For this week, we will “attend” our first virtual concert! The piece we will experience is Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Our performance is archived on YouTube, and you will use the following link:

In order to prove that you ‘attended’ this virtual concert, you will write a short essay, almost identical in nature to your responses, excepting the length requirement which is 2-3 pages For this essay, you are going to identify the four variations that you find to be the most compelling musically, and you will explain why you made your choices. Be sure to discuss specific musical components in your explanations. (In other words, you are to avoid an excessively poetic language, such as “The 3rd variation makes me feel like I’m flying through a cloud, with angels and God moving through shadows of…”) Although not a variation, I will allow you to pick the opening aria as one of your favs.
Make sure that you include specific timings from the video to corroborate your thoughts about what contributed to making your four favorite variations the most likeable.