Customer Reviews

Glenn Gould Edition - Bach: Partitas, Preludes & Fugues

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This collection of piano masterpieces is one of a kind. Gould is unique in his playing. Many people try to imitate this eccentric style and fail; many people also try to play Bach and fail. It is unfortunate that it only takes the unprecedented touch and sheer creativity of one individual too change the way we look at the music of Bach, or any music for the matter. I wish this event were more commonplace, but it is not. This is why brilliancy in any art form is obscured in modern society. Believe it or not, few in our society are true individuals. We feel too comfortable in our collected groups of mass media hungry minds to risk the thought of tarnishing our egos for idealism. Originality is rare. Glenn Gould's technique is amazing. It is extremely difficult to play fast and put feeling in to it. Must we forget that Bach wrote his music without any tempo or dynamic markings? This leaves the choice up to the performer. This is creativity at its best. Gould's performance of these works by Bach is exceptional in the care given to bringing out the counterpoint. These are not piano note sounds to Gould, these notes are voices. He sings. The piano sings.

I can simply say that after reading the review that Mr. Townsend gave, I can only think that he is either a person who never listened to the recordings that Gould made of the Partitias, or he realizes just how good Gould is, and doesn't want to admit it.

For those of you who are interested in this recording, I can simply say that, being a student in a musical conservatory, I have discussed with many great pianists, all of whom, would agree with me, that Gould has a unique manner of performance, that especially for Bach, is so special, that his interpretations cannot be taken lightly. I have now owned my copy of the Partitias for a number of years, and can only say good things about it. Especially of interest are 1. The Sinfonia from the Second Partitia, 2. The entire Fifth Partitia, and 3. The Toccata from the Sixth Partitia (which has some of the greatest voice-leading on record).

I finally wish to express my sorrow. It is because of people like Mr. Townsend who, instead of simply praising Ms. Tureck, for her own marvelous interpretations of the Partitias, had to insult Mr. Gould, one of the greatest pianists who ever lived, because he disagreed with a different interpretation. It is simply this kind of attitude that helps no one.

I'm no expert on Bach, and I haven't heard these works played by other great artists (and, love him or hate him, Gould was a great, if willful, pianist). What I do know is that I find myself constantly coming back to these recordings. It probably doesn't reveal my taste at its best, but I am simply entranced by Gould's performances of the little preludes, fugues, and fughettas on disk 2. I can think of only a handful of performances that are so filled with pure, infectious joy, and I can't imagine any person with an open mind and open ears not enjoying them.

This is my favorite of all the Glenn Gould / Bach reissues on Sony Classical. GG's articulate pianism has never been bettered, and the 20-bit digital remastering sounds very natural. I never tire of listening to both disks in the set.

I'm not a hardcore Glenn Gould fan, but when it comes to Bach's keyboard works, it is my opinion that nobody comes close to this level of playing or understanding of the great master of composers. These six partitas are the best dance suites that Bach ever wrote. In fact, Bach himself knew that they were special, thus he payed to have them published in his lifetime(sadly most of Bach's works were never published in his lifetime). I must say that of all the recordings of them that I've heard, none can compare to these. The next best would probably be Rosalyn Turek's, who had a deep insight into the pieces, but failed to play them without romanticizing them. Gould's amazing ability lays in the fact that he is able to interepret baroque music in a baroque style yet still add emotion, character, and personality to the pieces. Very few are able to do this without having the pieces end up being a romanticized debacle. This two disc set however, not only includes the complete keyboard partitas, but it also includes many preludes and fugues, which are also masterfully played by Gould. The only flaw I can find with this disc is Gould's famous humming, which I'm not too fond of, but you get used to it after a while. Get this disk, because it is essential Bach.

"Gould portrays a Bach that has in my eyes surpassed that of any other pianist of the recordable history. He has managed to capture the same brilliance as he did in his 1955 recording of the Goldberg Variations. His rendition of the Second Partitia is my favorite, while his own favorite, the Fifth Partitia, is a splendid masterpiece."

This recording of the Partitas is one of my favourites. Glenn Gould's idosyncratic style of delivery is delightful. What makes this recording so much more interesting than some of the others is the unique and very personal interpretation that Gould brings to this set of compositions. I feel compelled to echo some of the comments that other reviewrs have made: I find Mr. Townsend's pretentious and bombastic utterances distasteful. I think he forgets that part of what makes the creation and performance of music so interesting is the sense of the private and personal that an artist or composer brings to a work. Need I not remind him that some of the greatest composers, musicians, scientists, artists, writers and mathematicians have been what many of their age would have called "eccentric?" Or does his definition of creative genius require a strict adherance to a fascistic and conservative set of values?

These are (after Art of Fugue) by far the finest, most profound, least repetitive works for solo keyboard (piano, harpsichord, organ) ever written. Even if all of Bach's other works were lost, he would still clearly classify as world's greatest composer. Those who question my superlative accounts on these works should listen to the concluding movement (Gigue) in BWV 830 partita. Such beauty is indescribable...

Gould's interpretation is one among the very few where the piano doesn't muddle the counterpoint. His tempi are thoughtfully chosen, although (compared to Leonhardt landmark harpsichord performance) they tend to be somewhat fast. The clarity of counterpoint is crisp and the love for performing properly is unquestionable. There simply is no comparison with his "pianistic" contemporaries (who quite litterally were careless on how Bach should OBJECTIVELY sound like).

As with all Gould recordings, the sound is very forward and dry but there is no mistaking the mind-boggling technique and the clarity of the playing. This is amongst Gould's greatest achievements, alongside the Well-Tempered and the 2- and 3- Part Inventions.

Townsend clearly is not a pianist and equally clearly knows little about Bach and less about Gould. Noone served music more completely than Gould. It is sad that his legacy continues to be marred by immature, misguided criticism from the weak-minded.

Glenn Gould was the best interpreter of Bach's keyboard works ever. Gould was able to bring out both the logical and the romantic elements of Bach's compositions. This CD has, what I think, is the best example of Glenn Gould's take on Bach ... Gould's soaring rendition of JS Bach's Partita No.1 in B-Flat, BWV 825: III. Corrente (you can hear a sample on Amazon). I've heard that hundreds of times, but it is still breathtaking for me to hear it every time I hear it again.