Panorama of the Goldberg Variations plus Invaria

Panorama conceived by Reginald Godden

Invaria conceived by John Oswald

performed by Casey Sokol / Recorded by John Oswald

I often wonder what Bach’s improvisations would be like if he were alive now … or Buxtehude, Mozart, Chopin, … or any of the great composers who possessed superior skills at musical invention in the moment. I also wonder what Bach would think of Invaria (the audio track above)—this strict tonal inversion of his aria which launches the ‘Goldberg’ variations. Would his imagination be provoked at this innovative idea of John Oswald, who conceived it, and what would it have been like had he decided to compose a set of variations on this inverted theme with its inversion resulting in a Phrygian harmony? (Of course Bach and many other earlier composers did explore in such innovative ways, using inversion, retrograde, augmentation and diminution, and even having the performer turn the music upside down. In any case, the notated piece (transcribed below) is just a hello to those who will chance to look and listen to some the materials on this website—a survey of some of the experimental teaching ideas and materials I used in my 47 years teaching courses in musicianship and improvisation at York University in Toronto, Canada. The hope is that some of this material will be of use to your improvisational and creative practice and also to your teaching.

These two compositions are on the website because they are a wonderful examples of taking something well known and presenting it in a new way … making it a new impression. This is one of the approaches to creativity practised by many people (as well as plants, animals and micro-organisms) from all times and cultures and it is one approach embedded in each of the items you’ll find on this website. Seeing the old in a different way can create uniquely energized impressions and can produce some of the finest pleasures.

The Panorama is taken from Austin Clarkson’s book on Godden and is worth spending some time with.

Reginald Godden plays : the musical adventures of a Canadian pianist

by Reginald Godden & Austin Clarkson