THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS
The goldberg variations is an installation that continues Paluzzi’s ongoing interest in merging photographic and musical tones.
In this iteration of his tonal series, Paluzzi focuses on the iconic recordings of Bach’s Aria with Diverse Variations (commonly known as The goldberg variations) by Glenn Gould in 1955 and 1981. These seminal recordings bookended Gould’s professional life, with the former being his international debut and the latter his final recording, made a year before his death. The 1955 recording, in particular, reinvigorated interest in Bach’s goldberg variations due to Gould’s fast-paced tempi and clinical finger movements, bringing the Baroque composer into the 20th century. As an older and more reserved performer, Gould’s 1981 recording was noticeably different, with a slower tempo overall.
In Paluzzi’s The goldberg variations, thirty-two photographs visualize a single Aria or Variation from Bach’s score. The top portion of each photograph represents Gould’s 1955 recording, while the bottom portrays the 1981 recording. To match the tonal range of a particular piece of music, Paluzzi uses darkroom equipment as a musical instrument, manipulating the aperture of the enlarger lens, contrast filters, and the timer to transform sound into light.
INTERVIEW: “Variations on a theme” by ArtsFile in Ottawa, ON
PODCAST: “Neeko Paluzzi’s Goldberg Variations” by CBC Radio’s All in a Day in Ottawa, ON