Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Nos. 30-32 / Gould

Glenn Gould: Piano

Beethoven Piano Sonatas: No.30 in E major, Op.109; No.31 in A flat major, Op.110; No. 32 in C minor, Op.111

Gould recorded for Columbia/CBS from 1955 until his death, and when asked by Columbia what he would like to record as a follow up to his highly successful Goldberg Variations he replied that it should be the last three sonatas by Beethoven. Gould was 23 at the time and the repertoire he had selected was usually reserved for mature pianists with a lifetime of experience of music and the world behind them. It is not, however, such an eccentric choice as it appears, because Gould was already performing the late Beethoven sonatas in his recitals and played some at his earliest appearances in America. Also, these works contain a good deal of fugal writing, something Gould was particularly fond of. The three sonatas were recorded in seven sessions between 20th and 29th June 1956 at Columbia’s 30th Street Studios in New York City.

Price: $19.98