Neilson Hays presents Bach’s Goldberg Variations
On Jan 15, Neilson Hays Library invites you to join in its New Year celebration with a concert by the N.A.O. Trio performing Johann Sebastian Bach’s seminal work, the Goldberg Variations, at the library on Surawong Road at 6pm.
N.A.O. Trio is a newly formed trio of three talented musicians from three distinctive backgrounds who have forged a friendship through their passion for music — Noa Chorin (“N”), Anna Takeda (“A”) and Omporn Kowintha (“O”). This trio has a collective experience that spans the globe from Bangkok to Berlin and beyond through performances with various chamber music groups. They look forward to welcoming us to live performances again through their rendition of Bach’s Goldberg Variations.
The Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, is a musical composition for keyboard by Bach, consisting of an aria and a set of 30 variations. First published in 1741, it is named after Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, who may also have been the first performer of the work. Goldberg Variations belong to Bach’s late period, in which the composer pushed the boundaries of musical themes in a play of variations, canons and fugues. For this composition, he started from a simple and quiet melody, joined with an underlying bass line, that steadily unfolds into a musical cosmos that reveals itself with extraordinary variety and unparalleled complexity. The song has been reworked freely by many performers, changing either the instrumentation, the notes, or both.
The late Dutch conductor Bernard Haitink describes his impression of this string trio version thusly: “It’s completely true to the original while using the colours of the three instruments which the keyboard cannot give.”
N.A.O. plays Bach: The Goldberg Variations Jan 15 at 6pm.
Ticket Prices: 800 baht, 700 baht for library members, 450 baht for students. Due to coronavirus measures, the number of seats will be limited to respect social distancing rules. Tickets will not be available for purchase at the door. You can purchase tickets online bit. ly/30qO0AP, at the library, or reserve seats by calling 02-233-1731, or emailing info@neilsonhayslibrary.org.