The Italian Concerto for me. It's short enough for you not to struggle with it, if you're new to him, but there's still enough there to show off the full range of what he brought to Bach playing. Also the Sarabande from the 4th Partita.
You're going to get a lot of recommendations for his Goldberg Variations (and rightly so). But I would also put in a plug for his Art of Fugue. The first half was done on organ (I believe this might be one of the only organ recordings of his?). I believe there was one scathing review and perhaps that's why we only got the first half. The rest was done on piano. Nonetheless, I've probably listened Gould's Art of Fugue more than any other piece/recording.
Yes, that's right about The Art of Fugue. Another piece of trivia: there was a fire a year or so after Gould did this recording at All Saints Kingsway, which totally destroyed the organ, so it's one of the last times this organ was recorded as well (the church now has a very different organ from the same builder).
I think the answer is the Well Tempered Clavier, but either Goldberg variations (I like the 1981 better) is probably a good answer. Probably not his Mozart or Beethoven, although those are interesting in their own way (a way I don't care for mostly).
Yes, stick to his Bach or at least Baroque and earlier music for now. I would say the WTC is mandatory. It's just some of Bach's best work, played so so well.
My essential Gould recordings:
Bach: The Goldberg Variations (both 1955 & 1981)
Bach: WTC Book I
Brahms: Ballades, Rhapsodies & Intermezzi
Schoenberg: Complete Piano Music
Berg: Piano Sonata
Gould: String Quartet, Op. 1 (Symphonia Quartet)
Yes. It is very interesting interpretation and I especially like what he does with the 7/8 final movement, but when I want to hear Prokofiev 7, I am generally reaching for Ashkenazy, whereas for Bach, late Brahms and the 2nd Viennese School, Gould is probably my favorite interpreter.
Oh, are you referring to Ashkenazy's 1968 recording on Decca, or his earlier 1958 EMI recording that was re-released by Testament records on "The Young Ashkenazy"?
I have the youthful one and it's pretty amazing.
Glenn Gould’s playing evolved over time, at least in the Goldberg Variations. There have been a few compilations that include both his 1955 and 1981 recordings. I think the earlier recording is interesting for how different it is, compared to conventional performances. It’s fast and emphasizes counterpoint.
Bach D Minor Concerto with Lenny! There's a video of it and a studio recording.
In Goldbergs I side with Team '81, and there's a video of that one too, plus the Tim Page interview that goes with it.
For Beethoven there's his Emperor with Ancerl and again with Stokowski, two quite different versions.
As a conductor he recorded the Siegfried Idyll.
And I for one happen to love his Mozart sonatas, especially 1 & 11, but I frequently get beat up in back alleys for saying so.
A number of folks detest Gould's Mozart. They also have problems with his Beethoven.
I... really like them. I like them *because* they're different. They're a refreshing change of pace. And I do enjoy his take on these familiar works.
That said, I wouldn't use his recordings to introduce newbies to Mozart's and Beethoven's sonatas.
Probably the recording that catapulted him to fame which is his Goldberg Variations from the 1950s. I think one can say, at least on a certain level, that this first recording of that work is more lively and fun whereas his 1981 recording has greater depth and mastery so for that reason I think it's better to listen to them in order.
Go simple. Start with Bach's first partita if you're new to Bach as well. Then the Well Tempered Clavier, maybe.
Also, watch some of his tv appearances on youtube if you haven't already. Not only was he a revolutionary interpreter with unparalleled finger/voicing articulation, he was also an amazingly articulate and eloquent speaker/teacher.
The man was a genius, but I don't enjoy his Bach (I've heard both of his Goldberg recordings and his complete WTC on Columbia).
His recording of Prokofiev Sonata 7 is at least as good as Richter's, and I think his Schoenberg recordings are beautiful.
He was a [very sensitive accompanist](https://youtu.be/hNHOFbi2W4U) as well.
A lot of great recommendations for sure. But I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned a couple of his recordings that are IMO the best recordings of these works:
* [English Suite No 2 in A minor](https://youtu.be/m7_6ebDkink?si=QT93aHfDl-PniLIC)
* [Partita No 6 in E minor](https://youtu.be/HDngUWIM1pI?si=-C2ts4x0VDmTT0gk)
* [Toccata in C minor, BWV 911](https://youtu.be/xFK5Mc1o9-8?si=neQZc-H5aX9rVgtG)
I don’t think anyone else imbues these pieces with such a sense of motion and urgency. The two fugues (or single, split, two-part fugue depending on how you want to look at it) in the last one above is/are absolutely breathtaking.
