Goldberg Variations in popular culture

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The Goldberg Variations of Johann Sebastian Bach are one of the best known compositions by this composer. They appear occasionally in works of popular culture. This article is a listing of such appearances. For information about the variations themselves, see Goldberg Variations.

• In the context of a particularly dreadful scene in The Silence of the Lambs, Dr. Hannibal Lecter is seen passionately listening to a recording by Glenn Gould of the Aria which begins and ends the Variations.

• The same music is played during the opening credits of the film's sequel, Hannibal.

• The Aria was played in the movie The English Patient (1996).

• The structure of the Film "Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould" (1993) was based on the Goldberg Variations.

• Choreographer Mark Haim has constructed a set of solo dances based using the music as a setting. The work premiered at the American Dance Festival in 1997 and has continued to be performed by Haim himself as recently as 2006.

• The computer turn-based strategy game Heroes of Might and Magic II quotes the first variation in beginning of the knight castle theme.

• A 1999 episode of The X-Files is called The Goldberg Variation

• In the 2001 movie The Last Castle, Warden Colonel Winter is seen listening to the Aria in his office.

• In the movie Top Gun, Variation no. 26 can be heard after the scene in which a major character dies.

• In an episode of The West Wing entitled The Long Goodbye, C.J.'s father plays the Aria while she attends her high school reunion.

• The Goldberg Variations are the only piece of music used in the film rendition of Amelie Nothomb's book Stupeur et tremblements.