Karlheinz Essl’s Gold.Berg.Werk for piano and live electronics
(2013-2020)
Recording available to order now (Ergodos)
Xenia Pestova Bennett piano
Karlheinz Essl live electronics
It's really great hearing Xenia Pestova Bennett playing Bach, because she brings such immense poise to it!
- Kate Molleson, BBC Radio 3
It is like opening another floor in the labyrinth of Bach’s imagination and the possibilities of the Goldbergs
- Tom Service, BBC Radio 3
A sci-fi journey in the direction of 1741
- Luke Clancy, Culture File, RTE Lyric FM
About the Project:
J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations (1741): a radical re-interpretation
The Goldberg Variations form a cornerstone of keyboard repertoire, yet we rarely question the mode of presentation for this piece. Austrian composer Karlheinz Essl offers a refreshing glimpse of a new performance practice through his unusual take in Gold.Berg.Werk. Originally envisioned as a performance environment for string trio, the new version for piano and live electronics features time-stretched harmonies manipulated in real time and played back through spatialised loudspeakers in between the piano variations, bringing together Baroque and contemporary sound worlds. This radical reimagining of Bach’s vision juxtaposes the variations in a new strictly symmetrical structure which reflects the binary form of the original aria (a microcosm within a macrocosm with binary divisions commonly found in digital systems). Gold.Berg.Werk transcends itself and becomes a new piece in its own right, creating a sense of space and grandeur through electronic distribution of the interludes. This magical performance invites and entices the audience to join us on a journey of discovery, opening and blossoming into a whole new universe of sound.
The performance lasts approximately 65 minutes. In addition to the performance the artists are available to provide a pre-concert talk as well as piano and composition masterclasses.
More information and recordings are available through the composer’s website: http://essl.at/works/goldbergwerk.html
Photo Credits: Photos: Karlheinz Essl by Reinhard Mayr & Xenia Pestova Bennett by Cath DuPuy