Glenn Gould

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Approaching a 2-CD, 150-plus-minute collection of Glenn Gould's piano playing that has no Bach is befuddling. Gould, though he was expert at dozens of composers' works, is remembered by many for his shattering 1955 reading of Bach's Goldberg Variations, whose spirit is strewn throughout these pieces by Berg, Byrd, Scarlatti, Prokofiev, and others. Gould's short performance career, which ended in 1964--when he was 32--is captured on this collection's earliest recordings: the Haydn and Mozart works (1958)--his Mozart infuriated aficionados--and Berg's Piano Sonata, op. 1.

Gould always seemed to trot rowdily through the most staid works and then turn quickly paced works into taut, nervy splays of tension. Of greatest interest here are the crisp Byrd pieces, most unusual in their solo-piano dressing, and the Scriabin miniatures, which seem emotionally brittle and creatively about to burst. Gould ties, unties, and reties the Prokofiev securely, tightening its chromatic properties and keeping it dancing all the while. Sure, there's not a stitch of Bach here, but the music just makes its point all the more clearly: Gould's unleashing of notes was genius almost without regard to its subject matter. --Andrew Bartlett

Glenn Gould, Music, Alban Berg, Georges Bizet, William Byrd, Orlando Gibbons, Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sergey Prokofiev, Domenico Scarlatti, Alexander Scriabin, Richard Strauss, Glenn Gould, 20th/21st Century Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard, Baroque Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical, Classical Artists, Classical Music, Classical Sonata/Sonatina for Keyboard, Coll. of Character/Single-Movement/Misc. Works for Keyb., Fantasy/Fantasia for Keyboard, Ground For Keyboard, Keyboard, Keyboard Work Entitled "Piece" or "Stück", Miscellaneous, Miscellaneous Music, Pavane for Keyboard, Prelude and Fugue for Keyboard, Romantic Variations for Keyboard, Variations for Keyboard, Voluntary for Keyboard
Bach: The Goldberg Variations 1955 Performance: Zenph Re-performance
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • I was there...and I love the CD.
  • The classics never die; just reborn!
  • sorry I am in the B. Johnson camp
  • Beautiful to a listener unfamiliar with original recording
  • Glenn Gould...without the humming!
 Bach: The Goldberg Variations 1955 Performance: Zenph Re-performance

Manufacturer: Sony Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000LE0THE
Release Date: 2007-05-29

Tracks:

  1. Aria
  2. Variation 1
  3. Variation 2
  4. Variation 3: Canon On The Unison
  5. Variation 4
  6. Variation 5
  7. Variation 6: Canon On The Second
  8. Variation 7
  9. Variation 8
  10. Variation 9: Canon On The Third
  11. Variation 10: Fughetta
  12. Variation 11
  13. Variation 12: Canon On The Fourth
  14. Variation 13
  15. Variation 14
  16. Variation 15: Canon On The Fifth
  17. Variation 16: Ouverture
  18. Variation 17
  19. Variation 18: Canon On The Sixth
  20. Variation 19
  21. Variation 20
  22. Variation 21: Canon On The Seventh
  23. Variation 22: Alla Breve
  24. Variation 23
  25. Variation 24: Canon On The Octave
  26. Variation 25
  27. Variation 26
  28. Variation 27: Canon On The Ninth
  29. Variation 28
  30. Variation 29
  31. Variation 30: Quodlibet
  32. Aria Da Capo
  33. Aria
  34. Variation 1
  35. Variation 2
  36. Variation 3: Canon On The Unison
  37. Variation 4
  38. Variation 5
  39. Variation 6: Canon On The Second
  40. Variation 7
  41. Variation 8
  42. Variation 9: Canon On The Third
  43. Variation 10: Fughetta
  44. Variation 11
  45. Variation 12: Canon On The Fourth
  46. Variation 13
  47. Variation 14
  48. Variation 15: Canon On The Fifth
  49. Variation 16: Ouverture
  50. Variation 17
  51. Variation 18: Canon On The Sixth
  52. Variation 19
  53. Variation 20
  54. Variation 21: Canon On The Seventh
  55. Variation 22: Alla Breve
  56. Variation 23
  57. Variation 24: Canon On The Octave
  58. Variation 25
  59. Variation 26
  60. Variation 27: Canon On The Ninth
  61. Variation 28
  62. Variation 29
  63. Variation 30: Quodlibet
  64. Aria Da Capo

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars I was there...and I love the CD........2007-07-05

A friend of mine is a Yamaha piano technician and he got tickets for my wife and I to attend the recording of the Zenph re-issue at the Glenn Gould Theatre in Toronto. It was such a mystical and magical experience, I heard pianists say that "Gould's ghost had walked into the room". The concert was astounding. That's why I bought the CD.
I'm listening to it as I write this and rate it 5 stars.

5 out of 5 stars The classics never die; just reborn!.......2007-06-28

This masterful re-edition allows the new generations may even get closer to what this recording meant in 1955 for the musical universe. It's hard to guess how many listeners became music lovers of this genre, because of Gould was if I may the first and possibly the greates artisitc achievement in the history of the music.

These Goldberg meant a true openess and at the same time the most convincing proof the classic music was far to be considered a status issue reserved just for a minory. Besides it illuminated the interpretative flame of many new pianists who understood had became an icon of the instrument and a key force in what Bach's music concerned.

The superb quality of sound is outstanding, and due the fact that 25 years ago Gould left us, we have the suspect there will be mnusch more pleasant surprises of Sonny in what concerns new releases of this genius of the keyboard.

3 out of 5 stars sorry I am in the B. Johnson camp.......2007-06-26

My heart skipped and my tummy got the butterflies when I saw this in Barnes & Noble. I had not heard anything about it. Well I am not a classical music critic, but I know good recordings. Part of the reason is that I've read every one of B. Johnson's reviews. If you are reading this B. Johnson thanks for your reviews, you even got me into Murakami.

That being said I listened to it in Barnes & Noble. The sound quality was stunning. Yet I too did feel something was missing. So lo and behold I came here first chance I get and see the reviews. And of course B. Johnson stated what I felt was true.

So even me a non-expert knew something was wrong.

I am in the camp that thinks something is missing with this recording. Still it is an interesting idea. Hopefully they will continue to experiment and improve this technology.

5 out of 5 stars Beautiful to a listener unfamiliar with original recording.......2007-06-13

I have read several critiques of this "re-performance" claiming that it falls short of the original. While this may be true, I am unfamiliar with the original and find this to be a truly moving and beautiful reproduction. Within minutes of my first listen, I forgot about the technology that made the album possible and found myself captivated by Gould's brilliance.

It's to be expected that music lovers will compare the Zenph performance against the original, but I think listeners should also try enjoying this CD on its own merits. It's a great way for those of us accustomed to high quality recordings to appreciate a great performance of the past.

3 out of 5 stars Glenn Gould...without the humming!.......2007-06-09

Well...not exactly. When I originally heard of this recording, I was intrigued with the concept. I've been a huge fan of the Gould versions of the Goldberg Variations for quite awhile, but more so of the 1980 rendition than the 1955 version, largely because the latter's sound quality was so relatively poor (recorded in mono, lots of hiss and background noise, etc.). So the idea that I could obtain a cleaned up version of Mr. Gould's breakthrough recording, not only in stereo but in SACD was immediately appealing to me. As such I purchased a copy as soon as I could.

My biggest concern was that the "performance" would be mechanical and not sound like a human playing the piano, let alone not sound like Mr. Gould himself at the keyboard. That concern was quickly wiped away as I started to listen to it. There is not a hint of mechanical, overly systematic playing. It truly sounds like there is a person stroking the keys to Bach's magnificent composition. But is that person Glenn Gould resurrected from the dead? I checked this out by playing each movement from this recording back to back with each movement from the original 1955 recording. What I found was that, while this "re-performance" certainly captures the tempo and pacing of the original recording, and much of it's height and depth of playing, it failed to retain the energy of many of the intensely struck notes or the gentleness of many of the softly struck notes. As a result, the liveliness and tenderness of Gould's playing is significantly lost in this production, which is what I thought made his playing so unique in the first place.

