Johann Sebastian Bach: Goldberg-variationen Bwv 98

Glenn Gould

Hardcover book with never-before-heard recordings from the recording sessions as well as the two-Grammy-winning album. Forty years ago, on September 2, 1982 - the year of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Steven Spielberg's "E. T." - Glenn Gould closed a circle that his revolutionary 1956 recording of Bach's masterpiece had opened with the release of his legendary second recording of the Goldberg Variations While his first recording was the exuberant, fast-paced work of a 22-year-old pianistic prodigy, his second represented the measured, detailed interpretation of a seasoned studio artist. The Canadian pianist died unexpectedly just five weeks later, leaving the world a masterpiece of recording art that - awarded two Grammys - remains one of the most listened to classical albums in the world. In the year of Gould's 90th birthday and 40 years after the initial release of the second album, Sony Classical releases "Glenn Gould - The Goldberg Variations: The Complete Unreleased Recording Sessions (1981)," a limited edition that provides a unique insight into the making of this classic work. The 11-CD edition includes the two-Grammy-winning final version in perfect remastering, as well as all the recordings made to tape during the 1981 session, restored from the original ¼-inch analog tapes and remastered using 24-bit / 96 kHz technology. In addition to the recording takes themselves, the session recordings also include conversations between Gould and the producers that provide an interesting insight into the recording process. The 216-page hardcover book contains extensive documentation about the recording, including facsimiles of archival documents, an annotated score, the full transcript of all studio conversations, and insightful articles about the recording process-including the recollections of Richard Einhorn, one of the producers who worked with Gould on the recordings. Gould was known for rejecting the earlier recording of the Bach Variations that had made him famous, and taking a much slower and more expansive approach the second time around. As Einhorn writes in his article, "Glenn's thinking about the Goldberg Variations had evolved considerably since his original 1955 recording. As I understand it, he developed a way of linking the variations together through an elaborate proportional tempo plan - the tempo of the coming variation would be in some relationship to the previous variation. In this way, Gould was able to use a wide variety of musically related tempos for the set." During the April and May 1981 recordings, which often lasted late into the night, Gould and the CBS Masterworks studio team, led by producer Sam Carter, were assisted by French filmmaker Bruno Monsaingeon, who was making a documentary series about Gould; Monsaingeon is also heard on the recordings. These sessions were also the last to take place at Columbia's legendary 30th Street Studio in New York. The place where so many famous recordings were made by artists such as Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra and Leonard Bernstein. Fascinating for all fans of this unique artist, this edition documents and preserves a groundbreaking recording, serves as a source for further research, and offers captivating insights into the working methods of one of the greatest musical personalities of the 20th century.

Price: $169.98

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