Bach to the Rescue!!! How a Rich Dude Who Couldn’t Sleep Inspired the Greatest Music Ever

Angleberger (the Origami Yoda series) takes more than a few liberties with this playful account of how Johann Sebastian Bach may have come to compose the Goldberg Variations, one of his most well-known works for harpsichord. “Once upon a time, there was a Rich Dude who couldn’t sleep,” the story begins. When insomnia strikes, the Rich Dude wakes up his personal harpsichord player, Goldberg (and the rest of the village, which becomes tired and tetchy), but none of Goldberg’s compositions satisfy him. Then Bach arrives with the gusto of a stage magician—“I showed up! (Don’t I look nice? That’s my best wig!).” Bach soon composes “the Greatest Music Ever Written Ever” for Goldberg, the Rich Dude sleeps, and Goldberg is lauded by the villagers. Elio (Monster Mayhem) illustrates in exuberant cartoons, with broad, boldly outlined characters carrying exaggerated expressions. In an author’s note, Angleberger describes the solace the Goldberg Variations provide him; endpapers feature musical notations from the work. Ages 4–8.[em] (Mar.) [/em]