As such, while I recommend this recording as an interesting experiment in technology, and definately an enjoyable rendering of the Goldberg Variations, don't think that you will be getting a true "cleaned up" version of the 1955 recording. It comes surprisingly close, but sadly no cigar. Glenn Gould unfortunately remains in his grave.
A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 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:

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

Tracks:

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

Tracks:

  1. Glen Gould Discusses His Peformances Of The Goldberg Variations With Time Page, August 22, 1982, Toronto, Canada
  2. 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:

2 out of 5 stars 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.

1 out of 5 stars 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?

1 out of 5 stars "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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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!
Art of the Fugue - 70th Anniversary Edition
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Gould's Most Errant Interpretation
  • THE VERY SOUL OF MUSIC
  • Worth getting for Contrapunctus XIV, but for full performance look elsewhere
  • The Best Bach Interpreter of the Century
  • Excellent Rendition of the Art of the Fugue
 Art of the Fugue - 70th Anniversary Edition
Glenn Gould , and Bach
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006FI8C
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars Gould's Most Errant Interpretation.......2007-02-13

Mr. Khekoyan, who reviews this disk below, is quite correct that it is errant in tempi and in percussive interpretation. I'm not in agreement with him about Glenn Gould's stature as the foremost interpreter of Bach of the century. I'd suggest listening to the performance of Menno van Delft, which is included in the Bach Edition complete works produced by Brilliant Classics. There are any number of people who might nominate Gustav Leonhardt, Trevor Pinnock, or Bob van Asperen as more insightful interpreters of Bach than Glenn Gould. Don't let Gould's curious cult status mislead you; his performances are more quirky than competent.
Or, if you are attracted to the Art of Fugue rather than the Artist, you might listen to the performance of the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet, also available on CD. Though there is no historical justification for playing Bach's harpsichord music on recorders, the LSQ makes fine and insightful music on their wooden flutes, large and small. At times they sound more organistic than Mr. Gould on his modern behemoth.

5 out of 5 stars THE VERY SOUL OF MUSIC.......2006-09-08

What you will find on this disc is A) contrapunctus I-IX played on two different organs in 1962; B) contrapunctus I II & IV from a1981 TV broadcast; C) contrapunctus IX XI & XIII in mono from a radio broadcast in 1967; D) the unfinished contrapunctus XIV from what may or may not be the same TV broadcast as B); and as a final filler E) a prelude and fugue on the name BACH from a studio recording in 1980. Items B)-E) are given on the piano.

Gould's organ renderings ran into critical flak at the time, and whether for that reason or because organ-playing aggravated a shoulder condition that the maestro suffered from he never completed the project. The sound of the piano is a little below standard in C), with some background hiss and a slightly emaciated tone, but even it is not really bad, B) and D) are better, and E) better still sound-wise. The sound of the organs has been criticised, but I do not criticise it and indeed it suits me very well. Nothing in the sound-quality from start to finish interferes in any way with my appreciation of Gould's wonderful, visionary and unique Bach-playing.

This disc does not offer you the complete Art of Fugue, so anyone who wants what's here is going to want it for something special in the performance. Gould is always special I guess, but not special in ways that suit everyone. My feeling is that if you are of the school that wants the Art of Fugue played `expressively' you can probably leave this offering alone. Once Gould sets a tempo he sticks to it unflinchingly without rubato, and except for some build-up in the tone as D) progresses there is a very restricted range of dynamics within each piece, although the individual pieces are strongly contrasted in respect of both volume-level and pace. Interestingly, in those numbers which he gives in two different performances, he takes a markedly different approach each time. Conrapunctus II IV and IX are very much faster in the piano version than on the organ, but contrapunctus I on the piano is taken very slowly indeed, lasting nearly twice as long as in the organ account. It is a matter of one's own concept of the work basically. For me, the Art of Fugue is the ultimate in abstract `absolute' music. It is a monument of remote sublimity like pure mathematics or like the stars in the sky, and it is just there for us to wonder at and does not reach out to us or `express' anything. The player's task is to convey its grandeur, and for me Gould does that as no other version, (on any instruments whatsoever - Bach specifies none) has ever done for me, and I feel this most acutely in his much-criticised organ renderings. The organs he uses are not giants, and there is only limited use of the pedals. He uses mainly a detached fingering, although embracing a more legato style in contrapunctus VI. However it stands to reason that the parts in long sustained notes do not admit of the detached treatment, and I love Gould's selection of strongly contrasted stops to assist clarity further. These are the means he adopts. What these means are in furtherance of is an impression of utter grandeur in the sublime march of Bach's polyphony. It is even a privilege to be shown how this grandeur can be viewed from startlingly different angles in his alternative interpretations of 4 of the fugues.

The last fugue from the Art, the unfinished contrapunctus XIV, is taken at a very slow pace and ends abruptly where the dying composer left it. In the normal way of things I detest this procedure - whatever Bach intended it wasn't that, and in a composition that is the ne plus ultra of method many competent musicians have supplied conclusions that must, in the very nature of the case, approximate to what Bach himself would have done. However this was a television performance, and I gather that the camera was made to freeze at this point with Gould's right hand poised dramatically in mid-air. Gould, who kicked Ravel's piano transcription of La Valse into touch and wrote his own, is having none of that when it comes to Bach, and under the circumstances I stifle my own normal reaction to this abrupt hiatus.

One of the most extraordinary things about Bach is how popular he manages to be for all his seeming severity. The Art of Fugue is innocent of the lyricism that was also part of Bach's infinite musical gift, it makes no compromises with us, but I would say to newcomers to the work that Gould's accounts, partial as they are, would be the best place to start to know this unique and towering masterpiece. It is not any indivisible entity in any case. Better, to start with, to hear some of it presented like this than the entire set in many another, perhaps indeed in any other, version.

3 out of 5 stars Worth getting for Contrapunctus XIV, but for full performance look elsewhere.......2005-08-07

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).

3 out of 5 stars The Best Bach Interpreter of the Century.......2003-11-29

I absolutely love all the works played by Glenn Gould. Why 3 stars then? For a long time I have loved every work that Gould brought to life and I still absolutely love them. However, "The Art of the Fugue" really made me see some of Glenn's dark side. The flaw is that his high speeds have absolutely no excuse on this marvelous piece of creation. It is true that Gould is the best pianist when it comes to playing Bach, but to understand what I mean, go and listen to Contrapunctus IV by some other performer who plays it much slower than Glenn. I personally recommend especially the trumpet version. It will blow your mind and convince you that Gould's performance of this piece was really hiding its magnificent beauty and drama. It is simply not possible to express something so breathtakingly dramatic by playing it staccato and also too fast. Have you ever seen someone who had a great loss crying by short stops and very fast? I don't suppose so. And the comparison is very fair because all the instruments, especially the piano, were created to resemble the human voice. `Art of the Fugue' is nothing like the Goldberg Variations where Gould's touch made the music beautiful, especially the first slow movement (which he actually plays very slowly and hence compensates for the staccato). It is much more dramatic and the performer's first goal must be to convey the drama to the listener.

