the Goldberg Variations in dipped into at leisure – there is certainly a great deal of variety Nuremberg. Bach stayed with Keyserling in Dresden in the amongst them. However, Bach had a unique mind that could Autumn of 1741 when one imagines at this time, he presented see structure, imitation, fugue, and all forms available to him with one of the newly printed copies of the work. The title him at a glance. His plan for the Goldberg Variations is one page has a long description: of such perfection that it is no wonder that it stands today, more than 280 years after its conception, as one of the great Clavier Ubung / bestehend / in einer ARIA / mit masterpieces of Western keyboard music. Much has been verschiedenen Verænderungen / vors Clavicimbal / read into the internal workings of this composition, a good mit 2 Manualen. / Denen Liebhabern zur Gemüths- / deal of it fanciful. One thing is clear, the number three – the Ergetzung verfertiget von / Johann Sebastian Bach / Holy Trinity perhaps – is prevalent throughout. There are 30 Königl. Pohl. u. Churfl. Sæchs. Hoff- / Compositeur, variations, every third variation is a canon at a rising interval, of Capellmeister, u. Directore / Chori Musici in Leipzig. / which there are nine in total, the aria is in triple measure. One Nürnberg in Verlegung / Balthasar Schmids could continue, but the overall structure is of more interest.

Keyboard exercise, consisting of an ARIA with diverse Not only are there canons at precise points, but each is variations for harpsichord with two manuals. Composed preceded by a virtuosic variation (exercise or study) that one for connoisseurs, for the refreshment of their spirits, by could imagine was written to display Goldberg’s precocious Johann Sebastian Bach, composer for the royal court of talent. It seems that Bach, who composed many works for Poland and the Electoral court of Saxony, Kapellmeister students to improve their abilities, wrote these cumulatively and Director of Choral Music in Leipzig. Nuremberg, to become more technically taxing for the performer with the Balthasar Schmid, publisher. last containing scales in double thirds and sixths. With the exception of the Canon at the Ninth, all the canons are in three ̶ 6 ̶ ̶ Aria (da capo) Quodlibet W Study Study 2 Part Sinfonia Étude – Courante V 1 Canon at the Unison U Var. 30. Aria Var. 29. T Canon at the 9th Var. 1. 4 Part Passepied Var. 28. Var. 2. 2 S 3 Var. 3. Var. 27. Study 4 Study Var. 4. R Var. 26. 5 Var. 5. Canon Adagio 6 at the 2nd Q Var. 25. 7 Var. 6. Canon at Forlane the 8th P Var. 24. 8 Var. 7. alla Giga Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 Study O Var. 23. Aria with 30 Variations 9 Var. 8. Study

A Var. 9. Ricercar N Var. 22. Canon at – Gavotte B Var. 10. the 3rd Var. 21. M C Var. 11. Fughetta Canon at Var. 20. D the 7th L Var. 12. E

Var. 19. F Var. 13. Study G Study K Var. 14. Var. 18. Var. 15.

