The recording of the »Goldberg Variationen« by Johann Sebastian Bach captivated David Fray as a child. Today, he brings the variations to life with his own hands – as one of the most exciting Bach interpreters of the last decades. The French pianist did not title to himself, but he handles it as calmly and elegantly as his piano interpretations. Hardly surprising, that he now also ventures into the »Goldberg Variationen«. The complex structure and the sensitivity make the piece one of the most Bach’s most demanding, but also most emotional works. The beginning and the end aria runs through thirty variations until it finally returns to its original form. »If you play this theme again after thirty variations, it’s as if you’re at the end of your life and you’re looking back at everything, « says David Fray about the closing minutes. According to legend, intended as a lullaby for one of Bach’s friends, the »Goldberg Variationen« still tempts today to digress into our own world of thoughts and dreams.

Followed by a Meet & Greet

Image © James Bort