Who am I to judge Glenn? I just have had the privilege to listen closely to titans like S. Richter, E. Gilels, A. Rubinstein, A.Schnabel, S. Rachmaninoff, V. Horowitz, and many others. Not to mention that so far I have listened to the complete works of over 40 composers. Again, Glenn Gould plays beautifully, especially Bach's faster pieces, where even Emil Gilels and Sviatoslav Richter can't do such a precise and concise interpretation. But we must remember that Glenn is a great pianist, but a pianist that can't even match with the Genius of Johann Sebastian Bach (I have heard Glenn's compositions). It is ironic that listeners give so much credit to Gould that they absolutely forget that the only reason that he is able to play such beautiful pieces is because Bach has created them in the first place! With this in mind, we still can accept new ways of interpretation of Bach, BUT NOT TO THE POINT THAT IT DECREASES THE INTRINSIC VALUE OF BACH'S COMPOSITIONS. Glenn does not do this often, but it is shocking that he chose to show his over-interpretation on a work that is considered to be the most important one in the entire classical repertoire. If Glenn was made to play these pieces by his contractors then the flaws can be partially forgiven.

It all comes down to this: this work should by no means put Gould's abilities in question, since he is indeed the best Bach interpreter of this century. However, one must not be blinded and be focused on any singular performer for the interpretation of all the pieces in the classical repertoire - Gould might outdo Horowitz in performing the `Emperor Concerto' (Beethoven) and Gilels in playing Bach's `French Suites', but when it comes to pieces like Beethoven's "The Tempest," his staccato is not in its right medium and becomes a cat's play compared to the powerful fingers of Richter.
(I have heard over one hundred pieces by Gould and could barely notice his humming. Why? Because I hum with him! So please do not complain since a real classical listener should not even notice the humming. Imagine listening to someone talking and at the same time listening to Bach. As far as I am concerned, you shouldn't even be able to notice that that person even exists)

5 out of 5 stars Excellent Rendition of the Art of the Fugue.......2003-03-08

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.
French Suites - 70th Anniversary Edition
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • So many insights
  • realy, really fast
  • Controversial, yet unsurpassed
  • Worth Owning
  • Excellent!
 French Suites - 70th Anniversary Edition
Glenn Gould , and Bach
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Art of the Fugue - 70th Anniversary Edition
  2. English Suites 1 2 & 3 - 70th Anniversary Edition
  3. A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981)
  4. Partitas 1 2 & 3 - 70th Anniversary Edition
  5. Partitas 4 5 & 6 - 70th Anniversary Edition

ASIN: B00006FI81
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars So many insights.......2007-07-11

Of all the many French Suite recordings I've heard, in spite of its eccentricities, this is the recording I return to, because every time I hear it, I hear something new and fresh. It has everything - and no other recorded-performer comes anywhere near such understanding, enthusiasm and dancing-qualities.

3 out of 5 stars realy, really fast.......2007-02-09

Glenn Gould bach is really irregular. I love the three goldbergs (1954, 1981, an live recording in Salzburg), but these French suites are really, very fast, in the first minutes the music sound lively, and pretty, but almost an hour of staccato fast music, It's really like a ta ta ta ta ta ta ta sound.

I much more prefer gould playing bach's fugues, he use to be more slow

5 out of 5 stars Controversial, yet unsurpassed.......2006-08-03

Gould was a character, in every sense of the word. Reading his numerous articles, one is inspired and challenged by his complex and elegant thought... His music, especially his Bach interpretations, have been criticized and praised alike, by people who know eons more about Music Theory than I do.

I can, however, share with you my intense appreciation of these suites. This is absolutely the work of a genius. His rendering of Bach's music for keyboard is utterly original, superbly balanced, deliciously nuanced, and stand alone as an untouched benchmark.

Listen carefully to his wise melancholy in the First Suite, especially the 2 menuettos. This is an interpretation which would astonish Bach himself, I am sure. No other performer will give you what you will hear in (at least) these specific two movements: such living beauty, such exquisite heartbreak... vibrant and fragile, an absolute joy.


5 out of 5 stars Worth Owning.......2005-11-15

I listen to this CD all the time. There is a simplicity and clarity to it that just puts my mind at ease. At times a bit frenetic, but always precise and of an even temper. Very much recommended.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent!.......2005-05-18

I am becoming a huge Glenn Gould fan. I first heard him about 15 years ago from a recording from my father. Listening to the Bach "French Suites" is an amazing experience. It is interesting to do some googling to learn more about Gould the man as well.
Bach: The Goldberg Variations
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Perfection - Hums and all...
  • Words cannot decribe it
  • Blissful music, divine playing.
  • WHAT ARE WORDS?...
  • THE FI IS TOO HI
 Bach: The Goldberg Variations
Johann Sebastian Bach , and Glenn Gould
Manufacturer: CBS Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. The Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I
  2. The Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II
  3. Art of the Fugue - 70th Anniversary Edition
  4. Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (The Historic 1955 Debut Recording)
  5. French Suites - 70th Anniversary Edition

ASIN: B0000025PM
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

  1. Aria
  2. Variation 1
  3. Variation 2
  4. Variation 3
  5. Variation 4
  6. Variation 5
  7. Variation 6
  8. Variation 7
  9. Variation 8
  10. Variation 9
  11. Variation 10
  12. Variation 11
  13. Variation 12
  14. Variation 13
  15. Variation 14
  16. Variation 15
  17. Variation 16
  18. Variation 17
  19. Variation 18
  20. Variation 19
  21. Variation 20
  22. Variation 21
  23. Variation 22
  24. Variation 23
  25. Variation 24
  26. Variation 25
  27. Variation 26
  28. Variation 27
  29. Variation 28
  30. Variation 29
  31. Variation 30
  32. Aria

Amazon.com essential recording

The clear-cut rhythms, riveting articulation, and contrapuntal acumen of Glenn Gould's 1955 debut Goldberg Variations characterize this 1981 remake to strikingly different results. This later version is more deliberate in pacing, stark in expression, thoughtful with ornamentation, and tightly organized (if a mite theatrical) in terms of tempo relationships. Whereas there are no repeats from 1955, Gould now observes "A" section repeats in the canons, the Fughetta, and other fugue-like variations. The rapid, cross- handed sequences still dazzle with pinpointed fingerwork, yet the slower tempos better serve the music's dance-like qualities. Unlike Sony Classical's better sounding Glenn Gould Edition transfer, the original CBS Masterworks CD still has no banding cues. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Perfection - Hums and all..........2007-07-15

One wonders what it takes to impress some people. One reviewer actually said that Gould "possibly wasn't a great pianist"! Who should I believe? Such luminaries as Yehudi Menuhin and Vladimir Ashkenazy who stated "Gould was an idol of mine", or someone who's written a lot of internet reviews and is therefore somehow above world class musicians by default? I agree with the reviewer who stated that it doesn't get any better than this. This is one of the greatest composers and one of the greatest pianists of all time at their absolute best. If the humming distracts you that much, take some Ritalin or learn to focus.

5 out of 5 stars Words cannot decribe it.......2007-03-21

I love Bach's music, and generally insist on two things; firstly, that it is played a little slower than we are generally served it; and secondly that it is played on traditional instruments. When I first heard Glenn Gould's 1981 recording, I realised how ridiculous that second requirement was, and how important that first requirement was. The music on this album just swept me away. There is no other recording of the Goldberg Variations that I've listened to that even comes close to it.

The technical mastery of Gould goes without saying, but what really struck me with this album was the spirit with which this music is played - the feeling Gould breathes into the work. This is most evident in the opening Aria, which takes you on a journey of the most exquisite emotions. It is played very slowly than any other known recordng. I lack the words to describe it - words like "subliminal", "instropective" bubble to the surface, and above all very human. Bach can be played very mechanically, but not here. Complimented by Gould's ghostly humming, occasionally rising to the level of audibility, Aria sounds like it comes straight from his soul, and allows you to experience a range of extraordinary emotions. It takes you out of yourself. Not once does he use the pedals.

This is just mind-blowing - buy it!

5 out of 5 stars Blissful music, divine playing........2007-01-19

For a long time I have not had anything to do with JS Bach's music or any baroque music. Being a piano student I thought I should listen to this record.

I have to say that this is easily one of the most beautiful music I have listened. Glenn's playing is divine, no one could have played it better. Musically I doubt anyone will find a downside of this recording.

