P.D.Q.BACH: Variation I--Allegro boffo from GOLDBRICK VARIATIONS
"The discovery of the GOLDBRICK VARIATIONS was an important discovery because very little of P.D. Q. Bach's solo piano music has survived. As was often the case, P.D.Q. tried in this work to emulate, or cash in on, the success of one of this father's most important pieces--the aria with thirty variations written for a keyboard guy named Goldberg to play when his employer couldn't sleep...In this work he (P.D.Q.) presents all three variations first and only then does he get around to presenting the theme. I think the reason for this is that, in this case, even P.D.Q. realized that after hearing this theme, nobody was going to stick around for the variations." (Peter Schickele)
Recorded live by Joseph Patrych at "A Concert in Honor of Peter Schickele: A 75th Birthday Seasson Celebration. March 29, 2011, Steinway Hall.