Goldberg Variations - City of London Sinfonia presents Bach and The Cosmos

In the opening concert of City of London Sinfonia's Bach and the Cosmos series, Oxford Mathematician James Sparks and CLS's musicians take the audience on a visual journey through JS Bach’s most numerical piece: the Goldberg Variations.

Through visuals, musical examples and numerical explanations, James Sparks explores how Bach uses mathematical methodologies to expand musical subjects and exhaust all permutations of every theme in his 30 Variations. As the piece transforms, different sections of the Orchestra are illuminated, highlighting Bach’s many beautiful mathematical structures and patterns.

JS BACH arr. RODERICK WILLIAMS Cello Suite No.3 in C minor: Bourrée

JS BACH arr. SITKOVETSKY Goldberg Variations

City of London Sinfonia
Alexandra Wood Director/Violin
James Sparks Mathematician