Bach: Goldberg Variations

1. Aria
2. Varatio 1a 1 Clav.
3. Variatio 2a 1 Clav.
4. Variatio 3 Canone all' Unisuono. a 1 Clav.
5. Variatio 4a 1 Clav.
6. Variatio 5a 1 ô vero 2 Clav.
7. Variatio 6 Canone alla Seconda. a 1 Clav.
8. Variatio 7 a 1 ô vero 2 Clav. Al tempo di Giga
9. Variatio 8 a 2 Clav.
10. Variatio 9 Canone alla Terza. a 1 Clav.
11. Variatio 10 Fugetta. a 1 Clav.
12. Variatio 11 a 2 Clav.
13. Variatio 12 Canone alla Quarta. (a 1 Clav.)
14. Variatio 13 a 2 Clav.
15. Variatio 14 a 2 Clav.
16. Variatio 15 Canone alla Quinta. a 1 Clav. Andante
17. Variatio 16 Ouverture. a 1 Clav.
18. Variatio 17 a 2 Clav.
19. Variatio 18 Canone alla Sesta. a 1 Clav.
20. Variatio 19 a 1 Clav.
21. Variatio 20 a 2 Clav.
22. Variatio 21 Canone alla Settima. (a 1 Clav.)
23. Variatio 22 a 1 Clav. Alla breve
24. Variatio 23 a 2 Clav.
25. Variatio 24 Canone all’Ottava. a 1 Clav.
26. Variatio 25 a 2 Clav. Adagio
27. Variatio 26 a 2 Clav.
28. Variatio 27 Canone alla Nona. a 2 Clav.
29. Variatio 28 a 2 Clav.
30. Variatio 29 a 1 ô vero 2 Clav.
31. Variatio 30 Quodlibet. a 1 Clav.
32. Aria da Capo

After recording the second of Bach’s four Clavier-Übung volumes, the harpsichordist Aya Hamada turns now to the last one: the legendary Goldberg Variations. The discography of the work is vast, but here Aya Hamada has chosen to perform it on an exceptional instrument: the 1624 Ruckers belonging to the Musée Unterlinden in Colmar. Recently restored, this harpsichord boasts a palette of rich, authentic tones: dark in the bass, like crystal in the high register. With its unique timbre, this instrument enables the harpsichordist to give full expression to the successive metamorphoses of the poignant initial Aria, on which Bach built his greatest keyboard masterpiece.