Description
This early set of variations layers ten variations over an A minor theme in the Italian style. A clear theme alternates with increasingly ornamented variations, foreshadowing techniques Bach would later refine in his variation works. At roughly ten minutes and over 4,100 notes, it requires advanced players to give each variation a distinct character.
Baroque-era arias marked by singing, lyrical melodic lines — a form used both in vocal music and as themes for keyboard variations.
About the Composer
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Johann Sebastian Bach was the towering figure of German Baroque music, serving for decades as Cantor of St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. Renowned for his mastery of counterpoint, he laid the foundations of keyboard music with works such as The Well-Tempered Clavier and the Inventions. This site includes 229 of his pieces, including numerous chorale settings and arias.
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