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Johann Sebastian Bach was a composer with an open mind. He had the capacity to imagine countless musical possibilities. In that light, I think he would have greatly appreciated Dmitry Sitkovetsky's transcription of his "Goldberg" Variations. For more than three centuries, musicians and music lovers alike have been mesmerized by these deceptively simple little pieces, which are performed so eloquently on this new release by violinist Julian Rachlin, violist Nobuko Imai, and cellist Misha Maisky.

Bach's early biographer, Johann Forkel, claimed that the composer wrote the "Goldberg" Variations at the request of Count Hermann Carl von Keyserlingk, the Russian ambassador to the Dresden court.  Because of frequent illness, the count often found himself unable to sleep. When that happened, he would have his 15-year-old harpsichordist, Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, play these pieces, which Bach said described as having "a gentle and somewhat lively character."  

In 1985, to celebrate Bach's 300th birthday, Sitkovetsky arranged the variations for string trio. In this performance, the musical dialogue among Rachlin, Imai and Maisky is delightful. Maisky is no stranger to this piece; he recorded it with Sitkovetsky and violist Gerard Causse the year it was written.  

The primary difference between the two performances is the tempo. This new release has a livelier spirit than Sitkovetsky's stately 1985 recording. Its playful energy emerges right after the prayerful aria.  In the trio version, the first variation is reminiscent of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, written for three violins, violas and cellos.  The distinct color and tone of each string instrument adds a new texture, which in turn offers new insights into these familiar pieces. 

Bach based the "Goldberg" Variations on a deceptively simple French dance theme that he'd used two decades earlier in his "Anna Magdalena Notebook," a set of short pieces he assembled for his second wife. But that simple tune inspired a set of variations with a complex design. Every third variation is a canon, where the melody is presented in different polyphonic lines, starting at different times. The first canon is played in unison. The second canon begins a step higher, while the third starts two steps higher than the first.  

This challenging structure and the intricate writing mean these pieces are accessible only to virtuoso performers, like the three we hear on this new release. When I listen to Glenn Gould play the third variation, a canon, I find myself zooming in on his impressive technical skill. When I compare his piano rendition to the string arrangement by Sitkovetsky on this recording, my focus turns more to the melodic element and the role each instrument plays in bringing the beauty of that melody to light. The violin leads off, with the viola joining in as the canon begins.  Misha Maisky's cello provides continuity, taking on the role of the left hand on the keyboard. He quickly strums underneath before taking up the melody later on.

A variety of moods is captured as one variation flows seamlessly into another. The eighth variation is a delicate gigue. The cello once again provides the bass line, while violinist Julian Rachlin gently sweeps his bow across the strings, setting the notes free.  The gentle respite is brief, as the next variation launches us out of our slumber. The musicians may be smiling, or even chuckling to themselves as they dig into the music with wild abandon.

Bach knew how to display virtuosity in a way that brings out the best in the music, and his "Goldberg" Variations exemplify his ability to demand technical brilliance without compromising the beauty of the music. Violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky had a personal obsession with this work after hearing Glenn Gould's piano recordings.  Misha Maisky, Nobuko Imai and Julian Rachlin are all virtuoso performers who know how to share the beauty and the excitement of Bach's "Goldberg" Variations in a thoughtful, alluring way. Just as Bach would have enjoyed hearing this new interpretation of his music, I think you will, too.


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Julie Amacher

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J.S. Bach would probably have appreciated the transformation of his "Goldberg" Variations from a keyboard piece into a string trio. These deceptively simple little pieces have mesmerized music lovers for centuries, and a new recording of the trio version will do nothing to break the spell.

Strings add color to hypnotic Bach

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