Bach's Goldberg Variations are filled with contrasts, which swirl inside the head of pianist Jeremy Denk. Seated at his living room Steinway, he muses about how Bach built his opposite variations.
Jeremy Denk performs J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations - Variation No. 15.
Mito Habe-Evans/NPRhide caption
Bach's Goldberg Variations is sweet and beautiful music. But Jeremy Denk, from the comfort of his living room Steinway, digs deeper to focus on one of the Goldberg's "dark jewels."
Jeremy Denk discusses the Aria from Bach's Goldberg Variations.
NPRhide caption
What makes Bach's Goldberg Variations tick? Pianist Jeremy Denk reveals how Bach's musical DNA — a simple strand of bass notes — is fleshed out into the beautiful melody that fuels the Goldbergs.
Jeremy Denk plays The Goldberg Variations at his NYC apartment.
NPRhide caption
On a Steinway in a cluttered apartment or on a broken down upright in the streets of Manhattan, Bach's Goldberg Variations invite a variety of unusual observations from pianist Jeremy Denk.
The Knights.
Richard Frank/Courtesy of the artisthide caption
toggle captionRichard Frank/Courtesy of the artist
Project Song challenges musicians to write and record a song in just two days — and we shoot video of the whole process. Watch Moby and collaborator Kelli Scarr write and record "Gone to Sleep."
Project Song participants only have two days to write and record a song, but it was even harder for Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla and Jawbox's J. Robbins: They'd never even met before.
Witty singer-songwriter Nellie McKay had three days to write and record a song. The end result is an intricate three-part tune named after a London hotel.