Ive not listened to him for quite some time now after not really enjoying the Goldberg variations first time i heard them a year or so ago. But i just listened to them yesterday and i absolutely love the ‘81 recording now, so if you like the Bach counterpoint mastery i think you’ll like the variations
I personally don’t like Glenn Gould’s interpretations. It’s all Gould and little else. Meaning, you hear more Gould than Bach/Beethoven/etc.
That’s my opinion, of course, and on this thread I seem to be in the minority. 😇
However, I think it’s worth comparing the works recommended here with some other interpretations too. (Personally, I think Angela Hewitt’s Goldberg variations has no peer.)
To me, Gould was an anomaly. He lived both his youth and adult life in relative isolation, had just one real piano teacher, and the single-mindedness showed in his interpretations. I too was taken in by his 1955 Goldberg. The only other recording of it I had heard before was Landowska, which can almost make you not want to hear the piece again. Gould went out of his way to come across as a genius: narcissism. Periodically I like to mention in this space that there are 4 recordings of him playing Goldberg. The 1954 recording from the CBC is much less dazzling - and poor sound quality - than the 1955 by (?) Columbia in NYC. Then there's a recording of a recital in Salzburg in the late 50s with some other gems on it. I think it's my favorite. Finally, the 1981 was a relief after the 1955, but both those studio recordings were edited again and again. There are tracks of his recording session from 1955 that show how fragile he could be. I no longer like his Bach, but listen to his recording of Brahms 10 Intermezzi. Stunning, and lacking in pretense. Such a surprise.
Please immerse yourself with recordings or better yet, live performances of the works as close to the composer's intent as possible. Then you will have a better comparison and appreciation for what is original and Gould's artistic input.
This is true for food. Go outside of the Philadelphia region and order a Philly cheese-steak, its almost a given it will not be close to what one gets in Philadelphia.
The '81 Goldbergs tops my list.
Either of his recordings of *The Goldberg Variations*
Hearing them both is really enjoyable for comparison’s sake.
The Italian Concerto for me. It's short enough for you not to struggle with it, if you're new to him, but there's still enough there to show off the full range of what he brought to Bach playing. Also the Sarabande from the 4th Partita.
You're going to get a lot of recommendations for his Goldberg Variations (and rightly so). But I would also put in a plug for his Art of Fugue. The first half was done on organ (I believe this might be one of the only organ recordings of his?). I believe there was one scathing review and perhaps that's why we only got the first half. The rest was done on piano. Nonetheless, I've probably listened Gould's Art of Fugue more than any other piece/recording.
Yes, that's right about The Art of Fugue. Another piece of trivia: there was a fire a year or so after Gould did this recording at All Saints Kingsway, which totally destroyed the organ, so it's one of the last times this organ was recorded as well (the church now has a very different organ from the same builder).
Never for the life of me understood why he cuts the last one short of where it really cuts short
I think the answer is the Well Tempered Clavier, but either Goldberg variations (I like the 1981 better) is probably a good answer. Probably not his Mozart or Beethoven, although those are interesting in their own way (a way I don't care for mostly).
Yes, stick to his Bach or at least Baroque and earlier music for now. I would say the WTC is mandatory. It's just some of Bach's best work, played so so well.
I also enjoy his Byrd and Gibbons album.
If you're into that kind of music, his Second Viennese School recordings (Berg, Schoenberg, Webern) are really good
My essential Gould recordings: Bach: The Goldberg Variations (both 1955 & 1981) Bach: WTC Book I Brahms: Ballades, Rhapsodies & Intermezzi Schoenberg: Complete Piano Music Berg: Piano Sonata Gould: String Quartet, Op. 1 (Symphonia Quartet)
Have you heard his Prokofiev Sonata No. 7?
Yes. It is very interesting interpretation and I especially like what he does with the 7/8 final movement, but when I want to hear Prokofiev 7, I am generally reaching for Ashkenazy, whereas for Bach, late Brahms and the 2nd Viennese School, Gould is probably my favorite interpreter.
Oh, are you referring to Ashkenazy's 1968 recording on Decca, or his earlier 1958 EMI recording that was re-released by Testament records on "The Young Ashkenazy"? I have the youthful one and it's pretty amazing.
1968 Decca. The 7th & 8th Prokofiev sonatas are my favorite recordings of those pieces.
Check out the younger one if you ever get a chance
Glenn Gould’s playing evolved over time, at least in the Goldberg Variations. There have been a few compilations that include both his 1955 and 1981 recordings. I think the earlier recording is interesting for how different it is, compared to conventional performances. It’s fast and emphasizes counterpoint.
Bach D Minor Concerto with Lenny! There's a video of it and a studio recording. In Goldbergs I side with Team '81, and there's a video of that one too, plus the Tim Page interview that goes with it. For Beethoven there's his Emperor with Ancerl and again with Stokowski, two quite different versions. As a conductor he recorded the Siegfried Idyll. And I for one happen to love his Mozart sonatas, especially 1 & 11, but I frequently get beat up in back alleys for saying so.
