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Glenn Gould – Bach: The Goldberg Variations

Bach: The Goldberg Variations are two separate recordings of Johann Sebastian Bach's composition consisting of 30 variations, beginning and ending with an aria, recorded by pianist Glenn Gould. I have continued with the tradition of treating both recordings as a single entity in this list: Bob Mersereau placed the recordings at 53 in his The Top 100 Canadian Albums book (2007), while CBC ranked them #2 in the 100 Greatest Canadian Albums Ever (2013).

The first, recorded in 1955 and released in 1956. is Gould's debut album for Columbia. It became the best selling solo instrumental classical recording ever and made the 22 year-old Gould a star: he was called the Marlon Brando of the piano. Gould's 1955 Goldberg Variations is almost punk-like in its impulsive energy and speed, but also displays a technical brilliance. The record was inducted into the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 1983 and was named one of the ten best recordings of the 20th century by Gramophone magazine.

The second, digitally recorded in stereo in 1981, long after he had stopped performing live, and released in 1982, was the final Glenn Gould recording released in his lifetime – he died mere days after its release. Compared to his original take on the music, this release is slower and more measured, replacing the youthful exuberance and showmanship with a no-less-virtuosic dignity. It won the 1983 Juno award for Classical Album of the Year and 1983 Grammy awards for Best Classical Album and Best Classical Instrumental Soloist. It is one of the top selling classical albums of all time, purportedly selling over two million copies and going platinum (over 100,000 sales) in Canada.

Both recordings were met with wide critical acclaim, despite the persistent mention of Gould's practice of humming along with his playing, while hunching over the piano with his face close to the keys. More recently online, Pitchfork, in a brilliant review, gives the recordings a perfect 10, while AllMusic, in a much lesser piece, gives 4.5 stars to the 1981 recording.

Hometown: Toronto
Label: Columbia
Release Date: January 1956 (1955 recording)
September 1982 (1981 recording)
Producer: Howard H. Scott (1955 recording)
Glenn Gould, Samuel H. Carter (1981 recording)
Style: classical
Mar*Star 125: did not rank
Mar*Star 150: 21

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Closed1955 Recording

Glenn Gould – piano (Steinway CD19)

  1. "Aria" – 1:53
  2. "Variation 1 a 1 Clav." – 0:45
  3. "Variation 2 a 1 Clav." – 0:38
  4. "Variation 3 a 1 Clav. Canone all'Unisono" – 0:55
  5. "Variation 4 a 1 Clav." – 0:29
  6. "Variation 5 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav." – 0:37
  7. "Variation 6 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Seconda" – 0:35
  8. "Variation 7 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav." – 1:08
  9. "Variation 8 a 2 Clav." – 0:45
  10. "Variation 9 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Terza" – 0:38
  11. "Variation 10 a 1 Clav. Fughetta" – 0:43
  12. "Variation 11 a 2 Clav." – 0:55
  13. "Variation 12 Canone alla Quarta" – 0:56
  14. "Variation 13 a 2 Clav." – 2:10
  15. "Variation 14 a 2 Clav." – 0:59
  16. "Variation 15 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Quinta. Andante" – 2:17
  17. "Variation 16 a 1 Clav. Ouverture" – 1:18
  18. "Variation 17 a 2 Clav." – 0:53
  19. "Variation 18 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Sesta" – 0:46
  20. "Variation 19 a 1 Clav." – 0:43
  21. "Variation 20 a 2 Clav." – 0:48
  22. "Variation 21 Canone alla Settima" – 1:42
  23. "Variation 22 a 1 Clav. Alla breve" – 0:42
  24. "Variation 23 a 2 Clav." – 0:55
  25. "Variation 24 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Ottava" – 0:58
  26. "Variation 25 a 2 Clav." – 6:30
  27. "Variation 26 a 2 Clav." – 0:52
  28. "Variation 27 a 2 Clav. Canone alla Nona" – 0:50
  29. "Variation 28 a 2 Clav." – 1:11
  30. "Variation 29 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav." – 1:00
  31. "Variation 30 a 1 Clav. Quodlibet" – 0:49
  32. "Aria da capo" – 2:10

Closed1981 Recording

Glenn Gould – piano (Yamaha CFII concert grand)

  1. "Aria" – 3:05
  2. "Variation 1 a 1 Clav." – 1:10
  3. "Variation 2 a 1 Clav." – 0:49
  4. "Variation 3 a 1 Clav. Canone all'Unisono" – 1:31
  5. "Variation 4 a 1 Clav." – 0:50
  6. "Variation 5 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav." – 0:37
  7. "Variation 6 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Seconda" – 0:40
  8. "Variation 7 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav." – 1:16
  9. "Variation 8 a 2 Clav." – 0:54
  10. "Variation 9 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Terza" – 0:59
  11. "Variation 10 a 1 Clav. Fughetta" – 1:04
  12. "Variation 11 a 2 Clav." – 0:54
  13. "Variation 12 Canone alla Quarta" – 1:38
  14. "Variation 13 a 2 Clav." – 2:38
  15. "Variation 14 a 2 Clav." – 1:04
  16. "Variation 15 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Quinta. Andante" – 5:00
  17. "Variation 16 a 1 Clav. Ouverture" – 1:38
  18. "Variation 17 a 2 Clav." – 0:54
  19. "Variation 18 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Sesta" – 1:03
  20. "Variation 19 a 1 Clav." – 1:03
  21. "Variation 20 a 2 Clav." – 0:50
  22. "Variation 21 Canone alla Settima" – 2:13
  23. "Variation 22 a 1 Clav. Alla breve" – 1:03
  24. "Variation 23 a 2 Clav." – 0:58
  25. "Variation 24 a 1 Clav. Canone alla Ottava" – 1:42
  26. "Variation 25 a 2 Clav." – 6:03
  27. "Variation 26 a 2 Clav." – 0:52
  28. "Variation 27 a 2 Clav. Canone alla Nona" – 1:21
  29. "Variation 28 a 2 Clav." – 1:03
  30. "Variation 29 a 1 ovvero 2 Clav." – 1:02
  31. "Variation 30 a 1 Clav. Quodlibet" – 1:28
  32. "Aria da capo" – 3:45

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Last updated: July 24, 2017