Editing Goldberg Variations (section)

== Composition ==
The story of how the variations came to be composed comes from an early biography of Bach by [[Johann Nikolaus Forkel]]:<ref>Translation from {{harvnb|Kirkpatrick|1938|p=vii}}.</ref>

{{blockquote|[For this work] we have to thank the instigation of the former Russian ambassador to the electoral court of [[Saxony]], [[Hermann Karl von Keyserling|Count Kaiserling]], who often stopped in [[Leipzig]] and brought there with him the aforementioned [[Johann Gottlieb Goldberg|Goldberg]], in order to have him given musical instruction by Bach. The Count was often ill and had sleepless nights. At such times, Goldberg, who lived in his house, had to spend the night in an antechamber, so as to play for him during his [[insomnia]]. ... Once the Count mentioned in Bach's presence that he would like to have some [[Keyboard instrument|clavier]] pieces for Goldberg, which should be of such a smooth and somewhat lively character that he might be a little cheered up by them in his sleepless nights. Bach thought himself best able to fulfill this wish by means of Variations, the writing of which he had until then considered an ungrateful task on account of the repeatedly similar harmonic foundation. But since at this time all his works were already models of art, such also these variations became under his hand. Yet he produced only a single work of this kind. Thereafter the Count always called them ''his'' variations. He never tired of them, and for a long time sleepless nights meant: "Dear Goldberg, do play me one of my variations." Bach was perhaps never so rewarded for one of his works as for this. The Count presented him with a golden goblet filled with 100 ''[[Louis d'or]]''. Nevertheless, even had the gift been a thousand times larger, their artistic value would not yet have been paid for.}}

Forkel wrote his biography in 1802, more than 60 years after the events related, and its accuracy has been questioned. The lack of dedication on the title page also makes the tale of the commission unlikely. Goldberg's age at the time of publication (14 years) has also been cited as grounds for doubting Forkel's tale, although it must be said that he was known to be an accomplished keyboardist and sight-reader. {{Harvard citation text|Williams|2001}} contends that the Forkel story is entirely spurious.

[[Arnold Schering]] has suggested that the [[aria]] on which the variations are based was not written by Bach.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} More recent scholarly literature (such as the edition by [[Christoph Wolff]]) suggests that there is no basis for such doubts.