Arts: Bach's Goldberg Variations (1741) were said to be commi…

Question

Did you know? Bach's Goldberg Variations (1741) were said to be commissioned by Count Hermann Carl von Keyserlingk to help relieve his insomnia. His harpsichordist Johann Goldberg played them at night for the sleepless count. The story may be apocryphal, but it gives the piece an unusual purpose: music as a cure for insomnia.

Accepted Answer

Bach's Goldberg Variations (1741) were said to be commissioned by Count Hermann Carl von Keyserlingk to help relieve his insomnia. His harpsichordist Johann Goldberg played them at night for the sleepless count. The story may be apocryphal, but it gives the piece an unusual purpose: music as a cure for insomnia.

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