An ‘intimate’ take on Bach
Harpsichordist to perform Goldberg Variations at Serenata concert
J.S. Bach wrote the Goldberg Variations to demonstrate his mastery of form.
“Every third variation is a canon,” Santa Fe harpsichordist Kathleen McIntosh said. “In between every third variation is a cross-hand variation. The remaining every other three is an assortment of dance forms. Each one is a little gem.”
McIntosh will perform Bach’s masterpiece at First Presbyterian Church of Santa Fe on May 7 in Serenata of Santa Fe’s last concert of the season.
McIntosh has been playing the piece for about 20 years.
“Every time I go back to it, I find more that I never heard before,” she said . “It’s one of those pieces you never weary of.”
McIntosh double-majored in both piano and harpsichord in college. After graduation, she never played the piano again.
“The harpsichord provides enough challenges for me,” she said.“I love the transparency. The one I’m using has a very mellifluous sound. It’s very delicate; that’s
one of the reasons I love it. In this age when everything is louder and louder, it’s very intimate.
Her current instrument is a reproduction of a French harpsichord made in 1707.
“It’s quilled with bird feathers,” McIntosh said. “That’s what plucks the strings.”
The Goldberg Variations consist of an aria and a set of 30 variations. First published in 1741, the work is considered one of the most important examples of the variation form. Much of Bach’s music gestated as improvisation. He wrote widely for the harpsichord, producing numerous inventions, suites, fugues, partitas and overtures, as well as keyboard arrangements of concerto music by his contemporaries.