There's little question that the Goldberg Variations were written for a French double harpsichord, that is, one having two manuals. Both the range (going down to the G two octaves and a fourth below middle C) and the instructions about using one or two keyboards make that reasonably clear.
Pianists, however, have appropriated them, exactly as they've done with Bach's other keyboard works. In the early to mid 18th century the distinctions between the repertoire for the harpsichord, clavichord, organ, early fortepiano, and so on weren't set in stone, and a player could play pretty much any keyboard piece on any keyboard instrument on which it was possible to play it. This could include some tasteful editing and arranging if necessary. I suspect, however, that the interest of some pianists in this work is much more tied to the fancy hand-crossing and the opportunities for virtuoso display provided by some of the variations.
There have been a number of arrangements and transcriptions made of the Variations, for organ, string trio, recorder consort, and saxophone quartet among others.
So, for my project, I'll be recording the Goldberg Variations on ... a Yamaha DGX-505 keyboard. This is an old keyboard, top of the line in its day, with spring-loaded keys, and lots of features that don't interest me. It has many voices, and I ignore most of them. Its piano sound is only an approximation of an acoustic piano, of course, but I still like it, and for this project it's the only voice I will use. I don't like the harpsichord voice. Yamaha never forgets they are making musical instruments, and one result is a keyboard I can use, even twenty or thirty years after it was made, without being constantly distracted by its shortcomings. I have done some recordings (not of the Goldbergs) using the organ voices, and I've played through a variation or two using the harp voice.
The spring-loaded keys present a challenge. They demand a different approach to technique than a standard piano action. A standard piano action requires more force to press a key down than to hold it. Spring-loaded keys, however, take much more energy to hold down a key. This can lead to injury when holding a note with one of the little fingers while playing something else with the same hand. So far, I've been able to get the results I was hoping for; we'll see how that holds up as the project goes along.
One advantage of a digital keyboard for home recording is the total lack of room noise. No key clicks, creakings of the chair, or swear words from the keyboardist need interrupt. In addition, there's no need to be concerned about housemates who might be disturbed by early-morning recording sessions: the headphones keep the sound right where it belongs.
Recording on a digital keyboard does dictate some artistic choices. For instance, every trill has to be measured, because you will clearly hear every repetition, whether you like it or not. When your hand has to jump from one place to another, on time is late; you have to be in position before it's time to play the note, because otherwise you may get an unwanted accent. Accuracy matters; a piano can be somewhat forgiving of a finger that hits two keys at once, as long as only the right one sounds. On this digital instrument, forget it: if you touch a key, you will probably get a sound. There's less margin for error.
While there is a pedal that can be used with this keyboard, it's basically a foot switch, and it tends to move around too easily. I don't use it. That calls for some careful thought about articulation, and taking some hints from my harpsichordist friends, because there's simply no way to play some of the legatos many pianists like. This means sometimes a note won't be held its full value, and often the final note of a tie will be replaced with a rest. That also helps protect the little fingers from the chance of injury mentioned above.
To date, I have at least one recording made of each variation from 16 through 30. Variation 16 poses some special issues; maybe I'll write about them later. I've been working backwards through the set to help build the ability to play Variation 28 after having gone through all of the other ones. For now, I'm recording them without repeats. Once I have a complete recording of the whole set, I'll think about whether to go back and do one with the repeats taken.
Progress.
