"Play the opening of the Goldberg Variations to someone today, and usually they all have heard it – whether in its original form, one of the many transcribed and transposed versions, or in a completely different setting in a totally different genre. It started life as a study for harpsichord; a simple aria, and a set of 30 variations where the aria functions as a hard drive for the whole work. 2015, Örjan Andersson (Andersson Dance) and Jonathan Morton (Scottish Ensemble) added their own. 11 musicians and 5 dancers perform Goldberg Variations as equal partners – both choreographed, the result is a singular experience of musician and dancer performing as one. It’s here that the subtleties of the interpretation come out; was Goldberg Variations intended to be a purely aural experience, or can we move to it? How do we, and how can we, experience these notes in the 21st century?"
“a revelation on several levels… Please, everyone, play it again. Soon.”
“The result is a musical feast… Magnificent music, the variety in the choreography and gentle humour, decidedly interesting dancers”
“an undeniably engaging performance with many moments of genuine alchemy”
“…it’s as if an irresistible burst of energy is making its way through the group of five dancers and eleven musicians…Örjan Andersson and the Scottish Ensemble create an open listening space where playful meets introspective and where relaxation feeds into intense concentration, sometimes insanely self-obsessed, sometimes lyrical…the ending is sublime…encapsulating the essentials of human relations, our ability to listen. Goldberg Variations is a generous dance concert that brings the human spirit to life.”
“I find myself having to sit with one of those happy smiles through the show and I realise that it is precisely this type of visual setting that people like me, a dance geek, usually miss when I go to classical concerts. Örjan Andersson manages to blend the best of both worlds – this is like an animated Bach Concerto.”
"It's easy, of course. Sometimes awkward - but completely radiant and infinitely beautiful."