Tips on Bach's Goldberg Variations

[michele1]

can you give me any tips on the above subject please?

[kalirren]

What sort of tips are you looking for?  I can offer a few tidbits of insight but no real structure - someone else should follow with better:

1) I think it is Murray Perahia, who in the CD jacket of his recording of the Goldbergs claims that there is a significant correpondence between the 32 movements (Aria, 30 Variations, Aria da capo) and the 32 measures of the Aria.  One prediction of this hypothesis is that the piece proceeds in groups (suites?) of eight movements: Aria-7, 8-15, 16-23, 24-Aria da capo.  And certainly #7 is a gigue, which typically concludes a dance suite.  #16 which opens the second half, is a suitably grand French overture.  But there should be other correspondences.

2) When I was studying these pieces (and I never finished them to my own satisfaction, much less performance quality) my teacher told me to do a chordal progression breakdown of each measure of each variation.  There are unique chords in each variation that should be brought out.

3) I personally think there is a symmetry of corresponding pairs of Canons - Vars. 3 and 27, 6 and 24, 9 and 21, 12 and 18.  About all I can say in support of this idea is that the corresponding pairs share many rhythmic elements and often have related time signatures and meters.

Vars. 15 and 30 do seem to stand alone in this respect, though if you just play 30 after 15, 30 does seem to answer a harmonic question posed by 15 using related elements.  Drawing a correspondence between 15 and 30 breaks the symmetry, but is justifiable - it's even tempting to call the resolution of 15 into 30 arc the major structural arc of the entire work.

4) My piano teacher suggested starting with the Canons, and I find myself agreeing with him as I pass on the recommendation.  They do form the structural skeleton of the work.