Glenn Gould, Johann Sebastian Bach - The Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II
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Free Music Notes for The Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II
Free Music Review: Gould's highly individual and spiritual interpretation.
Hit: 5 Stars
Anyone considering a version of Book 2 of WTC should first read the reviews of various versions of Book 1. The listings for Glenn Gould's version will cover the range of opinions about Gould himself and his interpretive style. Clearly Gould is not for everyone. Yet I contend that without Gould (and Rosalyn Tureck) there would be far less playing of Bach during the past three decades. Furthermore, even if you prefer the more straightforward version of someone like Schiff (which I find a bit boring despite its technical brilliance) I would commend Gould to you for the purpose of hearing WTC in a different and imaginative way.Gould learned Book 1 from his mother at a rather young age. He seems to have mastered Book 2 himself. In addition, by the time he recorded most of Book 2, the characteristics of his piano had changed. It had been damaged in an accident and when it was rebuilt, the action was a bit slower than it had been originally. This might account for the slightly slower tempos of Book 2, though it is equally possible that the more profound and spiritual nature of the music itself is responsible. In any event the preludes and especially the fugues of Book 2 seemed to interest Gould more than Book 1. He rarely performed anything from Book 1 after his complete recording, while he often performed selections from Book 2. For example, he has four versions that I could locate of the fugue in E major BWV 878 from Book 2. The performances each time are radically different from each other. On the recording of the complete WTC he takes the fugue very fast. On his video performance with Bruno Monsaingeon, for the CBC (and available on a Sony laser disc SLV 48426) he plays it at about half the speed. As a matter of fact, when Gould records a piece more than once, I have never found the performances to be the same.
The bottom line for me is whether you prefer Edwin Fisher's recording from the 1930's on EMI, or Richter's on Le Chant du Monde which has such a difficult sound but such a stimulating performance, or Schiff on Decca/London with what I consider to be his politically correct, though brilliant performance, or someone else, like Feltsman, you should include Book 2 played by Gould in your collection. Bach is so great that no single performance can plumb his depths. As you get to love this music more and more, you will simply have to own performances with multiple perspectives. This one must be among them - perhaps chief among them as it was for me.
Free Music Review: Bach and Gould at Their Best.
Hit: 5 Stars
This set of preludes and fugues is - in my opinion - of even greater emotional density than Part I. Almost every fugue has an unforgettable subject, played by Gould with great clarity and power, and yet there is always lightness in his interpretations (stemming most likely from his unsurpassed technique and "gut level" understanding of the spirt of Bach's music) which make this music soothing and energizing at the same time. Gould is world apart from heavy-handed, pedal-abusing, tempo-changing romantic interpretations of Bach. He is constrained and almost inhumanly precise, which allows him to convey the depth and power of Bach's masterpieces in the best possible way. I have never heard a better interpretation of the Well Tempered Clavier. I've been listening to this music for years and it never lost its emotional impact. And Gould's humming in the background brings the whole recording to a very personal, intimate level: he must have enjoyed those moments in the recording studio, and he must have loved the music he played. Glenn Gould is my hero!Free Music Review: How to listen to 4 records on a row
Hit: 5 Stars
The first version I had of this work was the Richter one for RCA. I loved it, altough due to his Bösendorfer Piano and the Castle in which the recording was made, it sounded too reverberant and a little bit haunting.A dear friend (unfortunately and untimely dead) managed to convince me to change my version (which he loved ) for the one he owned (Gilbert's Archiv), as I am a period instrument fan.I do not know enough about clavichord playing to make any serious criticism on Gilbert's playing, as an imparcial source as the Penguin Guide considers it the very best available, but I returned to the Piano version with Gould, of whom I already had my most cherished record, amongst the 2000 I own(the second version of Goldberg, of which I also have and reccomend the DVD).Now instead of listening to a sewing machine I listen to music again, and may enjoy all the 4 records in a row. If there is a definition of true Joy, it is listening to this wonderful rendering of the supreme work that the WTC is!
Free Music Review: Gould brings the voices out
Hit: 5 Stars
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!).
Free Music Review: Bach visto por un genio.
Hit: 5 Stars
Fascinante es la interpretación del Clavecín bien temperado de Bach por Glenn Gould. Él hace una lectura muy personal de la obra lo cual no tiene nada de malo, pues como sabemos la música de Bach tiene la magia, que ninguna otra, de ser muy plástica para distintos conceptos de interpretación y seguir siendo Bach 100% puro. Solamente los puristas exagerados quieren que todo suene como en el Siglo 17, lo cual obviamente es absurdo. La concepción de Gould está llena de vida y genialidad. En una entrevista el Señor Gould afirmó que el instrumento debe sonar en las interpretaciones de Bach como un Piano NEOROTICO que se cree Clavecín, y eso es exactamente el efecto que dan estas magnas interpretaciones. Las palabras están demás compre este CD y a gozar!