As late as in the 21st century there is debate over the origins of JS Bach’s Goldberg Variations, published in 1741.  In 1803, more than 50 years after Bach’s death, and more than 60 years after the Goldberg Variations were published, German musician, musicologist and music theorist, Johann Forkel, wrote Bach’s first biography. In it, he related that the work was written for Johann Gottlieb Goldberg. Goldberg was 14 years of age at the time of publication and he was employed by a Russian diplomat, Count Hermann Karl von Keyserling, who visited Leipzig frequently and took Goldberg with him for lessons from Bach.

Dan Tepfer at the Canberra International Music Festival. Photo © Peter Hislop

Von Keyserling suffered insomnia and would ask Goldberg to play for him to ease the condition. According to Forkel, the Count had asked Bach to write something for Goldberg to play for him that would be “of such a smooth and somewhat lively character that he might be a little cheered up by them in his sleepless nights.” At the same time the work probably was instructional for Goldberg. Some have claimed that...