5 Canons on the Goldberg Ground

J. S. BACH: Five Canons on the First Eight Notes of the Goldberg Ground, BWV 1087

The lesser known Canons from the Goldberg Ground are based on the first eight bass notes of his titanic Goldberg Variations. In this music video, we perform five of the fourteen canons, each of which employs stunning contrapuntal gymnastics. For example, Canon No. 11 is something of a puzzle: the cross can be found in a variety of guises, both musically and graphically within the notation itself, symbolizing the inscription Bach himself inserted: “Christ will crown those who carry His cross.” Our music videorendering—featuring Bach’s own manuscripts of this piece—visually illustrates the compositional and executional ingenuity of these variations, as well as the bassline’s omnipresent role.