Bach, Goldberg Variations, #29: Notation?

[efreitag]

Dear all,

I'm practising Bach's Goldberg Variations and need help from experienced players/musicologists. In variation 29, are the dotted notes in the left hand (e.g. bar 4) shorthand for triplets, or are they to be taken literally? In other words: Do the 32th notes in the left hand fall together with the respective last triplet in the right hand?

Kirkpatrick and Gould (both versions) seem to play triplets in the left hand as well (though it's not very clear), and in those fast tempi it's a small difference.

Any thoughts much appreciated!

[faulty_damper]

Those are triplets.  There was no way to notate triplets like we do today; that was Bach's best attempt at remedying the problem.