Johann Sebastian Bach, Gustav Leonhardt – Goldberg-Variationen (VG+/VG+) – LP, DE 1984

Goldberg-Variationen is an LP by Johann Sebastian Bach, Gustav Leonhardt from 1984 released on the Telefunken label.

About this album

A landmark early-period reading of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, Goldberg-Variationen Um 1740 shows Gustav Leonhardt bringing clarity, poise and rhetorical detail to one of the keyboard canon’s greatest works. Issued in 1965, this interpretation helped define the historically informed approach to Baroque performance, favouring a more restrained and text-aware sound over later romanticised Bach playing. Leonhardt’s harpsichord articulation highlights the work’s variation structure and contrapuntal ingenuity, making Bach’s invention feel both строго and vividly expressive. For listeners interested in the evolution of Bach interpretation, it remains a key reference point.