There are 2 issues that might bother future buyers. I have to state here that, none of these problems are important as far as I am concerned, they do not present a problem while listening to me.

The first one is, as everyone is aware, Glenn's humming while playing. I don't mind it that much, and unless you seek for this, there are very little occasion's you will be aware of it. It can enhance the liveliness of the CD for some (me), just like you are listening to Glenn right in your room.

The second issue is that at times you can hear other music played in the background. Mind you, you will have to listen to find these sounds. They appear when the piano is not heard, or is played "piano". Again nothing so important for me.

These two do not degrade the record in any way in my eyes But I thought people should be aware if they are overly mindful of these stuff in recordings.

To finish, I will urge any piano player, any music enthusiast who is yet to hear this delightful work, do not hesitate at all.

5 out of 5 stars WHAT ARE WORDS?..........2006-08-03

Reading some of the other reviews for this CD, one can't help feel amused by the sheer intensity of the enthusiasm. I believe one other customer even hinted that this is music that belongs to the sphere of God...

The question is: ARE THESE REACTIONS HYPERBOLE?

My answer is NO. If there is someone guilty of getting carried away by enthusiasm, it would be me. But this recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations by Gould -forshadowing his premature death- is, in a sense, as extraordinary as, indeed, the supernatural.

Words are truly inadequate to illustrate the perfection, sensual beauty, intense sadness (and ecstasy) of Gould's swan song. Only a handful of true geniuses have been able to take us to the realm of what is TIMELESS. This performance is in a category of Art shared by Shakespeare's Sonnets, Degas's ballerinas, Rembrandt's luminosity, and the Psalms of David.

Words are nothing.
Listen to this CD, and you will be forever transformed.




4 out of 5 stars THE FI IS TOO HI.......2005-09-14

Before we even get to the performance, this is a rather odd production in two ways. The first oddity is that a short description of each variation goes across the display on one's cd unit, rather like the news and stock-market announcements in Times Square, before settling back to the normal display of cd-number, track-number and time taken. These abbreviated descriptions are only what we can read perfectly well from the back of the box - indeed they're not even that because they get truncated to the right. When it comes to the canons this docks them of the significant distinction among the canons, namely the pitch-intervals at which the canons are set, (4th, 5th, octave etc). Even with the `normal' variations all that either the box or the display tells us is the number of keyboards that Bach specifies for each, which is relevant only to a harpsichord and not to a piano. The other unusual extra is much more important. After the performance ends the theme starts again but taken much faster. This is Gould himself in his 1955 performance, and it leads in a discussion with the critic Tim Page. I was completely fascinated to hear one of the 20th century's greatest players tell us so much about his thinking. Gould comes across as not only intellectual but as friendly and affable. There are background issues mentioned, and I was more than pleased to find that he shares my own thorough dislike of the minimalist school, but the main topics are central to the work on the disc - the questions of tempo, of expression, and of how to play Bach on the piano.

Gould takes the theme very slowly indeed here, and while I like it to be slow I'm not sure I want it quite this slow. In general he is more measured than in 1955, although not to the degree he is in the theme, and this time he observes some of the repeats. The playing, technically speaking, is as super-perfect as ever, with all his familiar ultra-precision in the ornaments and ultra-clarity in the runs. This performance doesn't have quite the verve of 1955, but there's plenty of that left. In the matter of expression the interlocutors take Gould's reading of the famous 25th variation from 1955, and the maestro likens it to a performance of a Chopin nocturne. The new Mr Gould wants no more of that and goes much straighter in this account. For what it's worth my own feeling is that I can take it either way - what I'm not so convinced by is the general thinking behind the change. Gould draws a parallel with the Art of Fugue, and I'm decidedly on his side in not wanting over-expressed readings of that. I doubt all the same whether the parallel holds with the Goldberg variations. These show much more of Bach's human face and were written to be entertainment, albeit pretty lofty and intellectual entertainment. There is more than one Bach, and the new performance, for me, lacks some of the eventfulness of its predecessor.

I think that what really goes slightly wrong (by Gould's transcendent standards) this time is actually where his thinking about piano performances of Bach has led him. I couldn't agree more that instruments are there to support, express and serve music, and that the same music can work perfectly well on many different sorts of instruments. What doesn't seem to me to follow from that is that music written specifically for one instrument, in this case the harpsichord, can just be `walked' on to another, even so closely related an instrument as the piano. In 1955 Gould seemed to me to solve the issue brilliantly. He exploited in that performance the additional resources of the modern grand with imagination and discretion, and even varied his reading with some highly original and witty semi-imitations of harpsichord effects. This time round his playing, although clean, lithe and spare as ever, seems to assume that nothing is needed except to play the work as if it had been written for the instrument he's playing, which of course it wasn't. There are dozens and scores of different ways of approaching the matter, but a completely literal translation doesn't convince as being one of them. The problem is actually emphasised by the excellent recorded quality - this is how a piano ought to sound, and it just makes me the more conscious that the clothes don't quite fit. Fidelity is great, and this may be the first time I have felt it can actually be overdone, or not done in quite the right way.
The Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Best CD I Own.
  • Your Inner Voice is Calling
  • Fascinating
  • Gould's unique sound
  • Listen to a more conventional recording first.
 The Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I
Johann Sebastian Bach , and Glenn Gould
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. The Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II
  2. A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981)
  3. Art of the Fugue - 70th Anniversary Edition
  4. French Suites - 70th Anniversary Edition
  5. Bach: The Goldberg Variations

ASIN: B0000028NI
Release Date: 1994-01-11

Tracks:

  1. Prelude And Fugue No. 1 In C Major, BWV 846: Praeludium
  2. Prelude And Fugue No. 1 In C Major, BWV 846: Fuga
  3. Prelude And Fugue No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 847: Praeludium
  4. Prelude And Fugue No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 847: Fuga
  5. Prelude And Fugue No. 3 In C-Sharp Major, BWV 848: Praeludium
  6. Prelude And Fugue No. 3 In C-Sharp Major, BWV 848: Fuga
  7. Prelude And Fugue No. 3 In C-Sharp Minor, BWV 849: Praeludium
  8. Prelude And Fugue No. 3 In C-Sharp Minor, BWV 849: Fuga
  9. Prelude And Fugue No. 5 In D Major, BWV 850: Praeludium
  10. Prelude And Fugue No. 5 In D Major, BWV 850: Fuga
  11. Prelude And Fugue No. 6 In D Minor, BWV 851: Praeludium
  12. Prelude And Fugue No. 6 In D Minor, BWV 851: Fuga
  13. Prelude And Fugue No. 7 In E-Flat Major, BWV 852: Praeludium
  14. Prelude And Fugue No. 7 In E-Flat Major, BWV 852: Fuga
  15. Prelude In E-Flat Minor And Fugue In D-Sharp Minor No. 8, BWV 853: Praeludium
  16. Prelude In E-Flat Minor And Fugue In D-Sharp Minor No. 8, BWV 853: Fuga
  17. Prelude Fugue No. 9 In E Major, BWV 854: Praeludium
  18. Prelude Fugue No. 9 In E Major, BWV 854: Fuga
  19. Prelude And Fugue No. 10 In E Minor, BWV 855: Praeludium
  20. Prelude And Fugue No. 10 In E Minor, BWV 855: Fuga Fugue No. 10 In E Minor, BWV 855
  21. Prelude And Fugue No. 11 In F Major, BWV 856: Praeludium
  22. Prelude And Fugue No. 11 In F Major, BWV 856: Fuga
  23. Prelude And Fugue No. 12 In F Minor, BWV 857: Praeludium
  24. Prelude And Fugue No. 12 In F Minor, BWV 857: Fuga

Tracks:

