J. S. Bach's Goldberg Variations, BWV 988, published in 1741, remain a central part of Baroque keyboard literature, and like many of Bach's works, they stand as a testament to his seemingly effortless mastery of compositional technique. The piece begins with a simple Aria, built upon the ground bass that serves as the harmonic basis for each of the 30 variations that follow, and ends with a repetition of the Aria, having come full-circle.

This arrangement by David Haskins of selections from the Goldberg Variations was commissioned by Andrew McCandless, Principal Trumpet of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and was premiered at the Sun Valley Music Festival. Scored for 12 trumpets in two choirs, this arrangement is intended for advanced performers. Of the 30 original variations, 9 have been included here, presenting a variety of styles that are designed to highlight the lyrical and virtuosic capabilities of the trumpet.

This arrangement is scored for a double choir of six performers with the following instrumentation; each 6-part choir consisting of:

Piccolo Trumpet in B-flat, Trumpet in E-flat, 2 Trumpets in C, 2 Trumpets in B-flat. One C Trumpet doubles on a rotary and one B-flat Trumpet doubles on Flugelhorn.

Below is a track taken from a live performance of the arrangement from the Sun Valley Music Festival.

Free PDF Sample

Haskins

Bach - Goldberg Variations BWV 988 - selections for 12-part Trumpet Ensemble

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