Rachel Podger and Brecon Baroque present the London premiere of The Goldberg Variations Reimagined, Chad Kelly’s pioneering new edition of JS Bach’s masterwork for ensemble.

Bach’s extraordinary set of 30 variations have been arranged multiple times, but no-one has yet attempted to imagine how Bach himself would have transformed the Goldbergs for an ensemble in line with his Musical Offering.

Employing a variety of instrumental combinations from a typical Bach ensemble of single strings, oboe, flute, bassoon and harpsichord, these newly-crafted Goldbergs illuminate this well-worn journey with exquisite responses to the genres expressed in Bach’s scores: from aria to overture, fugue to trio sonata, and concerto to quodlibet, the variations take flight in ways which would have graced his Sunday coffee concerts in Leipzig in the 1730s – and which transform the listening experience for today’s audience.

This arrangement was originally commissioned by Rachel’s own Brecon Baroque Festival.

The album on the Outhere label was kindly supported by the Continuo Foundation and the Rachel Podger Foundation.

The event will last approximately 2 hours, including an interval.