J Var. 17. Canon at the 4th 3 Part Menuet Var. 16. I

H Canon at Sarabande Study Study the 6th French Canon at Ouvertüre the 5th ̶ 6 ̶ ̶ 7 ̶ dir g’west (‘I’ve not been with you for so long’), and Kraut Like many of Bach’s keyboard works, the Goldberg Variations und Rüben haben mich vertrieben (‘Cabbages and beets have were not written for public performance, but for the instruction driven me away’) and plays with them in his usual contrapuntal and diversion of connoisseurs. In 1916, Ferruccio Busoni way. Apparently, the Bach family would do something like (1866–1924) prepared an edition for the public performance this in a vocal fashion at family gatherings. It is an ideal way, of the Goldberg Variations. It is interesting to read this great a stroke of genius, to go suddenly from the extraordinarily musician’s preface to his edition: flamboyant virtuosity of the previous study variations – one directly following the other for the first time – to the spiritual ‘In order to rescue this remarkable work for the concert calm of the concluding Aria. There are also echoes of Variation hall (that is, to give the thousands, who cannot reproduce 9 at the beginning so that this last variation does not sound it themselves, an opportunity of hearing it), it is necessary incongruous. – more in this, than in the others of Bach’s Pianoforte compositions – either by shortening it, or paraphrasing it, to Parallels are often drawn between Bach’s Goldberg Variations render it more suitable both for the receptive powers of the and Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations. Similarities are few hearer, and for the possibilities of the performer.’ with the exception of each being a large work in variation form which stands as one of the great keyboard works of He suggested removing all repeats and discarding some of the Western music. Bach wrote 30 variations, Beethoven 33; Bach variations, something that would today be unacceptable. writes variations on a ground bass of harmonic progression, Beethoven wrote variations on a theme that he did not However, the work was played in public before this, and compose himself. There is a closer musical affinity with the probably without any drastic alteration to the text. One of the theme and six variations Beethoven wrote for his Piano earliest documented performances in London was by German Sonata, Op. 109 where the theme is a sarabande and some pianist and educator Edward Dannreuther (1844–1905). He of the variations use forms borrowed from Bach – a two-part settled in London in 1863 where he edited Liszt’s Études invention for Variation 3 and a fugue for Variation 5 while for publication, translated Wagner’s book on conducting even the shape of Beethoven’s Variation 4 echoes Bach’s and became known for his two-volume work on musical Variation 3. Beethoven also repeats his sarabande theme as ornamentation published in 1893. It was around this time, a conclusion to the work after a virtuoso display in the final in January 1892, that he played the Goldberg Variations in variation, as Bach does with his Aria. London. By omitting some of the repeats he played the work in forty-nine minutes. Nearly ten years later, at St James’s Hall ̶ 8 ̶ ̶ 8 ̶ in 1901, music theorist Donald Francis Tovey (1875–1940) theory and composition, first with I. A. Papaioannou, and then played the work, a performance which some found fascinating later, in the United States, with Frederic Fox. although the duration was found to be excessive and akin to a sermon from which one could not escape! Along with her activity as a performer, Papastefanou has pursued her in-depth study of J.S. Bach’s music, the meaning Today, the work is more popular than ever with audiences and and enduring appeal of which she examined in a lecture is becoming a calling card for many aspiring pianists. series. She has performed all of Bach’s keyboard works and, in a series of recitals, has presented his complete The Well- © 2021 Jonathan Summers Tempered Clavier, Goldberg Variations, The Art of Fugue, and The Musical Offering as well as his keyboard concertos. She has also performed and recorded the works of Robert Schumann. Alexandra Papastefanou – Pianist Born into a musical family, Alexandra Papastefanou graduated In 2018, Papastefanou recorded J.S. Bach’s complete The Well- from Athens Conservatoire, where she studied piano under Tempered Clavier for FHR [FHR65] to much critical acclaim. It Aliki Vatikioti. She followed her studies with Olga Zhukova at was awarded ‘Best Recording of 2018’ by The Union of Greek the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, with Peter Solymos Theatre and Music Critics ‘for the virtuoso and expressively at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and, on a impeccable approach of a monument of the world’s pianistic scholarship from the Alexander Onassis Foundation, at the literature, crowning a distinguished, consistent, long-lasting University of Indiana in Bloomington, with György Sebők. She personal artistic journey’. has also taken lessons from Alfred Brendel who praised her playing as well as her edition of The Well-Tempered Clavier Her release in 2019 of the complete French Suites of J.S. Bach (Ph. Nakas Music Publications). also for FHR [FHR70] ranked among the best recordings of the Suites according to international critics. Papastefanou was a finalist at the 1985 Clara Haskil Competition in Switzerland and received the Liebstoeckl and Papastefanou’s diverse repertoire extends from composers Fazioli Prizes at the International Geneva Competition, as well of the baroque era to more recent composers such as as the Spyros Motsenigos Prize from the Academy of Athens. George Crumb, György Ligeti, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Toru Takemitsu. She has also performed and recorded the Whilst pursuing her piano studies, Papastefanou took up music piano works of major Greek composers Dimitris Mitropoulos, ̶ 10 ̶ ̶ 10 ̶ Nikos Skalkottas, George Koumendakis, I.A. Papaioannou and Recorded at Dimitris Mitropoulos Hall, Megaron, Athens, Vangelis Katsoulis. Her music career also extendsd to lecture- 12 and 21 May 2020 recitals, featuring innovative thematic cycles. Produced by Alexandra Papastefanou • Engineered by Papastefanou has appeared, always to enthusiastic acclaim, Nikos Espialidis • Mastered by John Croft (Chiaro Audio) with symphony orchestras, in solo recitals and with chamber 24bit, 44.1kHz hi-resolution recording and mastering music groups across Europe (Germany, France, Great Britain, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain, the Czech Republic, Piano: Steinway & Sons, Model D, #572712 Russia, Finland and Hungary), the United States and Canada. Piano technician: Giannis Karydas Papastefanou has also recorded her début album as a composer, entitled Enamel (Smalto, in Greek), a collection of songs to Booklet notes by Jonathan Summers her own lyrics and musical arrangements (Lyra Records). Her Artwork by David Murphy (FHR) composition cycles12 Minerals for solo piano, and 12+1 Shells and Shadows for voice and piano, were recently published Goldberg Variationswheel chart on page 6 designed by by Ph. Nakas Music Publications and the album Minerals was Alexandra Papastefanou © 2021 recently published by Subways Music. Page 9: facsimile of the Aria from Aria mit verschieden Verænderungen (Goldberg Variations) published in 1742. (BnF)

