CCMusic.com

Stepan Simonian writes: "Why Bach? Why Goldberg? Johann Sebastian Bach was a true "essence" of music: a composer who brought literally everything together in his output, bridging all periods from Gregorian chant almost all the way to Viennese Classicism. In his seven early keyboard toccatas we encounter a young man gifted with genius, enriched by a multitude of musical influences, and still tempted to adapt to the musical developments of his day... Musical cycles such as The Well-Tempered Clavier, The Musical Offering, or The Art of Fugue constitute the ne plus ultra in terms of Bach's mastery of instrumental polyphony. The Goldberg Variations, conversely, present a compendium of his skill in composing variations. Since this variation cycle is written for a two-manual harpsichord, we can assume that Bach himself regarded it as an important milestone in his art as a performer on that instrument. Whether this supposition be true or not, there is no doubt that the Goldberg Variations represent one of the most outstanding works in the entire musical repertoire... Each time I perform, hear, or study these variations, I uncover new dimensions. They are brimming with the finest nuances, implications, and emotionally charged associations. The familiar path to that familiar home remains the same path, but the way I walk down it becomes thoroughly different every time."