Goldberg Variations
E53507
The Goldberg Variations is a monumental keyboard composition by Johann Sebastian Bach, renowned for its intricate set of variations on an aria and its central place in the classical piano and harpsichord repertoire.
All labels observed (4)
| Label | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Goldberg Variations canonical | 6 |
| Aria (Goldberg Variations) | 1 |
| Bach: Goldberg Variations (recordings) | 1 |
| Glenn Gould: Bach Goldberg Variations (1955) | 1 |
Statements (50)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
keyboard composition
ⓘ
set of variations ⓘ |
| approximateDuration | 45 to 80 minutes depending on repeats and tempo ⓘ |
| basedOn | bass line and harmonic progression of the opening aria ⓘ |
| catalogNumber | BWV 988 ⓘ |
| centralRepertoireFor |
harpsichord
ⓘ
piano ⓘ |
| clavierUebungNumber | IV ⓘ |
| collection |
The Well-Tempered Clavier
ⓘ
surface form:
Clavier-Übung
|
| commonlyPerformedAs | complete cycle ⓘ |
| composer | Johann Sebastian Bach ⓘ |
| compositionForm | theme and variations ⓘ |
| dedicatedTo | music lovers for the refreshment of their spirits ⓘ |
| difficulty | highly virtuosic ⓘ |
| firstPublicationYear | 1741 ⓘ |
| firstPublisher | Balthasar Schmid ⓘ |
| genre | Baroque keyboard music ⓘ |
| hasNicknameOrigin | associated with harpsichordist Johann Gottlieb Goldberg ⓘ |
| hasPart |
30 variations
ⓘ
Aria ⓘ Aria da capo ⓘ |
| historicalAnecdote | traditionally linked to Count Keyserlingk and Goldberg as insomnia music ⓘ |
| influenceOn | later variation sets and keyboard cycles ⓘ |
| instrumentation |
harpsichord
ⓘ
piano ⓘ |
| key | G major ⓘ |
| movementStructure |
canons at increasing intervals from unison to ninth
ⓘ
every third variation is a canon ⓘ includes French overture style variation ⓘ includes dance movements ⓘ includes fughetta ⓘ includes quodlibet in final variation ⓘ includes virtuosic toccata-like variations ⓘ |
| notablePerformer |
András Schiff
ⓘ
Angela Hewitt ⓘ Glenn Gould ⓘ Murray Perahia ⓘ Rosalyn Tureck ⓘ Tatiana Nikolayeva ⓘ Wanda Landowska ⓘ |
| notableRecording |
Glenn Gould 1955 piano recording
ⓘ
Glenn Gould 1981 piano recording ⓘ |
| numberOfMovements | 30 variations plus aria ⓘ |
| originalTitle | Clavier Übung bestehend in einer ARIA mit verschiedenen Veränderungen ⓘ |
| originalTitleLanguage | German ⓘ |
| period | Baroque ⓘ |
| placeOfFirstPublication | Nuremberg ⓘ |
| status | one of the most important works in the keyboard repertoire ⓘ |
| tonalDesign | predominantly in G major with some G minor variations ⓘ |
| uses | two-manual harpsichord in original conception ⓘ |
Referenced by (9)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
Aria (Goldberg Variations)
this entity surface form:
Bach: Goldberg Variations (recordings)
this entity surface form:
Glenn Gould: Bach Goldberg Variations (1955)