It is almost as daunting a task to write notes about Bach’s ‘Great Variations’ as it is to add to past performances and recordings of them. I can think of no other single keyboard work that has so much baggage attached to if for both the performer and public alike.

Glenn Gould’s 1955 recording influenced everyone’s reception, perception and performance of this work. The musical conception of this work, for both players and listeners alike, is absolutely and inescapably affected and effected by Glenn Gould. This recording radically readjusted perceptions of what Bach could sound like, with its devastating speed, brilliance and Gouldian intellectual deconstruction. It came at a time just before the twentieth-century early-music movement came to fruition and began to exert its own influence. Gould and the ‘Goldbergs’ were there first. Partly because of this, I feel that harpsichord playing and the interpretation of Bach’s Variations never managed fully to come to terms or deal with Gould’s towering presence. This small introduction will take the reader through a few of the many thought processes and feelings of someone facing the baggage and weight of the modern tradition associated with this work.

The extremely abstract nature of the music sends musicians and musicologists scrambling for clues to give it meaning. Even the music’s historical background is shrouded in second-hand myth. Bach’s first major biographer Johann Nicolaus Forkel (1749 -1818) tells a tale of Count Kaiserling, whose sleepless nights were soothed by an amazing young keyboard talent, Goldberg. The Count, he reports, asked Bach to provide Goldberg with variations for him to add to his nocturnal repertoire. At the present time, the majority of musicological thinking considers this story to be untrue, or at least highly unlikely. Elsewhere in his biography, Forkel refers to the work as ‘The Great Variations’. Bach’s own son, Carl Philipp, describes them in his father’s obituary exactly as published: An Aria with 30 Variations for 2 manuals. I have my own theory, admittedly somewhat fantastic, about this story. Maybe it was an ‘urban myth’ generated by Bach himself with the aim of adding just one more layer to the number games which he enjoyed later in life. (In 1741, the year of this work’s publication, Goldberg was 14 - BACH = 14, JSBACH = 41: using A=1, B=2…I/J=9 etc.)

Bach was concerned with structuring his works on both a short and long-term level — not only the musical material, but the dates of publication. The ‘Aria’ (32 bars in length) is followed by 30 ‘diverse’ variations, after which Bach gave the direction ‘Aria da Capo è Fine.’ — ‘Go back to the beginning, play the Aria again, and finish’. On the simplest level, the 32 sections (2 arias and 30 variations) are in numerical harmony with the 32 bars of the Aria itself. The 30 variations compositionally form 10 groups of three: the third variation of each group containing a canon between two voices — the tonal distance employed increases progressively by one step per canon, from a unison to a ninth. The astute mathematician will already have sniffed a rat. Surely with ten groups of 3 the last canon should be at the tenth? The final variation, by following through his self-imposed system, should have contained a canon at the tenth. In its place Bach presents us with a ‘Quodlibet’. A fine description of this odd musical ‘experience’, even involving the family Bach, is reported by Forkel:

“For now they sang popular songs, the contents of which were partly comic and partly naughty, all together and extempore, but in such a manner that the several parts thus extemporized made a kind of harmony together, the words, however, in every part being different. They called this kind of extemporary harmony a Quodlibet, and not only laughed heartily at it themselves, but excited an equally hearty and irresistible laughter in everybody that heard them. ”

Why a ‘Quodlibet’ for the last variation? Perhaps Bach was acknowledging God in Heaven as the single Creator of perfection. I’m sure Bach could have provided the perfect concluding variation (in 4 voices and including a canon at the tenth) to crown his most perfect keyboard creation. In throwing together four secular ‘arias’, albeit in a most cunning way, he shows himself to be earthly, humble and human - achieving perfection only in our eyes and providing us with ‘cantabile’ heaven.

As for the long term planning, the publication of his ‘Clavierübung’ spans 15 years — from the appearance of the first Partita in 1726 to the Variations of 1741. Each part has it own formal planning but is inextricably linked to and part of the whole. Even the key relationships and order of the individual parts and whole were carefully worked out. Each part within the cycle also has some formal similarity to the others. One in particular can be found at the mid-points of each. Here Bach places an ‘Ouverture’ — a French Overture with characteristic dotted rhythms in the first of its two sections. Numerological consideration also exerts its influence on chosen publication dates. For instance, he began publishing the harpsichord Partitas yearly from 1726 (at the age of 41). In 1731 he could proudly and completely present his ‘Opus 1’. Opus 1 contains 41 movements in total. Such long term thought and care seems highly surprising to us now. Our pace of life and unsettled world makes this kind of long view and organization rare.

The word ‘cantabile’ in connection with the harpsichord would not perhaps be the first to enter most people’s minds. In teaching his students, as we learn from Bach’s title-page for the Inventions and Sinfonias of 1723, he demanded them ‘above all’ to achieve a true ‘cantabile’ from the instrument. Often today more concern is given to highly-articulated systems in playing the harpsichord which seem, as I understand things, contrary to its nature historically and aesthetically. Only allowing French repertoire to be concerned with sound, and insisting that Italian (the county of the voice and opera) and German repertoire (born of a total absorption of French lute music) be delivered in an ‘organistic’, detached manner is to deny the harpsichord its birthright. It firmly belongs within the ‘resonant’ family of instruments — with the lute and harp. We must try to make it the ‘machine-that-can-sing’, or at least ‘ring’. This instrument can, was, and should be able to make music in a noble and rich way. A heavenly ‘cantabile’ and resonant approach on the instrument may switch a few more listeners on to the harpsichord.

