Track Listing

1. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Aria
2. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 1
3. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 2
4. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 3
5. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 4
6. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 5
7. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 6
8. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 7
9. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 8
10. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 9
11. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 10
12. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 11
13. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 12
14. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 13
15. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 14
16. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 15
17. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 16
18. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 17
19. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 18
20. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 19
21. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 20
22. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 21
23. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 22
24. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 23
25. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 24
26. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 25
27. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 26
28. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 27
29. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 28
30. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 29
31. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Variation 30
32. Goldberg Variations, for keyboard (Clavier-Übung IV), BWV 988 (BC L9): Aria da capo

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #164296 in Music
• Released on: 1990-10-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Import

Amazon.com essential recording
In the summer of 1955, a brash, eccentric, and awesomely gifted 22-year-old pianist swept the didactic cobwebs off this monumental opus, and a star was born. For listeners weaned on romantic Bach stylings of Fischer, Casals, and Landowska, the effect was like stepping into an ice cold shower. Glenn Gould's agile, independent hands and hair-trigger rhythm ignited Bach's virtuosic writing with insight and irreverence, sprucing up the counterpoint with crisp articulation, perky accents, and jaw-dropping tempos. This debut recording is the best-known and arguably the finest of Gould's commercial discs. Buy it and hear why. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews

There is a better version of this recording
A spirited, irreverant recording that turned the world on its ear back in 1955. Comparisons to his 1981 recording notwithstanding, this is an extraordinary performance with considerable historical value.

However, it was given a 20-bit remaster in 1992 and re-released as "Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: Goldberg Variations" (Sony Catalog #52594). The remastered version has noticably clearer sound and more music: two fugues from 'The Well-Tempered Clavier' are thrown in as a bonus.

If sound quality is important to you, the remastered version is worth the extra 5 bucks.

A revelation to the music world in 1955, still is in 2001
It is hard to underestimate this breakthrough recording by young Glenn Gould. At a time when Bach was very serious music, when few even wanted to touch his keyboard works, Gould started a storm of change with this recording. Just listening to pre-Gould recordings of Goldberg Variations, or even any Bach keyboard work, played with harpsichord or piano, and you'll find how presemptious and, in fact, a bit boring, Bach indeed could sound. People might argue that Gould more sounds like Gould than Bach, but is that really an issue? Even Bach, in good baroque tradition, was a well-known improvisor and imitator that changed his style frequently as demanded by his temper and audience. The key here is to move people with Bachs intentions, not to plainly copy. In fact, I like when I can hear who is playing, it adds personality and blood, especialy in the case of Mr Gould's tour de force and exquisite, almost hyphnotic tempi effects and phrasing. OK, I won't get deeper into that discussion. Gould died too young, and so far no one of the some 75 recoridings has surpassed him on the Goldbergs, my opinion. BUY THIS RECORD AND HIS 1981 VERSION. If you're a real buff, try his 1954 CBC and 1959 Salzburg live recordings as well.

New Glenn Gould fan at middle age.
I'm hardly a Bach affcionado although I've always enjoyed listening to his works in my life along with other composers. When I accidentally watched video clips of Glenn Gould's performance of Goldberg variations for the first time, It made me curiously emotional like no other. Words are inadequate to describe the child-like feeling after I listend to the first few variations. I walked over to my young sleepy cat and kissed his nose... That is what this particular recording made me do. Not everyone need to talk about classical music like a wine connoisseur. I feel lucky to have found this simple, yet sublime sound by this truly gifted pianist.