Bach Goldberg variations arranged for six-part viol consort (Fretwork, 2011)
The Goldberg variations BWV998 by J. S. Bach remain at the very pinnacle of Western music. In their richness, depth, warmth, humanity, and protean invention, they are quite simply unparalleled.
Like all great music — and especially music from the baroque and renaissance periods — the Goldbergs have been re-arranged for all sorts of different instruments and combinations. And this is indeed quite in keeping with the times: composers and players were constantly rewriting each other’s music. A version for string trio was published in 1986; there are versions for orchestras large and small, and for all sorts of ensembles (there is a lovely one for two marimbas, and even one for two bass viols) but this is the first version for a six-part consort of viols.
Purists will always complain about any arrangement not being correct, or true to the original, or in some way inimical to authentic baroque performance practice. But this misses the point that arrangement, re-arrangement, and re-writing of all sorts, were central to music making of the time. Bach may well have written the piece for a single harpsichord (but double manual), but that doesn’t mean that the piece can’t make musical sense on other instruments.
This recording dates from 2011, but I’ve only just become aware of it. I wondered if I might find this merely a curiosity, or whether it would bring out hitherto hidden aspects of the music. Currently I’m leaning towards the latter. The ‘attack’ of the harpsichord provides immense clarity to the voice-leading of the counterpoint. That clarity is muddied by a viol consort, where individual lines are more easily lost in a wash of sound. On the other hand, the subtlety of technique, and the superb musicianship and ensemble playing for which Fretwork is deservedly well known, means that every effort is made to accentuate voices as necessary, without being overly dramatic. I myself find it hard to divorce, as it were, the Goldberg variations from the sound of the harpsichord, so to me this recording sounds a bit odd. But I think if you were coming to the Goldbergs as a first-time listener, you may well find this recording totally satisfying and that it makes good musical sense. At any rate it’s worthwhile listening to this recording. Whether or not it brings out new aspects of the music, I found it very rewarding simply to listen to the Goldbergs with a fresh ear.
The arrangement is by Richard Boothby, who is the only current player in Fretwork who has been a member since its inception, and who is a viol player of impeccable credentials. The arrangement is thus itself extremely good. I can’t imagine that it could be done better. There are some times when the arrangement seems to struggle with the music a bit, particularly in the fast passages — I found here that the viol was less suited to the music than the harpsichord. But in fact such places are quite rare. Anyway, whether you see this as a work of great value, or simply as an interesting experiment, it’s well worth your listening time.
It can be found on streaming services like Spotify, and currently also on youtube.
Tell us what you think!
— Alasdair McAndrew