It seems to me that the ‘Goldbergs’ are unique in Bach’s output, as they absolutely demand to be delivered on an appropriately voiced harpsichord, and played with a correct and historical sound aesthetic for the instrument. Using a piano, organ or synthesizer can (depending on the player) be interesting, but the Variations are ultimately symbiotic with the sound-world of the harpsichord.

A timely coincidence musicological discovery allowed me to use Bach’s own tuning system for this performance. There have been many claims and counter-claims since Bach’s death as to his own preferred method of tuning. Most of them have little actual connection to Bach himself. Incredibly to me, there is still even a camp in favour of equal temperament. In a brilliant and refreshingly musical piece of thinking and musicology, Bradley Lehman seems to have discovered ‘the Truth’, or at least a Truth. This tuning system is rooted in the seventeenth –century (a sixth-comma meantone tuning), but (as you would expect with Bach) simply and brilliantly adjusted to accommodate the remotest key areas. I am sure that Lehman’s idea will not receive universal acceptance, but I find it utterly convincing. Where else would you expect Bach to leave his tuning system but on the title-page of Das wohltemperierte Clavier, Book 1?

I believe strongly in making all the repeats in these variations. It allows this music to sing more freely. It seems particularly important that the music specifically for two manuals is given the opportunity to be heard using both the possible keyboard combinations. Taking another journey through each section allows further exploration of the limitless possibilities in this music. I hope that this performance will bring the listener the delectation and spiritual refreshment that Bach wished.

“Sincerity in response to music is as much to be valued as sincerity in every form of life. Freedom of thought about music and freedom of reaction to music are indispensable to true culture. Just as each of us must be free in this, so we must insist on everyone else being free. Tolerance and generosity of spirit are absolutely essential to art of all kinds – in us as individuals — in our community — our nation — and the whole world.”

--Leopold Stokowski, from ‘Music for all of us’.

© 2006 by Richard Egarr

Biography

Richard Egarr is one of the most exciting and versatile musicians of his generation. He plays all types of historical keyboards, performing music ranging from fifteenth century organ intabulations to modern piano music from this century. He is in great demand as a soloist, chamber musician and conductor.

Richard Egarr enjoyed his musical training as a choirboy at York Minster, at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester, and as Organ-Scholar at Clare College Cambridge. His study with Gustav Leonhardt in Amsterdam further inspired his work in the field of historical performance, culminating in his taking top prize in the International C.P.E. Bach Fortepiano-Clavichord-Harpsichord Competition in Hamburg.

As a conductor Richard Egarr has had great experience in many fields. He has directed operas and oratorios, from Bach ’ s Matthew Passion to John Tavener ’ s Ikon of Light. He has been greeted as director of specialized ensembles and modern orchestras alike, notably The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Dutch Radio Chamber Orchestra, Vienna Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra of Europe. In April 2005, The Academy of Ancient Music appointed him ‘Associate Director’ ; he is also director of the Amsterdam-based Academy of the Begijnhof. Recent productions include Händel’s Acis & Galatea, Purcell’s Fairy Queen, Bach’s b-minor Mass and Telemann’s Matthew Passion, a Stokowski program with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, and several productions of Händel’s Messiah, two of them with Portland Baroque Orchestra. This season comprises productions of H’ndel’s Alcina and L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, a recording of dramatic Händel Opera arias with soprano Emma Bell and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Messiah with the Cleveland based Apollo’s Fire and with OAE at the Paris Théatre des Champs Elys’es. Next season includes productions with Tafelmusik Toronto after his successful debut last year, a concert tour and recordings of Händel’s Organ Concertos Opus 3 with The Academy of Ancient Music and a collaboration with the Dutch Bach Society in H’ndel’s Esther.

As (orchestral) soloist, Richard has performed extensively in the major music festivals throughout Europe, as well as critically acclaimed tours in the USA and Japan. He has played in the Musikverein in Vienna, the Philharmonie in Berlin, and the Wigmore Hall in London. He was guest soloist with the Dutch Radio Chamber Orchestra in three consecutive years, in concertos by C.P.E. Bach, Haydn and Mozart.

Richard has also demonstrated his remarkable improvisational skills in several concerts with jazz pianist-composer Guus Janssen and the Netherlands Wind Ensemble.

In chamber music, Richard forms an ‘unequalled duo for violin and keyboard’ (Gramophone) with violinist Andrew Manze. They have toured Europe and North America with music from the Stylus Phantasticus and late baroque. This season they will be turning to the classical era with performances of Mozart’s Auernhammer Sonatas and Sonatas by Schubert and Hubert Parry.

In 2005 Richard Egarr became an exclusive recording artist for Harmonia Mundi USA. His solo discs include works by Frescobaldi, Gibbons, Couperin, Purcell, J.S. Bach, and the complete recording of the keyboard works of Johann Jakob Froberger. Recent recordings include ‘Per Cembalo Solo’ (works of Bach; CD of the Month in Gramophone) and sonatas by Rebel, Handel (nominated for a Grammy Award) and Bach with Andrew Manze (all HM USA). Their Pandolfi CD won a Gramophone Award, and their recordings of Corelli Sonatas and Biber’s “Rosary Sonatas” have garnered worldwide acclaim. With The Academy of Ancient Music he recorded works by Geminiani and the complete Bach harpsichord concertos, both for Harmonia Mundi USA. Upcoming recordings include violin sonatas of Mozart (with Andrew Manze) and Bach’s “Goldberg Variations. ”

In March, 2006 Richard will make his debut solo recital tour of North America with concerts in New York, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Seattle, Princeton, and at Duke University.