GLENN GOULD PLAYS BACH - GOLDBERG VARIATIONS (1955); PARTITAS, FUGUES

Goldberg Variations BWV 988 (Aria & 30 Variations) [38:28]
1. Aria 1:55 17. Variation No.16 1:17
2. Variation No.1 0:44 18. Variation No.17 0:53
3. Variation No.2 0:37 19. Variation No.18 0:46
4. Variation No.3 0:54 20. Variation No.19 0:42
5. Variation No.4 0:29 21. Variation No.20 0:47
6. Variation No.5 0:36 22. Variation No.21 1:42
7. Variation No.6 0:34 23. Variation No.22 0:42
8. Variation No.7 1:08 24. Variation No.23 0:54
9. Variation No.8 0:45 25. Variation No.24 0:56
10. Variation No.9 0:38 26. Variation No.25 6:26
11. Variation No.10 0:42 27. Variation No.26 0:53
12. Variation No.11 0:53 28. Variation No.27 0:49
13. Variation No.12 0:56 29. Variation No.28 1:10
14. Variation No.13 2:10 30. Variation No.29 1:00
15. Variation No.14 0:58 31. Variation No.30 0:48
16. Variation No.15 2:19 32. Aria da capo 2:10

Partita No.5 in G major BWV 829 [9:50]
[33] Praeambulum 1:46 [34] Allemande 1:49 [35] Courante 0:40
[36] Sarabande 2:01 [37] Tempo di Minuetto 1:04 [38] Passepied 0:47
[39] Gigue 1:39

Partita No.6 in E minor BWV 830 [22:46]
[40] Toccata 9:50 [41] Allemande 2:03 [42] Courante 2:16 [43] Air 0:42
[44] Sarabande 3:36 [45] Tempo di Gavotta 0:51 [46] Gigue 3:26

[47] Fugue in F sharp minor BWV 883 (Well-tempered Clavier Book II) 3:16
[48] Fugue in E major BWV 878 (Well-tempered Clavier Book II) 4:18

(Goldbergs) “in terms of sheer keyboard wizardry ...a remarkable performance”
(Penguin Guide) “Gould's pianistic skills have been universally and freely acknowledged ... he was supremely skillful in showing the patterns woven by its contrapuntal threads....As an exposition of the music's mechanism this is remarkable”
(Partitas): “the young eccentric who walks on stage with a big handkerchief flapping, who seats himself on a chair only a few inches off the floor, who sings along and makes terrible faces. But he can play the piano. Here we see neither the chair nor gestures nor faces; but we do hear him singing along; and we also hear polished, superbly controlled, rhythmically alert piano playing. Two fugues from the Well-Tempered Clavier are included on the disc.” (Gramophone)