Bach's Goldberg Variations: Suggestions for Redistributing the Notes Between the Hands to Facilitate Performance on the Modern Piano

Identifier

etd-06022017-152132

Author

Kia Hadipour, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical CollegeFollow

Degree

Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)

Department

Music

Document Type

Dissertation

Abstract

In Goldberg Variations, Bach has written overlapping voices originally intended for bi manual harpsichord. However, playing the piece on the modern piano causes the hands to collide in those segments,creating a technical challenge that remains unresolved in available editions. In this thesis, I propose a method to reduce the hands’ overlap by re-distributing the notes between them. This solution also improves readability of the score by obviating the need for a clef change at each voice cross. I further use a few examples in the piano repertoire to examine how hand and finger re distribution may facilitate performance. As an appendix to this thesis, I provide a complete piano score for the Goldberg Variations that includes the mentioned changes.

Date

2017

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Recommended Citation

Hadipour, Kia, "Bach's Goldberg Variations: Suggestions for Redistributing the Notes Between the Hands to Facilitate Performance on the Modern Piano" (2017). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 4332.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/4332

Committee Chair

Gurt, Michael

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_dissertations.4332