The second of the Lezioni di musica is dedicated to Johann Sebastian Bach, a truly indispensable figure when it comes to any discussion of speculative music. Some of the most famous examples at the very apex of absolute music were composed by Bach, just consider The Musical Offering or the unfinished The Art of Fugue. This lesson examines another, far less well-known but equally extraordinary collection, which was discovered as recently as 1974, the 14 Canons BWV 1087, which Bach wrote down on the last page of his own printed copy of the Goldberg Variations. They are built on the first eight notes in the bass of the Goldberg theme. Fourteen short, enigmatic canons (actually notated in an incomplete form, which the performer has to decipher and complete) of incredible complexity, which show us once again the extraordinary strength of Bach’s musical thought and his ability to compose music that is at one and the same time both fascinating to listen to and of the utmost technical and intellectual rigour.
Curated by Paola Damiani.
Broadcast live on Rai Radio3.
