Bach’s commission to compose the 'Goldberg' Variations was from the Russian envoy, Graf Hermann von Keyserlingk, at the court in Dresden. The oft-quoted story goes that the Earl, suffering from insomnia, asked for piano pieces of a “soft and somewhat merry character”. His private harpsichordist, Johann Theophilus Goldberg, was to play them for him at night to cheer him up. Bach complied willingly with the Earl’s request and created the extensive cycle of an aria with 30 variations. Keyserlingk was enthusiastic about the music and Bach received a golden goblet containing 100 Louis d’or.

The Taiwan-born pianist Pi-hsien Chen is considered one of the outstanding interpreters of both classical and new music. At the age of 10 she began her studies at the Cologne Academy of Music. Chen was won first prices at several international competitions, i.e. the ARD Competition (Munich), the Bach Competition (Washington DC.) and the Schönberg Competition (Rotterdam). The well-calculated spontaneity of her playing is characterised by great structural clarity and a striking sense of cantabile. In addition to her regular performance schedule, Pi-hsien Chen has taught at the Freiburg Academy of Music since 2004.