Pure Bach!

Sir András Schiff opened his recent recitals in Klosters with the floating aria from Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Goldberg Variations”. At his upcoming piano recital, he will present the entire work, consisting of 30 variations, which was commissioned by Count Hermann Carl von Kayserling to cure his insomnia. His harpsichordist Johann Theophilus Goldberg had to play the work, first printed in 1742, to him regularly. Sir András Schiff associates it with deep humanity and spirituality, but also optimism and intellectual power. The very diversified variations are held together by the bass voice, which forms the framework of this unique composition. At the end, the work returns to its starting point with a repetition of the aria. “At the moment of homecoming, we feel great gratitude,” writes Sir András Schiff. Music as therapy? “Pure Bach!” certainly provides healing moments of happiness.

Ticket sales will open on March 1, 2026.