  1. Prelude And Fugue No.13 In F-Sharp Major, BWV 858: Praeludium
  2. Prelude And Fugue No.13 In F-Sharp Major, BWV 858: Fuga
  3. Prelude And Fugue No.14 In F-Sharp Minor, BWV 859: Praeludium
  4. Prelude And Fugue No.14 In F-Sharp Minor, BWV 859: Fuga
  5. Prelude And Fugue No.15 In G Major, BWV 860: Praeludium
  6. Prelude And Fugue No.15 In G Major, BWV 860: Fuga
  7. Prelude And Fugue No.16 In G Minor, BWV 861: Praeludium
  8. Prelude And Fugue No.16 In G Minor, BWV 861: Fuga
  9. Prelude And Fugue No.17 In A-Flat Major, BWV 862: Praeludium
  10. Prelude And Fugue No.17 In A-Flat Major, BWV 862: Fuga
  11. Prelude And Fugue No.18 In G-Sharp Minor, BWV 863: Praeludium
  12. Prelude And Fugue No.18 In G-Sharp Minor, BWV 863: Fuga
  13. Prelude And Fugue No.19 In A Major, BWV 864: Praeludium
  14. Prelude And Fugue No.19 In A Major, BWV 864: Fuga
  15. Prelude And Fugue No.20 In A Minor, BWV 865: Praeludium
  16. Prelude And Fugue No.20 In A Minor, BWV 865: Fuga
  17. Prelude And Fugue No.21 In B-Flat Major, BWV 866: Praeludium
  18. Prelude And Fugue No.21 In B-Flat Major, BWV 866: Fuga
  19. Prelude And Fugue No.22 In B-Flat Minor, BWV 867: Praeludium
  20. Prelude And Fugue No.22 In B-Flat Minor, BWV 867: Fuga
  21. Prelude And Fugue No.23 In B Major, BWV 868: Praeludium
  22. Prelude And Fugue No.23 In B Major, BWV 868: Fuga
  23. Prelude And Fugue No.24 In B Minor, BWV 869: Praeludium
  24. Prelude And Fugue No.24 In B Minor, BWV 869: Fuga

Amazon.com essential recording

It's rather amazing today, when recordings of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier practically fall of the shelves, to recall just how unusual it was back in the 1960s for a pianist to undertake to record this amazing work. It's probably fair to say that until Glenn Gould got his fingers around it, Bach's music was used for teaching purposes more than anything else. What Gould proves in this essential set is that Bach is decidedly not just a threat to hold over the head of budding pianists but a joy to listen to. One of Gould's very greatest recordings. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Best CD I Own........2007-07-13

If I could give this album 10 stars, I would. To me it is the platonic ideal for music. These 24 pieces from Bach are important fundamental building blocks for all of music, and Gould interprets them in ways that allows their greatness to come through. These performances never get stale. I started my toddler kids off in listening to both WTC Book 1 and 2, and they loved them immediately. Even now, if given a choice of what CD to put on they will usually choose one of the WTC CD's. I tend to be underdramatic, but when I listen to this composer and this performer and see how my kids respond, I feel like its a gift from God.

5 out of 5 stars Your Inner Voice is Calling.......2007-03-01

Let's admit it right off the bat - these are individualistic recordings that do not sound like anything you've ever heard. That's probably why I value them so much, that and their brilliant artistic temperament. Bach can sound boring, particularly by those who insist on a rigid (rather than flowing) tempo and an emotionless rendition that approaches machine-like quality. This is NOT the WTC you are used to but it is a work of art unto itself.

Whether it is a Brahms Intermezzo, a work by Scriabin or these creations, there is no one who can bring out that inner melody with such clarity and perfection. It's almost as if his fingers operated totally independent of each other in a way we have yet to discover. At times, he manages to find inner voices that cannot be seen even when looking at the music. Then there is his technique of focusing a work - from the entire piece to a movement to a section, phrase, chord and finally a single note. You know that every single note sounds as it does for a reason known only to Gould. As usual, I have trouble choosing a "favorite" although I admit that I prefer the minor over major because of their alleged "richness".

Questions of authenticity or "how they were meant to be heard" are irrelevant. Chopin wrote for a small pianoforte, not the Grand we hear today. Who wants a tiny "original" chorus of Handel's Messiah or Julius Reubke's Organ Sonata heard on a pre-French Romantic organ? By all means, this is a recording for the ages - buy and enjoy.

5 out of 5 stars Fascinating.......2007-02-13

I was quite surprised to read other reviewer's comments about Gould not following Bach's 'intentions'. Given that there is one prelude with a tempo mark and almost no dynamic markings in the entire 48, it would be hard to find his intentions except by assuming that the tradition is 100 % accurate. I find this recording interesting, most of all because of the lack these days of originality. Gould was original, but that was not his goal. He had a connection with the music of Bach and felt that he had something to say with it that no one else had. It's refreshing to hear something so sincerely original as these unconventional renditions. The fugues are especially amazing. His control over each voice is nothing short of spectacular. I highly recommend this to anyone who is tired of hearing the Prelude in C major played the same way by everyone else.

5 out of 5 stars Gould's unique sound.......2006-06-02

No pianist has been able to play these pieces as steadily and with as much control as Gould, nor with his reverence and clarity in fugues such as the c# and e-flat minor. In the C# major prelude in Book I Gould plays a wrong note in bar 37--a b natural for b#--but this more minor-sounding wrong line actually sounds interesting and maybe even better, and it contrasts with bar 45. I did not realize this elusive sound was a wrong note until relistening after a break of many years. It had to be either a deliberate change or a finger slip--no edition of the piece contains that note. There is also a finger slip in the C# major fugue on the 'and' of beat one in bar 17 where Gould bumps into an f#--that could not be deliberate. These are the only note errors I have found in Gould's recordings, and I don't know that any outtakes have been released of the WTC.
Carefully listening one can also detect the splice between takes in the a minor fugue in Gould's Book I, and other splices in II. Other controversial things await the listener in this immortal record.

5 out of 5 stars Listen to a more conventional recording first........2006-02-16

I highly recommend Gould's recording of WTC books one and two with the caveat that his performances reach the peak of the unpredictable and can be rather traumatizing to the uninitiated.

Glenn Gould's interpretation of The WTC is a manifesto of his musical opinions, saturated with absolute confidence. Gould sees Bach as a sibling to be rivaled and conveys his ideas, from the sentimental to the vulgar to the insane, with perfect clarity.
The Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended
  • Gould brings the voices out
  • My Favorite WTC
  • Superlative Gould, but bad Bach.
  • Please consider the version by Andras Schiff...
 The Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II
Johann Sebastian Bach , and Glenn Gould
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. The Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I
  2. A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981)
  3. Art of the Fugue - 70th Anniversary Edition
  4. French Suites - 70th Anniversary Edition
  5. Bach: English Suites, BWV 806-811

ASIN: B0000028NJ
Release Date: 1994-01-11

Tracks:

  1. Prelude And Fugue No.1 In C Major, BWV 870: Praeludium
  2. Prelude And Fugue No.1 In C Major, BWV 870: Fuga
  3. Prelude And Fugue No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 871: Praeludium
  4. Prelude And Fugue No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 871: Fuga
  5. Prelude And Fugue No. 3 In C-Sharp Major, BWV 872: Praeludium
  6. Prelude And Fugue No. 3 In C-Sharp Major, BWV 872: Fuga
  7. Prelude And Fugue No. 4 In C-Sharp Minor, BWV 873: Praeludium
  8. Prelude And Fugue No. 4 In C-Sharp Minor, BWV 873: Fuga
  9. Prelude And Fugue No. 5 In D Major, BWV 874: Praeludium
  10. Prelude And Fugue No. 5 In D Major, BWV 874: Fuga
  11. Prelude And Fugue No. 6 In D Minor, BWV 875: Praeludium
  12. Prelude And Fugue No. 6 In D Minor, BWV 875: Fuga
  13. Prelude And Fugue No. 7 In E-Flat Major, BWV 876: Praeludium
  14. Prelude And Fugue No. 7 In E-Flat Major, BWV 876: Fuga
  15. Prelude And Fugue No. 8 In D-Sharp Minor, BWV 877: Praeludium
  16. Prelude And Fugue No. 8 In D-Sharp Minor, BWV 877: Fuga
  17. Prelude And Fugue No. 9 In E Major, BWV 878: Praeludium
  18. Prelude And Fugue No. 9 In E Major, BWV 878: Fuga
  19. Prelude And Fugue No. 10 In E Minor, BWV 879: Praeludium
  20. Prelude And Fugue No. 10 In E Minor, BWV 879: Fuga
  21. Prelude And Fugue No. 11 In F Major, BWV 880: Praeludium
  22. Prelude And Fugue No. 11 In F Major, BWV 880: Fuga
  23. Prelude And Fugue No. 12 In F Minor, BWV 881: Praeludium
  24. Prelude And Fugue No. 12 In F Minor, BWV 881: Fuga

