In the Academy’s second transatlantic collaboration for Linn Records, the Academy Soloists are joined by musicians from The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory in Toronto to perform Józef Koffler’s 1938 arrangement of JS Bach’s Goldberg Variations. This new recording follows the UK premiere of the work at Wigmore Hall in 2019 and is conducted by Principal Guest Conductor of the Academy Chamber Orchestra, Trevor Pinnock.
A pioneer of contemporary music in Poland, Koffler completed his arrangement of the Goldberg Variations for flute, oboe, cor anglais, bassoon and strings in 1938. Interpreting an arrangement made in the late 30s is an intricate task, Pinnock comments, ‘of course there’s not the “one way” to play Bach, and the challenge for a musician today is to decide how much to play with what we know of the style of 1930s playing – it seems to me we have to be true to Koffler as well as true to Bach and true to ourselves.’
This release marks the fifth collaboration with Trevor Pinnock on Linn Records.