A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981)

A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981) | Johann Sebastian Bach, Glenn Gould, ... | Keats, Augustine, Dumas

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A State of Wonder:...

	A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations (1955 & 1981) Johann Sebastian Bach, Glenn Gould, ... Sony, 2002 average customer review:based on 52 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This Folks

This particular version of JS Bach's "Goldberg" Variations really should require no review at all; anyone even remotely interested in this kind of music should already know it. It is J.S. Bach -- the undisputed all time master of the contrapuntal fugue form -- at the peak of his compositional skills, as interpreted by Glenn Gould - a keyboard genius without parallel - perhaps the greatest classical piano virtuoso in the history of the human race.

Track for track what you have here is quite literally the most thrilling and intricate Baroque era single clavinette music ever written. In fact it is generally understood that the only reason the Goldberg Variations are not heard as often as Bach's signature work, the far more famous "Well Tempered Clavinette" collection, is simply because there are so few people around with the level of skill necessary to perform them.

Give extremely high marks to Gould then, because this recording is replete with rivers of sizzling notes moving flawlessly in all directions at blinding speeds...speeds at times too hard to even process through the human ear much less play! One can almost picture him at the keyboard, eyes closed, head cocked and bowed way over, both hands "flying" up and down the keyboard performing their simultaneously complex scales and counter-scales with an astonishing amount of intensity and almost un-human, precision-like perfection.

There are 30 Goldberg variations (not counting the two arias at the open and close which are illustrative), each variant containing between two and four voices, and each characterized by canons and other repeated sections, but the really interesting twist on this production is that you get 2 recordings of the same set of variations; one is Gould in his brilliant 1955 recording debut- the one that created the sensation which landed him on the cover of Time magazine at the time, and the second with Gould in 1981 just days before he died, back in the studio performing the same set in the same exact order.

Even the fact that much of this paricular collection is done on old analogue recording gear (circa 1955) adds to its pure delight, with tape giving back the true depth, clear spatial definition, and good old stereo separation taken away in this less personal "digital" era in which we currently live and record.

So it all makes for an amazing experience, truly so. I say: BUY IT, BUY IT, BUY IT--- even if you're low on money--buy it! Even if you're "Baroque"--buy it!

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Keats, Augustine, Dumas

Keats said, "Beauty is truth, truth beauty". Augustine said, "Beauty is Unity in Diversity". Dumas said "Simplicity is always perfection". Perhaps Gould's 81 variations is one of the magnum expressions of these statements in the history of mankind. He is evidence of man's highest ability to create at a level that reaches out to the Divine, just short of the creation of the Universe and mankind in itself. And the sound is excellent too. All I can say is I listened to the 81 variations for the first time last night; I was primed for them (through a few years of listening to classical music) and I had a look of awe and a childish smile on my face the whole 51 minutes. Treat yourself to beauty and buy it.

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A wonder indeed

When I first bought this CD I was a bit disappointed with Gould's humming (it mainly affects the 1981 version). I was irritated by it especially knowing that Gould was a kind of a music purist. Whether you like it or not, this "singing along" is really a blunder.

Nevertheless, after listening to both the 1955 and the 1981 versions quite a number of times I think that they both are masterpieces.

Gould's music always makes sense and, especially the 1981 version, sounds like a complete, cohesive piece. Other pianists do not seem to understand Bach's music as Gould did. Everyone of the tracks in these CDs is the product of pure genious.

I think sooner or later someone will release a 1981 version without the humming and then it will be truly a 6 star performance.

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Excellent!!!!

This is definitely a good choice for classical fans. One CD has the quick brilliance of the young artist, the second has his matured and perhaps more familiar rendition--what a comparison! I haven't gotten to the commentary yet, but the first two CDs are more than enough to satisfy the Bach-hungry fan.

Please have this CD!

Often we listen with different approaches - the sound engineer listens to how it has been recorded; pianist will listen to how it has been played (if all the right notes were there :-) ), musician will listen too, may be also paying attention to singing as well. And as a musician, I used to pay attention to now little details like that, as later I realized - this is about the music primarily, and he was closer to God (as J.S.Bach intended) as we try to. Yes, he was emotionally unstable, but it doesn't matter. What matters is what you want to get out of it - stop judging his playing, or singing - listen to what BACH wanted to tell you!!!

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