Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The Open Goldberg Variations: J.S. Bach’s Masterpiece Free to Download | Open Culture

The Open Goldberg Variations: J.S. Bach’s Masterpiece Free to Download | Open Culture First published in 1741, J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations is often considered the most ambitious composition ever written for harpsichord. As this conversation at NPR notes, the piece begins “with an initial melody, the Aria, followed by 30 short but brilliant variations built on eight notes that Bach appears to have borrowed from Handel.” It’s an impressive example of musical one-upmanship — so impressive that the demanding piece still captures our often divided attention today.