LIVE FROM THE CONCERTGEBOUW AMSTERDAM KIT ARMSTRONG PERFORMS BACH’s GOLDBERG VARIATIONS AND IT’S PREDECESSORS KIT ARMSTRONG PERFORMS BACH’s GOLDBERG VARIATIONS AND IT’S PREDECESSORS WILLIAM BYRD (1543–1623) Hugh Ashton’s Ground JAN PIETERSZOON SwEELINCK (1562–1621) Six Variations on “Mein junges Leben hat ein End”, SwWV 324 Six Variations on “Erbarm dich mein, o Herre Gott”, SwWV 303 “Armstrong’s phenomenal recital was so exceptional that every attempt to describe it falls short” JOHN BULL (NRC) (1562–1628) Thirty Variations on the theme “Walsingham” When Kit Armstrong was only 14, the Los Angeles-born musical prodigy overcame his mentor Alfred Brendel’s reluctance JOHANN SEbaSTIAN BACH to take on pupils. Said Brendel: “He played so beautifully (1685–1750) that I thought to myself, ‘I have to make time for him.’ It was Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 a performance that really led you from the first to the last note.” Soon Armstrong was winning international prizes both as pianist and as composer and was appearing as soloist at some Piano Kit Armstrong of the world’s foremost venues. One of the most prestigious of those halls was Amsterdam’s hallowed Concertgebouw Produced by Castus where, performing for the first time, Armstrong mesmerized Video Director Dick Kuijs his audience with Bach’s monumental Goldberg Variations – preceded by earlier polyphonic variation masterpieces by Length: approx. 140' William Byrd, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and John Bull. Shot in HDTV 1080/50i Cat. no. A 865 50028X It is exactly this succession of early baroque composers preceding Bach and their different approaches to the genre A production of of variations, combined with Armstrong’s way of exploring the UNITEL and Concertgebouw nuanced phrasings and the structural developments with an in cooperation with austere beauty, that shed a new light on Bach’s masterpiece. Serie Meesterpianisten and Riaskoff Concert Management “Enlightening and exhilarating” (Revierpassagen). World Sales: All rights reserved · credits not contractual · Different territories · Photos: © Renske Vrolijk · Flyer: luebbeke.com Tel. +49.30.30306464 [email protected] Unitel GmbH & Co. KG, Germany · Tel. +49.89.673469-630 · [email protected] www.unitel.de.