Listen to First Aria:
" J. S. Bach Goldberg Variations "
MP3

"Keyboard exercise, consisting of an ARIA with diverse variations for harpsichord with two manuals. Composed for connoisseurs, for the refreshment of their spirits, by Johann Sebastian Bach, composer for the royal court of Poland and the Electoral court of Saxony, Kapellmeister and Director of Choral Music in Leipzig. Nuremberg, Balthasar Schmid, publisher."

This work was composed for a two-manual harpsichord. Variations 8, 11, 13, 14, 17, 20, 23, 25, 26, 27 and 28 are specified in the score for two manuals, while variations 5, 7 and 29 are specified as playable with either one or two. With greater difficulty, the work can nevertheless be played on a single-manual harpsichord or piano.

Ito Ema: Steinway and Sons Model D, Full Concert Grand Piano Serial #:114571, built in 1903.

This project was originally edited and assembled for LP cutting and production and is therefore presented here in two parts:

Part A (corresponds to side A) 176.4 kHz: track 01/88.2 kHz: track 03

Part B (corresponds to side B). 176.4 kHz: track 02/88.2 kHz: track 04

Part A contains the opening Aria theme and the first 15 Variations

Aria

Variation 1

Variation 2

Variation 3 Canone all`Unisono

Variation 4

Variation 5

Variation 6 Canone alla Seconda

Variation 7 Al tempo di Giga

Variation 8

Variation 9 Canone alla Terza

Variation 10 Fughetta

Variation 11

Variation 12 Canone alla Quarta

Variation 13

Variation 14

Variation 15 Canone alla Quinta

Part B contains the last 15 Variations and the final Aria theme

Variation 16 Ouverture

Variation 17

Variation 18 Canone alla Sexta

Variation 19

Variation 20

Variation 21 Canone alla Settima

Variation 22 Alla bre

Variation 23

Variation 24 Canone all`Ottava

Variation 25

Variation 26

Variation 27 Canone alla Nona

Variation 28

Variation 29

Variation 30 Quodlibet

Aria

Analogue Recording, February 1994

The Harmony Hall, Matsumoto, Japan

Microphones: Brüel & Kjær 4006 (one pair)

Microphone amplifier custom built by Junichi Yonetani

Cables: Cardas 300-B Micro; from mikes to mike amp

Furukawa PC-OCC; from mike amp to recorder

Recorder: Studer A-820 with 1/2 inch tape head assembly

Magnetic Recording Tape: 3M 996

Tape Speed: 30 ips/76 cps

Monitored on QUAD ESL-63 pro loudspeakers and Stax Omega Earspeakers

Director: Takashi Sakurai

Piano Technician: Koki Mizushima

Analog tape editing: Yukio Kojima

The transfer from Master Tapes to modified Korg MR-2000S, fitted with Creato Audio GoldClock 2.5 (www.creatoaudio.com; email: croese@creatoaudio.com) was facilitated by Maestro Len Horowitz at ?History of Recorded Sound? (email: hrsrecords@gmail.com) in Culver City, California.

Playback was via Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder.

Analog cables from Ampex ATR-102 to Korg MR2000S were Crystal Cable Ultra (3 meter pair) custom fitted with Switchcraft Connectors at the Crystal Cable factory. (www.crystalcable.com)

Produced and Engineered by Todd Garfinkle

This DVD-ROM contains 24 bit/176.4 kHz PCM files transferred directly from the master tapes, without format conversion. 24 bit/88.2 kHz PCM files, down sampled from the 176.4 kHz files have been provided for those not yet able to enjoy the higher resolution 176.4 kHz sources.

Sonically Yours,

todd garfinkle MA producer/engineer