Aria - Bach Goldberg Variations - Piano Tutorial

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This video features the Aria from Bach's Goldberg Variations in 2 versions in overheard keyboard view with links to free scores featured in this video. How Bach constructed the variations is demonstrated in general terms with musical examples.
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This video is part of a series aims to make Bach's Goldberg Variations more comfortable to play on piano. Urtext notation edits and fingering suggestions featured in each video for download in my new edition.
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VIDEO: "Bach Goldberg Variations in Overhead Keyboard View" Complete Aria and 30 Variations:    • Видео  
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VIDEO TUTORIAL: "Unknotting Bach Goldberg Variations" PLAYLIST:
   • Bach Goldberg Variations  
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FREE SCORES IN PUBLIC DOMAIN: "Bach Goldberg Variations"
http://imslp.org/wiki/Goldberg-Variat...

Includes "Busoni Edition" with Aria featured in this video series. See "Arrangements and Transcriptions" tab.
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Spoken dialogue in this video in English language text (as requested for online translation)

Bach wrote Goldberg Variations for Count von Keyserlingk, a Russian Ambassador, who had insomnia, to be played to him in his castle by the young and talented harpsichordist Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, who had studied with Bach, in order to cheer up him up during his sleepless nights. The Count asked Bach to compose something for this purpose "of a soft and somewhat lively character".

Goldberg Variations begins with an Aria followed by 30 variations on a simple ground bass theme and closes with a repetition of the Aria.

An "Aria" is a piece of music with an expressive melody normally written for solo voice, we usually find them in operas, oratorios, cantatas and so on.

The Aria in Goldberg Variations is in Binary form. It is usually played softly and is atmospheric in mood. It has two sections (A-B) Bach indicates each section is to be repeated and this pattern continues throughout the Goldberg Variations.

Bach develops the whole work from just a simple ground bass line harmonised in various ways. The key is mainly G major but there are a number of G minor variations too.

This A-B Ground bass line (without repeats) takes 32 bars and the set of variations comprise of 32 individual movements. Bach composes a canon every third variation starting with a canon at the unison, followed by a can at the 2nd, then third and so on finishing with a canon at the 9th. The notoriously difficult "virtuoso" for want of a better word 2 manual variations follow a similar pattern.

Here is the ground bass line.
(musical example)

Here is one example of harmonisation.
(musical example)

I'll play the ground bass line with the Aria's melody quietly at the same time.

And here's Variation 1 played in the same way. It's fun to do this exercise with each variation.


In my Bach Goldberg Variations recording I used the Aria as arranged by Busoni. You can download the Busoni edition of the Goldberg Variations from the IMSLP Public Domain Music Library, linked below. You'll find it in the section "Arrangements and Transcriptions".

An "alternative" version of the Aria appears as part of my new edition "Bach Goldberg Variations for Piano" which you can download as a free PDF also from a link below.

Now I'll play the Aria from the Busoni edition and follow on with that alternative version mentioned in an overhead keyboard view for those looking for complete fingering suggestions.