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Heard the Goldberg Variations: Suite 1 (Aria, Vars. 1-7) on the radio recently with
Julian Rachlin, violin
Nobuko Imai, viola
Mischa Maisky, cello

I had no idea this had been done. A true testament to the depth and beauty of Bach's music and musicality. A solo piano has an intimacy that the trio might not, but to have an individual instrument devoted to a single voice allows each line to come even more alive. I still prefer the Aria for piano but the faster variations were exhilarating to hear because the voices sounded like they were unleashed.

I wouldn't say it's better than for solo piano but what I heard was certainly as good

Bach's Goldberg has also been arranged for string orchestra (by Dmitry Sitkovetsky), as well as harp, accordion, organ, two pianos (by Reger), saxophone quartet, wind quintet and probably other combinations I haven't heard of. All these recordings are commercially available.

It's only a matter of time before we get a guitar (or quartet of guitars) or marimba/percussion version. Or a rock n' roll version .

Jacque's Loussier's jazz trio also has a LEGIT recording of the Goldberg's. Totally cool. I played a few of them a few years ago but I think the jazz trio added this really amazing warmth that I wasn't able to achieve!! Too cool.

Bennevis -> Guitar (classical guitar) version here (Aria&Var1, the whole studio recording of his transcription used to be on YT, here it is a extract of a concert uploaded by the transcriber/performer himself):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS9wHiYlfd0

Not sure if I like it (as a classical guitarist, I think the tone is a bit too bright) but it does exist and it works q:

got the cd with Rachlin/Imai/Maisky, as a regular player of the Goldbergvariations I have my opinions about others, this recording though made me shut up for all the 80-plus minutes it took to listen to: stunning, all those sustained lines we poor pianists/harpsichordists must struggle to keep audible, here it's done and what a briljant transcription, Bach would have been very content!

Exactly! Having the cello be able to sustain and really sing those voices Absolutely stunning. I can't wait to hear the whole thing!

Thanks for that - I've not heard of this guitarist before, but he can certainly play.

Amazing that the Goldberg can (almost) work on a solo guitar, albeit with many up/down octave transpositions. Whereas on the harp, it's possible to play the score more or less as it's written.