This recital for Cal Performances at Home, featuring Bach’s beloved ‘Goldberg Variations‘, was filmed at the Bach Archive in Leipzig, the city in which the composer wrote this timeless music. Today, the piece is most-often heard on piano but it was originally composed for Esfahani’s instrument:

“Everyone wants to record Bach’s Goldbergs, but not many show as much piercing insight as harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani. A hugely stimulating account of one of the peaks of western music.” — The Guardian (London)

In the polarized world of classical music, where battles often rage over issues of interpretation and authenticity, Mahan Esfahani is the rare harpsichordist known for mesmerizing performances of both early music and contemporary repertoire. The acclaimed Persian American musician is an unapologetic champion of the harpsichord, devoted to restoring the Baroque mainstay to what he sees as its rightful place at the center of concert music. Esfahani has been praised for his crisp articulation and a thrillingly dynamic style on an instrument that famously resists extremes.

Johann Sebastian Bach
GOLDBERG VARIATIONS, BWV 988

Mahan Esfahani, harpsichord

Cal Performances at UC Berkeley announces ‘Cal Performances at Home’, an ambitious performing arts streaming series that features full-length Main Stage performance video streams available beginning October 1, 2020. With in-person events mostly halted by the global pandemic, Cal Performances is expanding its activities beyond the live events it has historically offered to present the arts in a new format, available to stream directly on demand to viewers’ home screens. Recorded on stages all over the world, from renowned venues and recording studios in the locations where the artists are sheltering in place, the series includes programs that were previously scheduled for Cal Performances’ live-event fall season as well as new, additional performances. The mission of Cal Performances is to produce and present performances of the highest artistic quality, enhanced by programs that explore compelling intersections of education and the performing arts. For more information, please have a look at:
Cal Performances