Johann Sebastian Bach’s Goldberg Variations is a contrapuntal tour de force, and one of the pinnacles in the history of the variation genre. Composed ‘to refresh the spirits of music-lovers’, it is a constantly fascinating and deeply enriching evocation of an entire musical universe. This arrangement with two ten-string guitars is a transcription of the original text including later corrections and additional musical indications made by the composer. The additional bass strings of these instruments provide an entire lower octave, giving access to the full range of musical timbres in this eternal masterpiece.

Bach’s Goldberg Variations has become one of this composer’s best-loved and most popular compositions, not only in its original keyboard form but in a dizzying variety of arrangements for almost every imaginable combination of instruments. Arrangements for guitar duo can be found amongst these, but with their ten-string instruments, Duo Synaphé has the advantage of being truly able to access the all-important bass lines in this work, one of its chief binding elements and at least if not more important as the melody of that famous Aria with which it begins and ends.

The Naxos guitar catalogue has featured many releases of arrangements of Bach’s music. The Montenegrin Guitar Duo arranged and recorded the six English Suites (8573473 and 8573676), in which ClassicsToday.com wrote: ‘you’ll find the performances technically assured, interpretively nuanced yet free of mannerism, and very carefully, expertly balanced across registers and between voices. In other words, these are very fine realizations that lovers of Bach and the guitar will appreciate.’

Renowned guitarist Jeffrey McFadden has recently recorded the Cello Suites arranged for guitar (857362526). Gramophone commented: ‘McFadden inhabits the middle ground. There are added bass notes, but he’s happy to leave things as Bach wrote them whenever possible. And the playing is simply phenomenal.’

Duo Synaphé
- Dimitar Ivanov (10-string guitar)
- Angela Kleger (10-string guitar)