Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: French Suites, Overture

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Just as Bach's English Suites aren't really English, the French Suites aren't really French in any noticeable way. What they are is Bach. All suites, whatever their country of origin, consist of a chain of miscellaneous dances. This set of six is Bach's lightest collection in suite form, and Gould plays them with his usual nimbleness and quick-witted charm. It's amazing how Gould makes the music sound like he was making it up as he plays along--the humming probably contributes to that impression--and like all of his Bach, this is mandatory listening. --David Hurwitz

Tracks:

Suite No. 1 in D minor, BWV 812: I. Allemande
Suite No. 1 in D minor, BWV 812: II. Courante
Suite No. 1 in D minor, BWV 812: III. Sarabande
Suite No. 1 in D minor, BWV 812: IV. Menuett I
Suite No. 1 in D minor, BWV 812: V. Menuett II
Suite No. 1 in D minor, BWV 812: VI. Gigue
Suite No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813: I. Allemande
Suite No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813: II. Courante
Suite No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813: III. Sarabande
Suite No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813: IV. Air
Suite No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813: V. Menuett
Suite No. 2 in C minor, BWV 813: VI. Gigue
Suite No. 3 in B minor, BWV 814: I. Allemande
Suite No. 3 in B minor, BWV 814: II. Courante
Suite No. 3 in B minor, BWV 814: III. Sarabande
Suite No. 3 in B minor, BWV 814: IV. Menuett -- Trio
Suite No. 3 in B minor, BWV 814: V. Anglaise
Suite No. 3 in B minor, BWV 814: VI. Gigue
Suite No. 4 in E-Flat major, BWV 815: I. Allemande
Suite No. 4 in E-Flat major, BWV 815: II. Courante
Suite No. 4 in E-Flat major, BWV 815: III. Sarabande
Suite No. 4 in E-Flat major, BWV 815: IV. Menuett (BWV 815a)
Suite No. 4 in E-Flat major, BWV 815: V. Gavotte
Suite No. 4 in E-Flat major, BWV 815: VI. Air
Suite No. 4 in E-Flat major, BWV 815: VII. Gigue

Tracks:

Suite No. 5 in G major, BWV 816: I. Allemande
Suite No. 5 in G major, BWV 816: II. Courante
Suite No. 5 in G major, BWV 816: III. Sarabande
Suite No. 5 in G major, BWV 816: IV. Gavotte
Suite No. 5 in G major, BWV 816: V. Bourree
Suite No. 5 in G major, BWV 816: VI. Loure
Suite No. 5 in G major, BWV 816: VII. Gigue
Suite No. 6 in E major, BWV 817: I. Allemande
Suite No. 6 in E major, BWV 817: II. Courante
Suite No. 6 in E major, BWV 817: III. Sarabande
Suite No. 6 in E major, BWV 817: IV. Gavotte
Suite No. 6 in E major, BWV 817: V. Polonaise
Suite No. 6 in E major, BWV 817: VI. Menuett
Suite No. 6 in E major, BWV 817: VII. Bourree
Suite No. 6 in E major, BWV 817: VIII. Gigue
Overture in French Style, BWV831: I.Ouverture
Overture in French Style, BWV831: II. Courante
Overture in French Style, BWV831: III. Gavotte I
Overture in French Style, BWV831: IV. Gavotte II - Gavotte I da capo
Overture in French Style, BWV831: V. Passepied I
Overture in French Style, BWV831: VI. Passepied II - Passepied I da capo
Overture in French Style, BWV831: VII. Sarabande
Overture in French Style, BWV831: VIII. Bourree I
Overture in French Style, BWV831: XI. Bourree II - Bourree I da capo
Overture in French Style, BWV831: X. Gigue
Overture in French Style, BWV831: XI. Echo

Amazon.com essential recording

Just as Bach's English Suites aren't really English, the French Suites aren't really French in any noticeable way. What they are is Bach. All suites, whatever their country of origin, consist of a chain of miscellaneous dances. This set of six is Bach's lightest collection in suite form, and Gould plays them with his usual nimbleness and quick-witted charm. It's amazing how Gould makes the music sound like he was making it up as he plays along--the humming probably contributes to that impression--and like all of his Bach, this is mandatory listening. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Comment on BWV 831 "Overture In The French Manner" Available elsewhere.......2007-05-16

Gould fanatics: BWV 831 "Overture In The French Manner" is now available on the remastered Toccatas 2 - 70th Anniversary Edition.

There is a separate remastered Gould disc of the French Suites. Thus no need to pick this up just for the "French Manner" if you already have Gould's French suites.

