Anne Francis

Bach’s Goldberg Variations.

Peter, my friend and former teacher, suggested I start with variation no. 19… so I did. (You can listen and watch Glenn Gould’s 1981 recording of variations 15-19 here. Like the aria, variation 19 is played at a much slower tempo in the later recording than in the earlier one.) I am also trying to learn variations 1 and 4.

When I go to piano technicians’ conventions, I like to take some music with me, in case I can find time to play on one of the very nice grand pianos they tend to have at these things… So I’m at the PTG national convention in Kansas City this past July, and someone sees me walking around with the Goldberg Variations under my arm. He says, “Wow, that’s pretty ambitious, isn’t it?”

I don’t even know this guy, but immediately I react with embarrassment, because:

a) I only play for my own enjoyment,

b) I am learning ONE of the variations, and

c) let’s face it–yes, it is!!

But I wish I’d had the presence of mind to come back with:

“How do you know I’m not that good?”