Lara Downes: 'The music on this recording looks back to Bach through different lenses'

[13 WAYS of Looking at the Goldberg: Bach Reimagined; Lara Downes, solo piano; Tritone Records]

13 WAYS of Looking at the Goldberg: Bach Reimagined on Tritone Records (2011) is the second recent compilation of works by a large number of composers we have reviewed. The first was Amy Briggs: Tangos for Piano, Ravello Records RR7808 (2011), whose 22 tracks include Tango-Variations (2:49) by the African American composer Jeffrey Mumford. 13 Ways is also the second recording of new variations on the Goldberg Variations of J.S. Bach which has come to our attention. Robin Holloway: Gilded Goldbergs is a 2-CD set of variations by a single composer for two pianists, the Micallef-Inanga Piano Duo. Jennifer Micallef is from Malta; Glen Inanga is Nigerian. Their recording is Hyperion CDA67360 (2001).

The variations performed by Lara Downes are so unusual and so different from each other the recording seems otherworldly as soon as Fred Lerdahl's Chasing Goldberg begins. We find it refreshing to hear 13 contemporary composers express themselves with total artistic freedom.

On Sept. 14, 2011 AfriClassical posted: “Lara Downes: '13 WAYS of Looking at the Goldberg: Bach Reimagined' by Contemporary Composers.” The complete history of the project can be found at http://www.LaraDownes.com. “13 Ways of Looking at the Goldberg was commissioned in 2004 by the Irving S. Gilmore International Keyboard Festival.”

Composers and Contributions

Derek Bermel Kontraphunktus

William Bolcom Yet Another Goldberg Variation

Ryan Brown Ornament

Dave Brubeck Chorale, from Chromatic Fantasy Sonata

C. Curtis-Smith Rube Goldberg Variation

David Del Tredici My Goldberg

Lukas Foss Goldmore Variation

Ralf Gothóni Variation on Variation with Variation

Fred Hersch Melancholy Minuet

Jennifer Higdon The Gilmore Variation

Fred Lerdahl Chasing Goldberg

Bright Sheng Variation Fugato

Stanley Walden Fantasy Variation

Mischa Zupko Ghost Variation

Lara Downes writes in the liner notes:

“The music on this recording looks back to Bach through different lenses, and calls back to Bach with different voices.” “Bach's GOLDBERG VARIATIONS are what I remember as my first music. It's such a vivid memory, a little girl in my father's big armchair, listening to Glenn Gould's 1955 recording of the Goldbergs, wondering at the twists and turns of Bach's creation and Gould's imagination.”

“Along with 13 WAYS, I've chosen Bach-inspired works by two great American composers, Dave Brubeck and Lukas Foss, who have both in their inimitable and sometimes surprising ways, been deeply shaped by their love of Bach.”

Disclosure: A review copy of this CD was provided by the record label.

Pianist Lara Downes Using Kickstarter.com to fund recording project, '13 Ways of Looking at the Goldberg'

[Lara Downes]

Pianist Lara Downes has thanked AfriClassical for the prior post and has told us of her next recording project:

“I really appreciate the support. I'd also love for you to know about my current campaign on Kickstarter to raise funding for my next recording project: 13 Ways of Looking at the Goldberg. 13 Ways is a set of new variations on Bach's Goldberg Variations, by a group of today's most renowned composers, including 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Higdon. These wonderful pieces reimagine the Goldbergs in a variety of ways, celebrating both the eternal beauty of Bach's music, and the musical evolutions of the past 250 years. The variations are performed alongside Bach's original theme, like this:

Bach: Aria, from Goldberg Variations

C. Curtis-Smith: Rube Goldberg Variation

Jennifer Higdon: The Gilmore Variation

Mischa Sarche Zupko: Ghost Variation

Stanley Walden: Fantasy Variation

Bright Sheng: Variation Fugato

Derek Bermel: Kontraphunktus

Bach: Variation 13, from Goldberg Variations

David Del Tredici: My Goldberg (Gymnopedie #1)

Fred Lerdahl: Chasing Goldberg

William Bolcom: Yet Another Goldberg Variation (for left hand alone)

Lukas Foss: Goldmore Variation

Ralf Gothóni: Variation on Variation with Variation

Fred Hersch: Melancholy Minuet

Bach: Aria (reprise), from Goldberg Variations

This is a world-premiere recording (I have the rights for the first recording from Edition Peters), which I plan to release on the Innova label in the fall of 2011. I'm raising the funding through Kickstarter to support the recording and production of the CD. Kickstarter is a nice way for independent artists to fund creative projects, by asking friends, fans, sponsors and music lovers to pledge contributions. It's an all-or-nothing campaign: if I reach my goal of $5000 the project gets funded. If I don't meet my goal, my backers' pledges do not get charged, and I receive no money at all. At this point I've raised about $1750, over 1/3 of my goal, but I only have 11 days left!

I'm asking all of my friends and supporters to help me get the word out about this campaign in order to reach as many interested backers as possible. Anything you can do to share this information with your Africlassical followers and all your associates in the music community would be immensely helpful!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1682665989/13-ways-of-looking-at-the-goldberg-bach-reimagined

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Pianist Lara Downes on CBS 'Good Day' Wed. Dec. 29 'in a live interview and performance' 8am & 9am PT, CW Channel 31 or streaming

Lara Downes is a Steinway Artist who had a Midwestern Jewish mother and a Jamaican father who lived in Harlem, her website tells us at http://www.LaraDownes.com She has a multimedia career which has drawn high praise for both her live performances and her recordings.

Watch Lara live on CBS "Good Day"!

Catch Lara in a live interview and performance

of selections from her new CD

Nocturnes for Night Owls

on CBS Good Day Sacramento.

Tomorrow, Wednesday 12/29 at 8am and 9am Pacific Time.

CW Channel 31 in the Sacramento area, or streaming at

http://gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com/live-stream/