30 Bach: The Goldberg Variations Podcast

Lowry Yankwich
  • 4.9 (98)
  • MUSIC

“30 Bach” explores one of the most profound pieces of music ever written: J.S. Bach’s “Goldberg Variations.” Although the piece is over 280 years old, it continues to capture the imaginations of musicians and listeners alike. Through interviews with leading musicians as well as with devoted listeners, the podcast explores why the work is so meaningful to so many and explores the diverse and profound ways that listeners relate to the piece.

  1. 05/21/2021

    Aria: "He was superman"

    At last, we bring it all together with the return of the aria. It's the same place we began, and yet it feels different, colored by the journey. A journey through many different worlds, different places, different people's lives. Lowry Yankwich plays the final aria.

    25 min

  2. 05/14/2021

    Lennart Felix: "When I come back here, I always feel at home"

    Variation 30. In the last variation of the Goldbergs, Bach returns home, to a tradition of his family: creating mashups.  Interview with and performance by German pianist Lennart Felix, with additional commentary by Kristian Nyquist, Angela Hewitt, Jeremy Denk, and Philip Kennicott. Interview recorded October 24, 2017. Musical recording credits available at: https://open.spotify.com/show/0g4E7bf99tc5L6BGjkY1HG?si=xidMStfoTJWvME8MUYGK_g

    19 min

  3. 04/30/2021

    Hie-Yon Choi: "So much fun"

    Variations 26, 27, 28, and 29. These variations vibrate with joy, energy, excitement. We explore the times when Bach could let loose and lose himself in play within his music.‍ First interview conducted on November 10, 2017, over Skype. Second interview, and recording of performance conducted on August 6, 2018. Musical recording credits available at https://www.thirtybach.com/podcast-episodes/hie-yon-choi-so-much-fun

    24 min

  4. 04/23/2021

    Jeremy Denk: "The farthest possible place"

    If the Goldbergs are a celebration of life, variation 25 is a reckoning with mortality, revealing pain but also providing comfort. In this episode, we hear from many different people, including pianist Jeremy Denk, Washington Post critic Philip Kennicott, scholar Eric Motley, pianist William Heiles, and dancer Melissa Toogood. Photo credit: Michael Wilson Musical recording credits available at https://www.thirtybach.com/podcast-episodes/far-from-home

    30 min
  5. Kevin Sun: "We need joy"

    04/16/2021

    Kevin Sun: "We need joy"

    Variations 22, 23, 24. Interview with Kevin Sun, medical student and concert pianist. We discuss sources of joy in Bach’s life, and his ability to conjure joy, warmth, and humor in his music as an antidote to the tragedy that follows. Musical recording credits available at https://www.thirtybach.com/podcast-episodes/kevin-sun-we-need-release-we-need-joy

    26 min

  6. 04/09/2021

    Rachel Breen: "My musical education was painful"

    Variations 19, 20, and 21. Pianist Rachel Breen didn't have an ordinary classical music education; guided by her father, not himself a musician, Breen began with a diet exclusively of Bach. This episode delves into what it's like to learn Bach's music as a student -- the practice, the errors, the experimentation -- and what Bach was like as a teacher himself. Musical recording credits available at https://www.thirtybach.com/podcast-episodes/rachel-breen-my-musical-education-was-painful

    25 min

  7. 04/02/2021

    "Bach would have been a good programmer, a good engineer"

    Variations 16, 17, 18. Bach was a consummate craftsmen -- he knew not just how to write music, but how to build it. In this Interview, we speak with pianist Jeffrey LaDeur and his student, Ken Kocienda. Kocienda was lead software engineer behind the Apple iPhone and developed a strong affinity for the Goldbergs. Kocienda and Ladeur discuss parallels between music and design, and how constraints can actually enhance creativity. Interviews recorded in San Jose, California on January 2, 2018 and  in San Francisco, California on July 2, 2019. Photo credits: Jiyang Chen (LaDeur) Musical recording credits available at https://www.thirtybach.com/podcast-episodes/bach-would-have-been-a-good-programmer

    29 min
  8. Jeff Scott: "This is just an absolute party"

    03/26/2021

    Jeff Scott: "This is just an absolute party"

    Who said Bach's music was the last word? Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones

    22 min
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4.9
out of 5
98 Ratings

About

“30 Bach” explores one of the most profound pieces of music ever written: J.S. Bach’s “Goldberg Variations.” Although the piece is over 280 years old, it continues to capture the imaginations of musicians and listeners alike. Through interviews with leading musicians as well as with devoted listeners, the podcast explores why the work is so meaningful to so many and explores the diverse and profound ways that listeners relate to the piece.

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