Tracks:

  1. Prelude And Fugue No. 13 In F-Sharp Major, BWV 882: Praeludium
  2. Prelude And Fugue No. 13 In F-Sharp Major, BWV 882: Fuga
  3. Prelude And Fugue No. 14 In F-Sharp Minor, BWV 883: Praeludium
  4. Prelude And Fugue No. 14 In F-Sharp Minor, BWV 883: Fuga
  5. Prelude And Fugue No. 15 In G Major, BWV 884: Praeludium
  6. Prelude And Fugue No. 15 In G Major, BWV 884: Fuga
  7. Prelude And Fugue No. 16 In G Minor, BWV 885: Praeludium
  8. Prelude And Fugue No. 16 In G Minor, BWV 885: Fuga
  9. Prelude And Fugue No. 17 In A-Flat Major, BWV 886: Praeludium
  10. Prelude And Fugue No. 17 In A-Flat Major, BWV 886: Fuga
  11. Prelude And Fugue No. 18 In G-Sharp Minor, BWV 887: Praeludium
  12. Prelude And Fugue No. 18 In G-Sharp Minor, BWV 887: Fuga
  13. Prelude And Fugue No. 19 In A Major, BWV 888: Praeludium
  14. Prelude And Fugue No. 19 In A Major, BWV 888: Fuga
  15. Prelude And Fugue No. 20 In A Minor, BWV 889: Praeludium
  16. Prelude And Fugue No. 20 In A Minor, BWV 889: Fuga
  17. Prelude And Fugue No. 21 In B-Flat Major, BWV 890: Praeludium
  18. Prelude And Fugue No. 21 In B-Flat Major, BWV 890: Fuga
  19. Prelude And Fugue No. 22 In B-Flat Minor, BWV 891: Praeludium
  20. Prelude And Fugue No. 22 In B-Flat Minor, BWV 891: Fuga
  21. Prelude And Fugue No. 23 In B Major, BWV 892: Praeludium
  22. Prelude And Fugue No. 23 In B Major, BWV 892: Fuga
  23. Prelude And Fugue No. 24 In B Minor, BWV 893: Praeludium
  24. Prelude And Fugue No. 24 In B Minor, BWV 893: Fuga

Amazon.com

Glenn Gould's Bach is by now so ingrained in the 20th-century musical consciousness that it's almost hard to remember just how unusual his devotion to this composer was back in the 1950s and '60s when he first started making records. That his Bach recordings are still the standard by which all others are measured is a tribute to his self-awareness as an artist. If you are looking for the essential Glenn Gould playing Bach, then the three sets you really ought to have are his Goldberg Variations (either version), plus the two books of The Well-Tempered Clavier. Gould was simply incomparable in the contrapuntal intricacies of Bach's fugal writing, and in The Well-Tempered Clavier he has 48 opportunities to strut his stuff. He makes a show of every one. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Recommended.......2004-08-24

Why is the Well-Tempered Clavier 2 not as famous as the first Well-Tempered Clavier? I dont know. But just to let you know, I prefer Glenn Goulds recording of this 2nd Clavier book over the first. There are many reasons. The first is that Glenn Gould takes a good tempo on almost all of the preludes and fugues, unlike on the first book. Dont get me wrong though, the first Well Tempered clavier vol. 1 recording is also one of my favorite recordings. The second reason is that he does a VERY GOOD job on bringing out the voices in the fugues of book 2. The third is that there is wonderful sound quality. There are also many other reasons, but I cant name them all right now. I just happen to like this recording better...HIGHLY reccomended.

5 out of 5 stars Gould brings the voices out.......2003-05-12

If you can get by the sound of Gould's own voice as he hums throughout you will get to feast on the genius of Bach's counterpoint. I don't know that I've heard another performer more evenly and distinctly bring out each voice in Bach's keyboard works. The recordings have been excellently remastered from the early originals.

I feel that Bach's early music had a more effortless and sometimes wistful or inspired quality than his later works. However, his later works seem much deeper in thought and character and emotion and skill than the earlier ones. I would have to say that if forced to choose I take the later works (Amazing Mass in B minor, Art of Fugue) including the later set of Preludes and Fugues performed here by a Bach master. I would never force myself to make that choice, however. Pick this one up and hear the voices sing (including Gould's, ouch!).

5 out of 5 stars My Favorite WTC.......2003-03-25

The music of JS Bach is extremely interesting, and one thoughtful listening to his works has the power to change the way you hear and perceive music forever more. Bach's keyboard works are typically polyphonic, and that basically means two melodies, or more acurately stated, two musical thoughts, are presented simultaneously. The resulting musical edifice has the potential to sound like, how does one say? "too many notes". Because of the very nature of counterpoint, the simple elegance of Mozart, or the heart-tugging in-your-face-passion of Beethoven, are not as accessible to the average listener. But there is an unmistakable breadth and vitality found in Bach's musical counterpoint, conjoined with a unique grandeur and nobility, that can move and uplift the spirit in a way that is entirely unique.

The Well Tempered Clavier (WTC) consists of two books, both of which are comprised of a prelude and fugue written in each of the major and minor keys of western music. Because there are twelve major keys, and twelve related minor keys, each book of the WTC is comprised of 24 prelude and fugues. One enjoyable aspect of the WTC for the new listener is that, because all of the major and minor keys are presented in a systematic way, one is able to discern what is most appealing to the listener's unique sensibilities. Perhaps you will find that you prefer major to minor, or vice versa. Perhaps you will find a handful of key signatures that you think are preferable, and that can be the foundation for further exploration into other pieces of music written in the same key.

I own a number of recordings of J.S. Bach's WTC. I happen to like book II better than book I, and this rendition is undoubtedly my favorite of them all. Gould's sense of rhythm is impeccable, and it is that aspect that makes this recording so stunning. The pulse is extraordinary, the ornamentation is played with extreme verve, and Gould's technical abilities and musicianship are more than adequate to keep strict time throughout. I also really appreciate the fact that Gould keeps his foot off the pedal, unlike Richter, or Fischer, or any number of the other standard recordings. A powerful and distinct rhythmic momentum should be felt throughout these works. It is also essential to maintain the clarity of each voice, and the pedal, or reverberation in general, can obscure both rhythm and clarity in the context of polyphonic music. Gould is able to bring distinctness to each voice in a way that is entirely unique.

With that said, Gould does have some singular ideas about tempo. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. For an incredible example of when it works, listen to to his remarkable rendering of the prelude and the fugue in C#-Major. Both, but particularly the fugue, are taken at extremely slow tempos. The result is extraordinary. This is hands down my favorite recording of Bach's WTC. In my opinion, no other recording compares to this one.

