Search - Glenn Gould :: Glenn Gould plays J.S. Bach, D. Scarlatti, and C.P.E. Bach

Gems from an unfinished Bach album

Michael P. McGarry | San Francisco, CA United States | 11/12/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a wonderful sampling of recordings from the late 1950s to the 1980. This is the first release of all the J. S. Bach on this CD except the 1959 recording of the "Italian Concerto"; all of those other Bach pieces were to be part of an "Italian Album" that Gould never completed. The first three tracks are a "concerto" for solo keyboard (BWV 974), a transcription of a concerto of Marcello. Tracks 4 & 5 are Fugues (BWV 951 & 950) based on themes by Albinoni. Tracks 1-5 were records in the summer of 1979. Tracks 6-8 are three keyboard sonatas (K. 430, 9, 13) of Domenico Scarlatti. Tracks 9-11 comprise a "Württemberg Sonata" (No. 1, Wq. 49 #1; H. 30) of C. P. E. Bach. Tracks 6-11 were recorded in early 1968. Track 12 is Bach's Aria Variata (BWV 989), recorded in 1971. Tracks 13-15 are the 1959 "Italian Concerto" (BWV 971). Track 16 is the great Chromatic Fantasy in D minor (BWV 903), recorded in 1979; Gould detested this piece as he detested the "Italian Concerto." Tracks 17 - 19 are three Fantasies (BWV 917, 919, 906), recorded in April, 1980, a couple years before Gould's tragic death. All of them, played on a modern piano, have the wonderful crisp clarity and fresh energy so characteristic of Glenn Gould. I highly recommend this album both to the J.S. Bach aficionado and to the Glenn Gould aficionado."