Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, CT. 203: Allegro maestoso
2. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, CT. 203: Scherzo
3. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, CT. 203: Largo
4. Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor, Op. 58, CT. 203: Finale: Presto, non tanto - Agitato
5. Song without Words for piano No. 1 in E major, Op. 19b/1
6. Song without Words for piano No. 2 in A minor, Op. 19b/2
7. Song without Words for piano No. 38 in A minor, Op. 85/2
8. Song without Words for piano No. 41 in A major, Op. 85/5
9. Song without Words for piano No. 9 in E major, Op. 30/3
10. Prelude for piano in C major, Op. 33/3
11. Prelude for piano in E flat major, Op. 45/3
12. Prelude for piano in F major, Op. 49/2
13. Feuillet d'album for piano, Op. 58
14. Visions fugitives (20), for piano, Op. 22: No 2, andante

Disc 2:

1. Piano Sonata No. 3 in F sharp minor ('Etats d'�me'), Op. 23: Drammatico
2. Piano Sonata No. 3 in F sharp minor ('Etats d'�me'), Op. 23: Allegretto
3. Piano Sonata No. 3 in F sharp minor ('Etats d'�me'), Op. 23: Andante
4. Piano Sonata No. 3 in F sharp minor ('Etats d'�me'), Op. 23: Presto Con Fuoco
5. Piano Sonata No. 5 in F sharp major, Op. 53
6. Piano Sonata No. 7 in B flat major ('War Sonata 2/Stalingrad'), Op. 83
7. Piano Sonata No. 7 in B flat major ('War Sonata 2/Stalingrad'), Op. 83
8. Piano Sonata No. 7 in B flat major ('War Sonata 2/Stalingrad'), Op. 83
9. Piano Sonata No. 7 in B flat major ('War Sonata 2/Stalingrad'), Op. 83
10. D�sir, for piano, Op. 57/1

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #213828 in Music
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 1995-06-27
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Box set
• Dimensions: .40 pounds

Customer Reviews

THE BEST AND NOT-BEST OF GOULD
These two discs, both made when Gould was in his late 30's or turning 40, are different in origin. The first, containing the Chopin sonata, the Mendelssohn and some Scriabin and Prokofiev, is of broadcasts over CBC. More Prokofiev and Scriabin on disc # 2, but studio recordings this time, done in New York. There is some wonderful playing here, indeed most of it is superb. The downer is the Chopin sonata - oh dear me, this will never do.

Loquacious as ever, Gould lets the world know about Chopin's shortcomings as a composer in large-scale forms. Until I heard the sonata from him I wasn't bothered by this, because he sometimes pontificates on some work to its disfavour and then gives a cracker of a performance, as with Bach's Italian concerto and Chromatic Fantasy. This time the omens were right - he doesn't like Chopin's B minor sonata and it shows. Just to complete the party, Sony apologise for some of the recorded quality on the broadcast disc, and this piece is the one where it's below par. I would not have recognised Gould's highly individual touch, normally unmistakable, from it. The first movement is the worst - far too slow and played with an artificial clarity. The last movement might have been interesting on another day, with the same choppy distinctness in the rondo theme the first time round but with more pedal when it recurs, but it doesn't work for me on this occasion. The two middle movements are better, but the scherzo needs more brilliance and the largo sounds uninvolved. My thoughts reverted enviously to the bright-eyed innocence of Cziffra in both movements.

Once done with that I was back with the great player I bought this set to hear. Most of the Mendelssohn and most of the smaller Scriabin and Prokofiev numbers are new to my collection, which is no model of planning or order. I was delighted instantly by Gould's freshness and clarity in the first Song Without Words, a beautiful and convincing counterbalance to the more romantic account of it that I have on LP from the great Guiomar Novaes, who now seems to be largely forgotten. Everything goes right for me from here on, although Gould's handling of the first movement in the Scriabin sonata # 3 raised my eyebrows a bit. I am used to Horowitz and Ashkenazy in this work. Both take the movement considerably faster, but there is no tempo indication, and Gould strikes me as a natural Scriabin stylist, something I would also say of Horowitz but much less of Ashkenazy. What the composer does say is `Drammatico', and this quiet approach is not my own idea of being dramatic, although Gould does admittedly build up the tone in the latter stages of the movement. The other Scriabin sonata is simply terrific, and in Prokofiev's fearsomely difficult 7th sonata Gould turns in a performance of dumbfounding virtuosity, as he does on another recording of it that I have from him.

Gould's playing is playing that I respond to strongly in general, and this is a set I respond to strongly in general too. On the first disc the recorded quality improves after that sad Chopin, although there is a certain amount of tape-noise in the background. I have no problems at all with the recorded quality on the second disc, and the multi-lingual liner note has an easy job in being informative and interesting owing to the considerable help it gets from the garrulous Mr Gould himself.

New visions around old musical patterns!
After a quarter of Century from his death, Gould `s fame is still increasing. Glenn Gould constituted for Canada and the rest of the world, the new prototype of the rebel generation of the piano. He literally demolished barriers and imposed a new approach in what concerns to play Bach.

This album constitutes a true rarity in all senses. This is a repertoire that few or nothing has to do with him. From his interview of 1959, he stated clearly he did not like Chopin at all, according him, Frederick was not a good composer and just a superb miniaturist. But in the early seventies something deep inside changed and decided to play the Third Piano Sonata and these selected pieces of Mendelssohn.

For all those purists this approach, surely may be not pleasantly well received. It' s an Anti Romantic approach, Gould was always an enfant terrible and these works must be listened taking into account this statement.

His Scriabin is fabulous; enigmatic and loaded of a dark poetry. His Prokoviev is extremely interesting.

And please remember: All new art demands the extinction of the established order. That explains that, behind the ashes of the Romanticism, the Impressionism was borning : Death and transfiguration.

Gould's wonderful recording of Chopin, Scriabin, etc..
I feel I must come to the defense of Gould (though I don't like everything he does and am certainly not a crazed fan). Hearing these pieces played by Gould sheds a wonderful light on his personality and charm. One hears,in this recording, his idealism, his knowledge and clarity of thought--as in everything he playes. Especially gratifying to hear are the Scriabine selections. Even if one wouldn't "usually" hear, or want to hear, such interpretations of these works, nevertheless, they are wonderfully played and conceived by none other than a marvelous, genuine artist.

Buy this recording! It's testimony of a forgotten epoch. I mean think of it..what reason--business, marketability, sales, etc. would he need to record these works?

Only out of love.. Highly recommended!