Episode Details

Bach wrote his Goldberg Variations for harpsichord in the 1740s, but today it's performed by pianists all over the world.

People describe the place these pieces have in their lives.

This includes:

* A neuroscientist from New York * Pianist Angela Hewitt * A father driving his family through the night in the Australian Outback * A woman from Oregon whose life was transformed, perhaps even saved, by this music.

Series exploring famous pieces of music and their emotional appeal.

Producer: Sarah Conkey

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in March 2010.