A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981)

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Glenn Gould's recording debut in 1955 of Bach's Goldberg Variations took the world by storm. His decidedly un-Romantic view, absolute technical skill, startling lucidity, and right-on rhythmic changes, combined with his eccentricities--audible humming, sometimes outrageously fast tempi--made him an instantly legendary pianist and elucidated Bach's music in a whole new way. Gould's final recording, 26 years later, was also of the Goldbergs. It's a more relaxed, sometimes much slower, more inward reading (although still very much his own, complete with oddly ferocious attacks and accents), in which he offers repeats of the first half of 15 of the Variations. Both performances are glorious, each in its own way, and this luxurious new set of three CDs is entertaining, a joy to hear, and revelatory; it belongs in any music lover's collection. The third CD is devoted to outtakes and chatter from recording sessions. At one point, Gould improvises "God Save the King" and exhibits how it turns into "The Star-Spangled Banner." And a long interview with critic Tim Page offers great insight into Gould's weird humor and unique outlook. A must-have collection. --Robert Levine

A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981), Music, Johann Sebastian Bach, Glenn Gould, Tim Page, Baroque Variations for Keyboard, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Music, Keyboard, Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous Music, Music for Keyboard, Orchestral & Symphonic

Average customer rating:

Amazing playing but

Absolutely maddening

"Oddly ferocious attacks"

One for the ages.

A Life-Affirming Adventure

A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981)
Johann Sebastian Bach , Glenn Gould , and Tim Page
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006FI7C
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Tracks:

Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Aria
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 1
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 2
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 3. Canon On The Unison
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 4
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 5
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 6. Canon On The Second
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 7
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 8
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 9. Canon On The Third
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 10. Fughetta
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 11
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 12. Canon On The Fourth
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 13
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 14
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 15. Canon On The Fifth
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 16. Overture
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 17
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 18. Canon On The Sixth
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 19
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 20
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 21. Canon On The Seventh
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 22. Alla Breve
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 23
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 24. Canon On The Octave
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 25
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 26
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 27. Canon On The Ninth
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 28
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 29
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 30. Quodlibet
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Aria Da Capo

Tracks:

Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Aria
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 1
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 2
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 3. Canon On The Unison
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 4
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 5
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 6. Canon On The Second
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 7
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 8
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 9. Canon On The Third
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 10. Fughetta
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 11
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 12. Canon On The Fourth
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 13
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 14
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 15. Canon On The Fifth
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 16. Overture
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 17
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 18. Canon On The Sixth
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 19
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 20
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 21. Canon On The Seventh
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 22. Alla Breve
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 23
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 24. Canon On The Octave
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 25
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 26
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 27. Canon On The Ninth
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 28
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 29
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Variation 30. Quodlibet
Goldberg Variations, BWV 988: Aria Da Capo

Tracks:

Glen Gould Discusses His Peformances Of The Goldberg Variations With Time Page, August 22, 1982, Toronto, Canada
Studio Outtakes From The 1955 Goldberg Variations Recording Session

Amazon.com

Glenn Gould's recording debut in 1955 of Bach's Goldberg Variations took the world by storm. His decidedly un-Romantic view, absolute technical skill, startling lucidity, and right-on rhythmic changes, combined with his eccentricities--audible humming, sometimes outrageously fast tempi--made him an instantly legendary pianist and elucidated Bach's music in a whole new way. Gould's final recording, 26 years later, was also of the Goldbergs. It's a more relaxed, sometimes much slower, more inward reading (although still very much his own, complete with oddly ferocious attacks and accents), in which he offers repeats of the first half of 15 of the Variations. Both performances are glorious, each in its own way, and this luxurious new set of three CDs is entertaining, a joy to hear, and revelatory; it belongs in any music lover's collection. The third CD is devoted to outtakes and chatter from recording sessions. At one point, Gould improvises "God Save the King" and exhibits how it turns into "The Star-Spangled Banner." And a long interview with critic Tim Page offers great insight into Gould's weird humor and unique outlook. A must-have collection. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Amazing playing but.......2007-07-14

Glenn Gould has mastered the Bach, Goldberg Variations with out a question of doubt. His playing and style is absolutely amazing. The part that spoils the whole thing for me is when he starts humming. If you listen to it with the head phones on you can hear him humming away in the back ground. It is such a shame as he spoils his own brilliant performance.

Absolutely maddening.......2007-07-10

Imagine going to live piano recital. The music is gorgeous, you're really getting into it - and the person next to you starts humming along. You try to block it out, but the more you do, the more conscious of it you become. It becomes all you can hear, and suddenly the performance is just background noise to the humming. That's my experience with these CDs, the 1981 version more so than the 1955. Perhaps the humming's not so prominent when played on a proper stereo system, but listening on my PC with a pair of headphones, the humming is all I hear, and it's absolutely maddening. I can deal with the hiss, but the infernal humming is just too much for my mere mortal concentration. It may be the most amazing performance of anything ever, but if you can't listen to it, does it matter?

"Oddly ferocious attacks".......2007-05-08

My title comes from the editorial review above. Why such attacks? Bach wrote the Goldberg Variations for a harpsichord with two registers (two keyboards). Until Wanda Ladowska revived them in the 1930s, on a "pian-arpsichord" built specially for her, they were considered unplayable on piano. That opinion was correct, like it or not. The contrasts of register, intrinsic to the music, CANNOT be rendered intelligently merely by hammering ornaments and dancing on the pedals. Some pianists, however, come closer to making decent music of the Goldbergs by subduing their egos and letting the delicacy of the counterpoint be heard. There may be a case for playing Bach's other harpsichord solo works on piano -- Richard Goode does a decent job, for instance -- but the Goldberg Variations belong on harpsichord only forevermore.

One for the ages........2007-02-14

To be a sonic witness to this music is a real treat. Gould's approach both times is so personal and probing. What is really satisfying is how the 1981 recording is not just a rehash of 1955. Each era has it's own unique and distinct personality. This is a "must" in your musical collection.

A Life-Affirming Adventure.......2007-01-06

If you are new to Bach and Gould, "A State of Wonder" offers you a life-affirming adventure. This 3-disc package includes Glenn Gould's 1955 recording of the Goldberg Variations, with raw exuberance and breakneck speed. Disc 2 contains his 1981 reinterpretation, and this music has never sounded more divinely beautiful to this perpetual Bach student. Disc 3 is icing on the cake, featuring Gould's professorial zeal and musical logic (also lame but endearing humor). If you love the Goldberg--and I passionately hope you will--then curiosity will lead you to superb piano versions by Andras Schiff and Murray Perahia, and Wanda Landowska on the harpsichord. For further Bachian "wonder," Artur Schnabel's recording of the Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue is awesome. Gould's Bach, however, remains my favorite. As for the brouhaha about his sometimes audible humming, I love it: Glenn lives!

A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981)

Average customer rating:

A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981)
Glenn Gould
Manufacturer: Sbme Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000065EQA
Release Date: 2002-11-04

Tracks: