The Goldberg Variations: Meditations on Solitude

While many museums remain shuttered due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Apollo’s usual weekly pick of exhibitions will include shows at institutions that are now reopening as well as digital projects providing virtual access to art and culture.

This filmed rendition of Johann Sebastian Bach’s famous composition for harpsichord, arranged for three strings and performed by the Ysaÿe Trio from the Netherlands (and conducted by Jonathan Berman), is interspersed with readings of poems and other texts that reflect on the nature of solitude. The readings are by the actor Simon Russell Beale, with the texts also available in a booklet illustrated with photographs by the Austrian artist Kristina Feldhammer, which likewise explore what it means to be alone. The film, booklet and a Q&A with the participants are available until 30 June via the website of Greengage Ventures; tickets are available on a ‘pay what you wish’ basis.

Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary here

The Ysaÿe Trio performing Bach’s Golbergs Variations (film still). Courtesy Greengage Ventures

Simon Russell Beale (film still). Courtesy Greengage Ventures

Conductor Jonathan Berman (film still). Courtesy Greengage Ventures