CINQ ETOILES.......2006-09-27

Gould's style in Bach makes no compromises. His fingering is mainly detached and non-legato, there is no use of the sustaining pedal, a tempo once set is adhered to rigidly without rubato, the volume of tone is rarely varied within any given piece, and he occasionally adopts speeds that are unusually fast or unusually slow. I find it pointless to compare him with other interpreters in Bach - we should know what to expect by now and whether we like Bach done like this or not. Myself, I find Gould's Bach compulsive. Bach is the most `absolute' musician of all the great masters, and his infinite eloquence can make itself heard without any overtly `expressive' idiom, although he can deploy that to some effect too when he sees fit. Gould displays to us the composer's `abstract' profile more or less exclusively, and just as the composer's unique greatness shines out unaccountably in this view, so does the greatness of this interpreter. What Gould has in spades is individuality. It's possible to point out the obvious such as his unique clarity and evenness of fingerwork, just as it's possible to offer platitudinous comment on the distinction of the composer's counterpoint. All that is true but superficial. The real greatness of both is much harder to define, but for me it makes a spellbinding combination.

The last two French suites were recorded in early 1971, before Gould's piano suffered damage in transit. The other four date from 1972 and 1973 after the mishap, and the liner note has some interesting comments on the matter from Gould himself. It seems that the instrument's action became heavier consequent on the repairs, and Gould chose to avoid fast tempi rather than let the heavier touch force him into a more legato delivery. The difference is very perceptible to the listener. The tone in suites 1-4 is less rich than in 5 and 6, and the earlier suites feature no rocketing speeds such as Gould takes in the courante of #6. One matter that intrigues me is which parts of the French Overture were done before the accident and which after - honesty compels me to say that so far I haven't been able to tell.

The recording is perfectly adequate if perhaps a bit over-bright - I found I got a more agreeable tone by using a slightly lower volume-setting than I normally listen to. The liner-note is interesting if slightly silly in some ways - we are given a solemn analysis of Gould's supposed interest in various composers as evinced by what he chose to record, and the text is reinforced with a parade of bar-charts. I take Gould's Bach-style as read and I don't wish to act as an advocate for it. For me it's just a matter of whether he performs well or badly within the given parameters of his approach, and I have never yet heard a Bach rendering from him that would come in the latter category. The total playing-time only just tops what could have been accommodated on a single disc, but as this enables us to hear the French Overture as well as the suites I have no problem with it. I have no problem with anything here at all.

Not the best of Gould's Bach recordings.......2005-10-22

There's a sense that Gould merely dispatches some of the faster movements and that he just plucks away at the Sarabandes rendering them pretty lifeless.Sure,there are some good things:the Dminor Sarabande from No.1 has great nobility and the opening of the e flat suite has an irresistable swing but overall the 'french suites' are served better by the likes of Gavrilov and Richter.
The French Overture is the best piece on this distinctly ungenerous set and Gould seems slightly more engaged here:Yes,the opening is a trifle pedantic alongside Weissenberg (emi)but the Passepied has a great sense of urgency and Bourree 1 an appropriate toughness.Gould ignores the dynamic contrasts in the 'echo' movement but this is also a successful rendition.

French Overtures - BUT OVERTURE IN HE FRENCH STYLE.......2003-12-06

Glen Gould's recordings are always a little bit "special"(!!) - good or bad they are always worth a listen and MOST of the time are stunning, thoughtful, profound and genuinely inspirational with a sublime beauty and obsessive musicality that stays with you for life (no mean feat!!!) requiring many, MANY return listenings. I am a BIG fan of GG but know the shortcomings (including unecessary jarring articulation, occasional sheer confusion in the listeners' ear, misrepresented(?!) contrapunctual thinking, humming etc etc we know it all.....) BUT I have to say that the recording of the Overture in the French Style BWV 831 is probably the most profound, spine-tingling, stunning, addictive, "quasi improvisando" enigmatic, rhapsodic piece of solo instrument playing in the available CD catalogue. If there was a Mona Lisa for piano (or indeed any other instrument-playing THIS IS IT!! Can't say more here. You've got to hear it. Dessert Island Disc No. 1!!!!!!!!! BeijingFox@hotmail.com

The overture is nice..........2001-08-28

When I listen to my favourite Gould albums I can't imagine that any other approach would be as satisfying. Unfortunately, this is not one of those albums, and as I listen to Gould the iterpretations of MacGreggor, Richter, and Pires often run through my head as a reminder of what could have been. I enjoy the warmth of the MacGreggor recording, but I must say that the last suite on the disc won't play any more since the disc is exceptionally long (over 79 minutes) and appears to be easily damaged (some owners of my CD player - NAD C540 - have complained that its error correction is not the best, so this may be part of the problem). Pires recording of the second French suite is very enjoyable, as are the Richter recordings on Philips. In my mind any of these 3 are better than the Gould ... although this recording is better than Hewitt and Schiff. The French Overture is probably the best of the disc. While it is very good, I personally think that Sviatoslav Richter's recording (one of Philips' Authorised Recordings) is to be prefered. Richter captures a sense of anticipation and lyricism in the opening overture that is simply incomprable. Gould's recording is probably better than that of Angela Hewitt (flashes of inspiration, but the interpretations struck me as cold and distant), and I can honestly say that I don't really see the genius of Turek's Bach interpretationsh, and that goes for the overture, too.

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