3 out of 5 stars Superlative Gould, but bad Bach........2003-03-07

Once again, David Hurwitz is pushing his personal agenda. Do NOT purchase these discs unless you already own several sets of the 48 and want a truly unorthodox view that belies the intent of the music. After staying away from Gould's interpretations of Bach's major keyboard works for some years, I recently decided to revisit them. Unfortunately, my impression of Gould's interpretations hasn't improved over the years. There is some incredible pianism on these CDs, and Gould's insights are often revealing. Nonetheless, the eccentricities and musical anomalies are too numerous and prohibitively distracting. What's more, the plaintive vocalizing is annoying, to say the least. This may be a must for Gould fans, but not for the rest of us. If you want something truly legendary in this repretoire, buy Edwin Fischer's classic recordings from the 30s. Or, if you want digital sound, Angela Hewitt's performances are beyond reproach.

1 out of 5 stars Please consider the version by Andras Schiff..........2002-08-05

I am a person who will not keep multiple versions (by different performers) for a specific record, and this is the version that made me spent extra! I always believe that if I commit a purchase, that will be the only copy that will keep me accompany for many years, and I would rather spend the money on other recordings and give myself more variety in classical music. To be fair, I have to admit that I canýt tell how well he had interpreted this work by Bach, as commented by many other reviewers. As far as I am concern, in term of personal preference and individual expectation, this set had failed me completely!

I bought both WTC Book 1 and 2 by Glenn Gould recently but was extremely disappointed. I like the music very much but I hate the way he played this beautiful piece. It is annoying and frustrating to hear the mumbling throughout his playing! Guess what I did after listening to all the 4 discs? I went to buy WTC Book 1 again by Andras Schiff (London Decca) and immediately I realize the differences - Schiffýs version is definitely the version that I will strongly recommend. Just few words to describe ý Clarity, Pleasant, and Excellent Recording!!! I have no hesitation to buy the Book 2 (by Andras Schiff too).

Rating for Glenn Gouldýs version? I am only willing to give 1 star (both Book 1 and 2). Donýt buy this 2 records unless you like his ýuniqueý style of playingý
Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (The Historic 1955 Debut Recording)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Astounding
  • Scintillating Performance!
  • Astounding performance - opening the doors to Bach!
  • A State of Wonder, Indeed.
  • The Marlon Brando of piano!
 Bach: Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (The Historic 1955 Debut Recording)

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000028NE
Release Date: 1992-10-27

Tracks:

  1. Goldberg Variations: Aria
  2. Goldberg Variations: Variation 1
  3. Goldberg Variations: Variation 2
  4. Goldberg Variations: Variation 3
  5. Goldberg Variations: Variation 4
  6. Goldberg Variations: Variation 5
  7. Goldberg Variations: Variation 6
  8. Goldberg Variations: Variation 7
  9. Goldberg Variations: Variation 8
  10. Goldberg Variations: Variation 9
  11. Goldberg Variations: Variation 10
  12. Goldberg Variations: Variation 11
  13. Goldberg Variations: Variation 12
  14. Goldberg Variations: Variation 13
  15. Goldberg Variations: Variation 14
  16. Goldberg Variations: Variation 15
  17. Goldberg Variations: Variation 16
  18. Goldberg Variations: Variation 17
  19. Goldberg Variations: Variation 18
  20. Goldberg Variations: Variation 19
  21. Goldberg Variations: Variation 20
  22. Goldberg Variations: Variation 21
  23. Goldberg Variations: Variation 22
  24. Goldberg Variations: Variation 23
  25. Goldberg Variations: Variation 24
  26. Goldberg Variations: Variation 25
  27. Goldberg Variations: Variation 26
  28. Goldberg Variations: Variation 27
  29. Goldberg Variations: Variation 28
  30. Goldberg Variations: Variation 29
  31. Goldberg Variations: Variation 30
  32. Goldberg Variations: Aria da capo
  33. Fugue In F-Sharp Minor
  34. Fugue In E Major

Amazon.com

In the main, sonic differences between Sony Classical's 20-bit remastering of this landmark 1955 recording and its previous incarnation in the CBS Great Performances series (CBS MYK 38479) are subtle rather than striking. Tape hiss is reduced, while ambient studio noise is heightened, bringing Glenn Gould's trademark humming and squeaky chair more into the foreground. One can also perceive slight changes in microphone setups between certain variations. Gould completists, however, will want this Glenn Gould Edition transfer for two fugues recorded in 1957, drastically different from the pianist's perverse remakes 13 years later for his complete Well Tempered Clavier Book II. Any respectable piano collection, however, should include Gould's debut Goldbergs, at any price. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Astounding.......2007-07-21

I have a thing for Bach, and Glenn Gould really does the great composer justice. The entire recording is highly engaging, well done, and at times does not sound humanly possible. I am very impressed by this performance. This work, like much of Bach's compositions, is stimulating yet relaxing. It draws you in and if you follow it, it takes you on a journey. I highly recommend this disc to all Bach lovers.

5 out of 5 stars Scintillating Performance!.......2007-06-19

Glenn Gould's quintessential 1955 performance of the Goldberg Variations is an absolute "must have" for every classical music library. His marvelous precision and alacrity are breath-taking! Gorgeous music.

5 out of 5 stars Astounding performance - opening the doors to Bach!.......2007-04-18

Before the first time I heard Gould's first rendition of the Goldberg Variations, I used to think the music by Johann Sebastian Bach was too dry and intellectual and boring for my tastes (that was before discovering the excellent period-instrument performances) - but the lightning-fast, emotive, astounding rendition recorded by Gould made me reconsider that opinion. Yes, we hear his intrusive humming and the squeaking of the chair and such - that many consider a turn-off regarding Gould recordings - but I think they are part of the charm of the performance, and I don't find them distracting at all.

I really prefer this version instead of the second Golberg recording, more calm and controlled. If you never heard any music from Bach, this is the recording to begin with, I think.

5 out of 5 stars A State of Wonder, Indeed........2006-04-09

There are three people who are responsible for the "resurrection" of the Goldberg variations, at least as far as the general publicis concerned: Wanda Landoska, Rosalyn Tureck, and Glenn Gould. Without them, the Goldberg Variations certainly would not get the attention they do, and may have ended up a curiosity music students discover on budget labels by performers seeking overblown and romantic interpetations or sterile "period correct" (in other words, uninformed) performances that leave listeners yawning. Instead, thanks to those three, the Goldberg is as well know even to the casual music listener as Beethoven's Pathetique or Mozart's Rondo a la Turka are.

Now, I certainly believe that Landowska's rendition is the most well informed, and even the most revolutionary in terms of true period correctness (she was the first to record it for the harpsichord and with correct baroque ornamentation), and she had a musicality that made the listener believe they were listening to an orchestra instead of just a single keyboardist. Tureck's interpretation is so dancelike and pleasant. It sounds so free and happy, I get the image that there are dancers on the keys of her piano. She was really the one that showed that the Goldberg Variations could be performed on a piano without reverting to the overly romanticized versions that had dominated up to that time.

It was Landowska and Tureck two that allowed for what is arguably the most famous interpretation of the Goldbergs: Glenn Gould's 1955 recording. Inspired by Landowska's passion for early music done right, and Tureck's justified piano performance that stood out head and shoulders above the others, Gould combined the best elements of the two and added his own rhythmic and dynamic perfection to create a masterpiece of a recording. His tempi were (in general) nearly twice as fast as most performers', indeed as his own 1981 recording, which, in places, I prefer (refer to variations 1,5,10,14,16, and 29), yet he is always in control and never sounds like he's straining to get to the next note. His staccato and light touch give it wonderful bell-like clarity, and it's the closest you'll get to a harpsichord recording on a piano. Yes, his 1981 recording is more mature, but it's a difference in interpretation than technical prowess, and I think the choice between the two comes down to mood, and even, as mentioned above, to the individual variations.

