Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29372 in Music
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2002-09-03
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Limited Edition, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .18 pounds

Customer Reviews

Worth getting for Contrapunctus XIV, but for full performance look elsewhere
This is a partial performance on organ paired with a partial performance on piano. I didn't care too much for the organ (although Gould's very "un-organistic" articulation does work with these pieces, I miss the unique expression of his piano playing). Some of the piano recordings sound like somebody surreptitiously taped them on a concealed tape recorder.

If you want a complete Art of Fugue on piano that's as close to Gould as it gets, go with Tatiana Nikolayeva's stellar 2 CD-recording on Hyperion (CDA66631/2). I have 9 AoF performances in my collection (piano, organ, string quartet, Hermann Scherchen's orchestral arrangement), and Nikolayeva's set is my favorite by far. (It also includes the two Ricercars from The Musical Offering BWV1079 and the four Duets BWV 802-805, originally for organ.)

However, if you're as much of a Bach nut as I am, the Gould CD is worth getting just for Gould's incredible performance of Contrapunctus XIV (the final unfinished fugue).

Gould gold
I must admit hearing Gould's staccatto playing of the organ first left me cold; but on the second hearing, the clarity of counterpoint came vividly to life. The piano fugues are all very moving albeit occasionally eccentric. The inclusion of BWV 898, a rarity, very doubtful and very Beethovenian is an additional pleasure. Whoever wrote it, it is an excellent piece of music.

Excellent Rendition of the Art of the Fugue
This is my first Glenn Gould CD. At first, I was surprised by his staccato organ playing, but I soon began to really enjoy the CD. Some may find Mr. Gould's humming annoying, but I found it amusing (it doesn't bother me much). I only heard the humming on the tracks with piano and found that Gould was really into Bach. I have heard Glenn Gould's playing on the radio and must say that he is truly a master of Bach's keyboard music. The sound quality is good and the jewel case is very nice. I highly recommend this item if you like Bach, Gould, or both.