Page 4: J.S. Bach holding his Riddle Canon, BWV 1076, portrait by Elias Gottlob Haussmann, 1746

Photos: Album cover and page 11 by Georgia Salambasi Back of DigiFile by Errika Zacharopoulou (Stavros Niarchos Cultural Center)

FHR thanks Peter Bromley and Alexandra Papastefanou ̶ 12 ̶ also available

J. S. BACH: The Well-Tempered Clavier (4CD) [FHR65]

MusicWeb International: RECORDING OF THE MONTH

‘Musically in the moment and convincing? Absolutely.’ (BBC Music Magazine: PERFORMANCE ***** / SOUND ****)

‘Beyond question, Papastefanou more than holds her own alongside the catalogue’s top piano versions of the ‘48’.’ (Gramophone)

‘Fresh is the word... A remarkable recording of Bach on the piano...’ (Rob Cowan, Classic FM Radio) ̶ 12 ̶ ̶ 13 ̶ J. S. BACH: French Suites (2CD) [FHR70]

‘A performance of considerable virtuosity and imagination.’(Gramophone)

‘Sheer joy and delight from start to finish.’ (MusicWeb International)

‘Be assured: Papastefanou’s is Bach playing of considerable distinction, vivacity and insight.’ (BBC Music Magazine: PERFORMANCE **** / SOUND *****)

‘Captivating pianism… her French Suites easily ranks among the catalogue’s finest piano editions…’ (Classics Today)

̶ 14 ̶ R. SCHUMANN: 1839 – Year of Piano (2CD) [FHR112]

CD1 CD2 Humoreske in B flat major, Op. 20 Faschingsschwank aus Wien, Op. 26 (1839–40) 4 Nachtstücke, Op. 23 3 Romanzen, Op. 28 Arabeske in C major, Op. 18 (1838-39) Bunte Blätter, Op. 99: 3 Stücklein (1838) Blumenstück in D flat major, Op. 19 Bunte Blätter, Op. 99: No. 10, Praeludium 4 Klavierstücke, Op. 32: No. 4. Fughette in G minor Albumblätter, Op. 124: No. 19 in A major: Phantasiestück

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