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Trevor Pinnock|Goldberg Variations (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)

Goldberg Variations (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)

Trevor Pinnock, Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble and The Glenn Gould School

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Composer Józef Koffler was the first Polish champion of Schoenberg's 12-tone system and a modernist whose work, based on this fascinating transcription of Bach's Goldberg Variations for harpsichord, BWV 988, is likely to be worth further investigation. He ran afoul of Stalin's Soviet Union and then, worse, of the Germans when they took over Poland, and he disappeared in the Holocaust. The Goldberg arrangement, composed in 1938, was perhaps intended as something palatable to Soviet conservatives, but it is in no way done by the numbers. For one thing, when Koffler composed the work, the Goldberg Variations were quite new in the public consciousness; they had received their first recording, from harpsichordist Wanda Landowska, just five years earlier. Koffler's version, for a small orchestra of strings and winds, was forgotten and was premiered only in 2019, by many of the forces on this recording: it is extremely artfully done. Koffler deploys his ensemble, generally speaking, in three different ways: with the strings taking Bach's melody line, with wind-and-strings atomization of the melody, and with counterpoint mainly in the winds. He is inspired by the broadly tripartite structure of the variations, with canons mostly making up every third variation, but he departs from this where Bach does, and the entire set retains the unity and growth of the original, with complexity and expressivity growing as if inevitably as the music proceeds. The work would make an ideal complement in concert to Anton Webern's arrangement of the fugue from Bach's Musical Offering, BWV 1079. Historical performance veteran Trevor Pinnock leads a mixed ensemble of young musicians, consisting of members of the Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble and students at the Glenn Gould School in Canada, and they play with precision and a fine edge. The Linn label delivers superbly detailed sound from the Britten Studio in Snape Maltings, UK, and the album graphics, showing a Chagall-like shtetl painting by the similarly doomed artist Chara Kowalska, are haunting. A unique release, fully deserving of the commercial success it has received.

© TiVo

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Goldberg Variations (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)

Trevor Pinnock

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Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler) (Johann Sebastian Bach)

1
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: I. Aria (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:04:45

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

2
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: II. Variation (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:02:11

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

3
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: III. Variation 2 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:01:47

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

4
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: IV. Variation 3 – Canone all’unisono (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:02:17

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

5
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: V. Variation 4 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:01:10

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

6
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: VI. Variation 5 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:01:45

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

7
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: VII. Variation 6 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:02:18

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

8
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: VIII. Variation 7 – Canone alla seconda (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:01:16

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

9
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: IX. Variation 8 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:02:07

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

10
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: X. Variation 9 – Canone alla terza (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:02:45

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

11
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XI. Variation 10 – Fughetta (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:01:40

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

12
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XII. Variation 11 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:02:24

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

13
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XIII. Variation 12 – Canone alla quarta (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:02:24

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

14
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XIV. Variation 13 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:03:42

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

15
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XV. Variation 14 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:02:13

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

16
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XVI. Variation 15 – Canone alla quinta (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:03:42

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

17
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XVII. Variation 16 – Ouverture (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:03:10

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

18
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XVIII. Variation 17 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:02:10

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

19
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XIX. Variation 18 – Canone alla sesta (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:01:33

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

20
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XX. Variation 19 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:01:08

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

21
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XXI. Variation 20 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:02:21

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

22
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XXII. Variation 21 – Canone alla settima (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:03:35

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

23
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XXIII. Variation 22 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:01:23

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

24
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XXIV. Variation 23 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:02:19

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

25
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XXV. Variation 24 – Canone all’ottava (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:03:18

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

26
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XXVI. Variation 25 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:06:03

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

27
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XXVII. Variation 26 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:02:21

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

28
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XXVIII. Variation 27 – Canone alla nona (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:02:02

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

29
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XXIX. Variation 28 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:02:27

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

30
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XXX. Variation 29 (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:02:35

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

31
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XXXI. Variation 30 – Quodlibet (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:01:54

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

32
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: XXXII. Aria (Reprise) (Arr. for Small Orchestra by Józef Koffler)
00:02:37

Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Copyright Control, MusicPublisher - Trevor Pinnock, MainArtist - Jozef Koffler, Arranger - Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble, MainArtist - The Glenn Gould School, MainArtist

2020 Outhere 2020 Linn Records

Album review

Composer Józef Koffler was the first Polish champion of Schoenberg's 12-tone system and a modernist whose work, based on this fascinating transcription of Bach's Goldberg Variations for harpsichord, BWV 988, is likely to be worth further investigation. He ran afoul of Stalin's Soviet Union and then, worse, of the Germans when they took over Poland, and he disappeared in the Holocaust. The Goldberg arrangement, composed in 1938, was perhaps intended as something palatable to Soviet conservatives, but it is in no way done by the numbers. For one thing, when Koffler composed the work, the Goldberg Variations were quite new in the public consciousness; they had received their first recording, from harpsichordist Wanda Landowska, just five years earlier. Koffler's version, for a small orchestra of strings and winds, was forgotten and was premiered only in 2019, by many of the forces on this recording: it is extremely artfully done. Koffler deploys his ensemble, generally speaking, in three different ways: with the strings taking Bach's melody line, with wind-and-strings atomization of the melody, and with counterpoint mainly in the winds. He is inspired by the broadly tripartite structure of the variations, with canons mostly making up every third variation, but he departs from this where Bach does, and the entire set retains the unity and growth of the original, with complexity and expressivity growing as if inevitably as the music proceeds. The work would make an ideal complement in concert to Anton Webern's arrangement of the fugue from Bach's Musical Offering, BWV 1079. Historical performance veteran Trevor Pinnock leads a mixed ensemble of young musicians, consisting of members of the Royal Academy of Music Soloists Ensemble and students at the Glenn Gould School in Canada, and they play with precision and a fine edge. The Linn label delivers superbly detailed sound from the Britten Studio in Snape Maltings, UK, and the album graphics, showing a Chagall-like shtetl painting by the similarly doomed artist Chara Kowalska, are haunting. A unique release, fully deserving of the commercial success it has received.

© TiVo

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