I am currently in the process of reviewing Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 32, from the theme of the second movement to the five variations. It's taking quite a while, but in between, I started sequencing Bach's "Goldberg Variations", the first Aria, with a trio of violins, violas, and cellos.
My music advisor was going to perform the entire Goldberg Variations in a piano recital, so I decided to try sequencing it myself too. When simply listening to it on CD, it’s a wonderful piece that feels great to listen to, and for those with some piano background, the opening Aria might seem relatively easy to play. However, once I actually started sequencing it, even though the notes played correctly according to the sheet music, the result felt lifeless and utterly disappointing. As I looked into it further, I realized just how intricately designed the entire set of variations is—starting with the Aria, which is far from simple. Truly profound!
Therefore, I decided to start by understanding the role of each voice part. I searched for sheet music and was fortunate to find a score for a violin, viola, and cello trio arrangement by violinist Dmitry Sitkovetsky, dedicated in memory of Glenn Gould. The three voices are well assigned to each of the three instruments.
The Goldberg Variations were originally composed for the harpsichord, as indicated by its full title, Aria with Diverse Variations for a Two-Manual Harpsichord. The mention of 'two-manual' has significance, as it allows for hand crossing in performance. However, the piece became widely known when a young Glenn Gould performed it on a single-keyboard piano, propelling him to fame.
Well, let's see what happens.