This recording was his first studio recording, presenting all the fire and passion of a twenty three year old showing the world that he's got something to prove. An odd choice for a first recording, most pianists would probably be forced into some half-hearted renditions of Chopin or Mozart, but Gould knew what he was doing. He must have known that the time was right for a Bach interpretation that paid homage to the greatness achieved in the past as well as one that strode confidently into the future, a future where (in a philosophy like Landowska's) old music was no longer quaint but revered and modern music didn't seek to "revolutionize" but instead sought to build upon. This was an increasingly prevalent attitude in the 1950's and 1960's thanks to people like Landowska, Harnoncourt, and, of course, Gould. We can see this philosophy in Durufle, De Falla (one of the first twentieth century composers to write for the harpsichord), and later Stravinsky. Gould's Goldbergs played no small part in Baroque's new birth. Do yourself a favor and get both of Gould's Goldbergs, Wanda Landowska's Goldbergs, and perhaps Koroliov's Goldbergs or Tatiana Nikolayeva's Goldbergs. You'll be quite glad you did.

5 out of 5 stars The Marlon Brando of piano!.......2006-02-17

These Goldberg formally inaugurated the auspicious debut of this well famed pianist. Until that time Bach was played with such impeccable austerity and intellectuality that literally became a shock to listen a very young man -23- challenging all the musical conventionalisms and old precepts which turned around the conceptual steadiness and serious formalism at the moment to play Bach at the piano.

Gould made an incisive breakthrough and showed that the formality and the Dionysian spirit may habit together, without those bitter presumptions or austere poses.

He impregnated the Goldberg variations with Mediterranean jubilee, effusiveness and radiant greenness. And this posture influenced a whole generation in all fields.

So those Goldberg carry on its own trademark. A historical reference by all accounts.

Indispensable collection piece.
English Suites 1 2 & 3 - 70th Anniversary Edition
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • AS USUAL
  • Perfect Performances!
 English Suites 1 2 & 3 - 70th Anniversary Edition
Glenn Gould , and Bach
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006FI7E
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars AS USUAL.......2007-02-15

My collection of Gould's Bach must be somewhere near complete by now, and my satisfaction at that is going to be tinged with regret when there is no more of it to discover. Through a fluke of the postal system I obtained the second disc of the English suites before this one arrived, and greatly as I enjoyed the other disc I'd say this one is even better. The first 3 suites are comparatively long. Numbers 2 and 3 have 7 movements each, and no 1 has no fewer than 10, so the disc provides quite good value in that sense, although quantity is not what I judge value by in a case like this.

The recordings here were done during 1973, 1971 and 1974 respectively in a studio specially provided for Gould inside a department store in Toronto. As with the second disc, recorded over part of the same period, the tone is very clear but just slightly hard. This is a good fault when the player is Gould and the music is Bach, but the English suites would not be the first things I would think of if I wanted to demonstrate the particular greatness of Gould's Bach to a newcomer. In general Gould does not go in for extreme tempi this time, but the sarabande in no 3 is definitely slow and the final gigue of no 2 barrels along at a speed that recalls some of his more startling exhibitions of velocity elsewhere. As on the second disc, the detached fingering is relieved here and there with a more legato effect and even (I think) a touch of sustaining pedal at times. There is also, in the first gavotte of no 3, a pleasant pastiche-harpsichord effect, suggesting a slightly choked-sounding stop that he obviously liked, to judge by the Handel suites that he recorded on that instrument. At the very start, and again a little later, the maestro is slightly vocal, not something that bothers me in the least.

The liner note is the same as on the second disc, with some very interesting remarks, partly from this garrulous virtuoso himself, on how he went about his recording sessions. There is nothing about the music as such, so in case it needs saying perhaps I should explain that 'agrements' in the sarabandes of nos 2 and 3 does not mean what it means in Debussy's etude with that title, but simply signifies 'ornaments'.

Unless I'm mistaken, the two discs of the English suites are available together as a single set. If that offers a price advantage it's what I'd suggest you go for. What I don't suggest is doing without either of them.

5 out of 5 stars Perfect Performances!.......2004-11-15

In these recordings, as is custom with his Bach, Gould attains a clarity and preciseness that border on perfection. The Preludes are played with vigor and perpetual momentum (see No. 2); the Sarabandes reflect Gould's great touch and emotion. As a musician, I hold this recording of the English Suites as a timeless reference--as an appreciator of Bach, I hold these interpretations as most truthful to the composer's intentions. I recommend this recording (along with vol. 2) as a cornerstone in anyone's Bach collection.
Build your baby's brain through the power of Mozart: Brain 2
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Enjoyable Classical Music
  • Beautiful Collection of Classical Music
  • Build baby's brain with Classics Vol 2
 Build your baby's brain through the power of Mozart: Brain 2

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000IPZA
Release Date: 1999-05-04

Tracks:

  1. Overture To The Marriage Of Figaro
  2. Piano Sonata No. 15, K .545
  3. The Sleigh Ride (From Three German Dances, K. 605)
  4. Horn Concerto No.4, K.495
  5. Variations On Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, K. 265
  6. Violin Concerto No.4, K. 218
  7. Piano Sonata No.10, K. 331- (Rondo Alla Turca)
  8. Piano Concerto No.21, K.467
  9. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - (Romance)
  10. Serenade For Winds, K.3 75 - (Adagio)
  11. Selections From The 'Marriage Of Figaro': Cavatina - ('Se Vuol Ballare, Signor Contino')
  12. Selections From The 'Marriage Of Figaro': Aria - ('Non Piu Andrai')
  13. Selections From The 'Marriage Of Figaro': Terzetto - ('Susanna Or Via Sortite')
  14. Symphony No. 38, 'Prague' - (Andante)
  15. Ave Vernum Corpus, K. 618

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Classical Music.......2006-10-26

This cd is great because unlike other classical music cds made for babies, this one even adults can enjoy. Sometimes they change the song so that it sounds more like something a baby will appeal too, but this one just keeps the original song format which means even people without babies would be able to enjoy some of Mozart's classics.

5 out of 5 stars Beautiful Collection of Classical Music.......2006-08-07

This is a fantastic CD of beautiful music. It is uplifting and soothing at the same time. I have several good classic music compilations CDs, but this is my favorite and the one that gets played daily! When the littlest one is napping, it goes on. When I'm cooking, it goes on. When we have the TV off and the kids are playing games or making puzzles, it is on! It stays in my kitchen CD player so at a touch of a button, lovely music can fill the house.

Check out the samples above (my [...] especially likes #5, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star). It is not "children's music," a disc of lullabies, or something to reserve for baby shower gifts. I cannot say enough good things about this disc! This is great music that makes you feel good - if it is building our brains too, all the better! Try it and enjoy :)

5 out of 5 stars Build baby's brain with Classics Vol 2.......2006-07-25

I am a true fan of Classical music and this was purchased as a gift for a co-worker who is adopting a child from China. Therefore I did not open it nor listen to it. The recipient is now overseas picking up their daughter so I know they haven't had the opportunity to listen to it. I think it's a great idea, though.

Music Review:

  1. Golden Classics
  2. Great Conductors of the 20th Century: Fritz Reiner
  3. Great Hymns of Faith
  4. Grieg: Cello Sonata, String Quartet
  5. Haydn: Complete String Quartets [Box set]
  6. Haydn: Piano Sonatas Vol.8
  7. I Am Sitting in a Room
  8. Indeterminacy: New Aspect of Form in Instrumental and Electronic Music
  9. Latin American Fiesta
  10. Leon Fleisher Recital - Bach/Brahms, Scriabin, Saint-Saens

Music Review

music review

Music Review

Anna

George Benjamin: Three Inventions

Music Review: Ansermet Conducts Chabrier

Best of Country Line Dancing [Import]

Music Review: 21st Century Trance [Import]

Inner Sanctum

Fado

His Best, Vol. 1 [Original recording remastered]

Fearless: Special Edition [Enhanced] [Import]

Duetto

Gathered Around [Live]

Cuando La Pobre Entra Por La Puerta [Import]

De Reventon con los Mariachis

Goes Classic, Vol. 2

Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers With Thelonious Monk