Fumbling through “Aria” from Bach’s Goldberg Variations

Ever since hearing Glen Gould’s electrifying recording of the Bach’s Goldberg Variations, his debut album recorded in 1956 when was just 24, I’ve been obsessed with this piece. In that recording Gould opened my ears to what Bach could be. His playing, which seemed more interested in sharing the melodic and contrapuntal ideas in Bach’s music than producing something that was sonorously “beautiful”, allowed Bach to finally click for me.

This has lead to a life-long love of the Goldberg Variations both as a listener and as a (very amateur) player. There are only a few variations I can make it through at anything approaching the correct tempo, but I enjoy playing them none the less.

Here I am making my way through the first (and last) movement: “Aria”

See also Open Goldberg Variations.