Derivation in Variations I to III of J. S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations

Abstract

The main purpose of this article is the identification and description of the derivative work to which a cell presented in Aria, the first movement of the Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach, is submitted in variations I, II and III. With the help of the Model of Derivative Analysis (MDA) (Almada 2019; 2020; 2021) we map the behavior of transformations within and between movements. The work is based on the hypothesis of an organicist organization of the work, understanding that the motivic and derivative connections are yet another compositional strategy ensuring cohesion and diversity within the work with its 32 movements.