Start with Goldberg Variations. It was the first Glenn Gould recording I’ve heard.
Don’t do Mozart. IMO he really fucker up Mozart but he does Bach quite nice. I really liked his toccata and adagio and fgue (I think it was in E)
A number of folks detest Gould's Mozart. They also have problems with his Beethoven. I... really like them. I like them *because* they're different. They're a refreshing change of pace. And I do enjoy his take on these familiar works. That said, I wouldn't use his recordings to introduce newbies to Mozart's and Beethoven's sonatas.
Probably the recording that catapulted him to fame which is his Goldberg Variations from the 1950s. I think one can say, at least on a certain level, that this first recording of that work is more lively and fun whereas his 1981 recording has greater depth and mastery so for that reason I think it's better to listen to them in order.
Go simple. Start with Bach's first partita if you're new to Bach as well. Then the Well Tempered Clavier, maybe. Also, watch some of his tv appearances on youtube if you haven't already. Not only was he a revolutionary interpreter with unparalleled finger/voicing articulation, he was also an amazingly articulate and eloquent speaker/teacher.
Agree with mentions of *The Well-Tempered Clavier*. On the same tip of J. S. Bach, I'll throw in the partitas.
Goldberg Variations !
In the parlour with a candlestick. No, wait…in the library with a rope. 🤔
The man was a genius, but I don't enjoy his Bach (I've heard both of his Goldberg recordings and his complete WTC on Columbia). His recording of Prokofiev Sonata 7 is at least as good as Richter's, and I think his Schoenberg recordings are beautiful. He was a [very sensitive accompanist](https://youtu.be/hNHOFbi2W4U) as well.
A lot of great recommendations for sure. But I’m surprised that nobody has mentioned a couple of his recordings that are IMO the best recordings of these works: * [English Suite No 2 in A minor](https://youtu.be/m7_6ebDkink?si=QT93aHfDl-PniLIC) * [Partita No 6 in E minor](https://youtu.be/HDngUWIM1pI?si=-C2ts4x0VDmTT0gk) * [Toccata in C minor, BWV 911](https://youtu.be/xFK5Mc1o9-8?si=neQZc-H5aX9rVgtG) I don’t think anyone else imbues these pieces with such a sense of motion and urgency. The two fugues (or single, split, two-part fugue depending on how you want to look at it) in the last one above is/are absolutely breathtaking.
If you know the eroica symphony, 32 variations on a theme by Beethoven. They are a lot of fun
Ive not listened to him for quite some time now after not really enjoying the Goldberg variations first time i heard them a year or so ago. But i just listened to them yesterday and i absolutely love the ‘81 recording now, so if you like the Bach counterpoint mastery i think you’ll like the variations
I personally don’t like Glenn Gould’s interpretations. It’s all Gould and little else. Meaning, you hear more Gould than Bach/Beethoven/etc. That’s my opinion, of course, and on this thread I seem to be in the minority. 😇 However, I think it’s worth comparing the works recommended here with some other interpretations too. (Personally, I think Angela Hewitt’s Goldberg variations has no peer.)
Where should you start listening? I’d recommend on a mountaintop with a nice view.
Him playing bachs piano concerto no 1 with Bernstein conducting is my favorite
The 1955 Goldberg Variations for sure.
To me, Gould was an anomaly. He lived both his youth and adult life in relative isolation, had just one real piano teacher, and the single-mindedness showed in his interpretations. I too was taken in by his 1955 Goldberg. The only other recording of it I had heard before was Landowska, which can almost make you not want to hear the piece again. Gould went out of his way to come across as a genius: narcissism. Periodically I like to mention in this space that there are 4 recordings of him playing Goldberg. The 1954 recording from the CBC is much less dazzling - and poor sound quality - than the 1955 by (?) Columbia in NYC. Then there's a recording of a recital in Salzburg in the late 50s with some other gems on it. I think it's my favorite. Finally, the 1981 was a relief after the 1955, but both those studio recordings were edited again and again. There are tracks of his recording session from 1955 that show how fragile he could be. I no longer like his Bach, but listen to his recording of Brahms 10 Intermezzi. Stunning, and lacking in pretense. Such a surprise.
Please immerse yourself with recordings or better yet, live performances of the works as close to the composer's intent as possible. Then you will have a better comparison and appreciation for what is original and Gould's artistic input. This is true for food. Go outside of the Philadelphia region and order a Philly cheese-steak, its almost a given it will not be close to what one gets in Philadelphia.
Anything ASAP.