LXXII. BACH, J.S. (1685-1750)
Yes, this is a very long piece -- but not as long as the Woody Allen joke about it, which appears in his film Stardust Memories (1980):
"I don't know much about classical music. For years I thought the Goldberg Variations were something Mr. and Mrs. Goldberg tried ..."
First off -- piano versus harpsichord.
Glenn Gould does an unbelievable job with this piece. On the piano.
If I'm going to spend 94 minutes listening to this music, I want it to be played on the harpsichord, for which it was written.
Rondeau is splendid, picking up on all the little details which make this massive composition so special.
Here's the aria, a sarabande:
From there, the variations follow specific patterns -- including every third variation being a canon. The other variations include various Baroque dances, a fughetta and a French overture.
The music is incredibly rich and supple. Bach's genius is nowhere more evident than in this sprawling work.
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