My First Goldberg Journey is Done. 9/26/11

October 10, 2011

I performed J. S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations BWV 988 at Occidental College on 9/24/11. It was my first performance on Goldberg. As I wrote before, I was excited and nervous, and looking forward to and feared. Once I started to play the piece of more than 70 minutes long, I kind of forgot to be nervous. I had so many things to remember. I practiced to play-through the piece for many times, but it was so different to perform 75 minutes long piece on the stage. I had a great time performing actually. After the concert, one of my Occidental College colleagues told me the story about this piece. He had one more Goldberg experience to hear in the past. That pianist, a first class musician he said, could not go on after 20th variation. He basically broke down. In that sense, I played through the piece with good intention. I was glad he did not tell me this story before the concert. Alas.

Practicing Goldberg variations gave me an opportunity to refresh my piano technique. In busy days with so many different repertoire to perform, it is so easy to MANAGE the pieces. Of course, to master Goldberg Variations is not to manage. It is to practice solidly, the way I learned when I was younger. Through practicing Goldberg, my fingers are refreshed. When I play other pieces from different musical period, I can feel good behaving fingers.

Next journey on Goldberg Variations will be in about 3 weeks. My good practice will continue.