Glenn Gould - Bach French Suite No. 1 in D Minor, BWV 812 (1)

[Logicshouldprevail]

I love that Gould's singing made it onto the recording-especially in the Sarabande! Singing along as he played was very important to Gould and to my knowledge he often canceled concerts if he lost his voice.

[ijustwantalife]

i ♥ BACH

[caddencadden]

Best version



[musighitta]

grandissimo Glenn... l'uomo dei miei sogni, che non potrò realizzare perchè non ci sei più e come te nessun altro.

[Sashomei]

pls dont cut the ends

...

[amadeus9man]

@Sashomei I know, but I had no choice when this was uploaded. I wish they had allowed more than ten minutes years ago. There are so many butchered symphonies out there.

[topologyrob]

@marr21 It makes no sense to say he "destroyed" it - the score is easily found Intact and in libraries/the web. Who.made the rules about simplicity and modesty? Classical music was never as boringly, predictably rule-bound before the mid 20th century. Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to play a death metal version of this suite at crotchet=6.5

[evesmom]

Wonderful clarity and control, but there was not one tempo in the entire rendition that sounded right. I would not love this French Suite if this were the only recording I ever heard of it.

[johannsebastienbach]

absolutely brilliant. This makes some of the other versions by other pianists sound like amateurs. The dynmics of the three melody dynamics are so clear. With gould's technique it's all possible! The thing abt gould's play is you can quickly tell it's gould's playing!

[marr21]

Another brilliant piece destroyed by the eccentric wanker !

[str3123]

@marr21 another idiot comment

[topologyrob]

@marr21 How exactly is it destroyed when the score is there for anyone else to do a different interpretation? What (to me) destroys old music is when people do it slavishly. Imagine if all theatrical productions of Shakespeare were in tights.

[marr21]

@topologyrob He destroys the Allemande by playing it as an anal retarted eccentric that he was. No matter how free you feel in front of the score he fails to catch the spirit of Bach. No simplicity &  modesty.

[beakt]

@marr21 How in the world can you have a problem with the Allemande? His touch and control is amazing, the exposition of the counterpoint is superb, and he conveys such expressive musicality at the same time as he keeps the 4/4 rhythm steady and prominent. And then he goes on to display amazing artistry, imagination, and technical skill with the Courante, Sarabande and Menuets. So what do you mean by simplicity and modesty? You mean, boring? No thanks.

[witchcraftlord]

say whatever you want about Glenn Gould, .. when he was studying piano in Toronto, he achieved the highest marks , and his ARCT , at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto, Ont,

[bachmaninoff]

Also, it's not that I think competitions denote excellent artistry.  I am much more impressed by pianists like Rubinstein, Richter, or even Ax, then I am by the recent Van Cliburn medalists, I was just talking about "stylistic norms" I suppose.

[bachmaninoff]

Chopin is a whole different story, Almost everyone plays Chopin, and badly. Most do not play Bach, unfortunately. I don't think anyone sounds the same when playing Bach. There is too much going on, and so much that can be done. Gould however, was VERY VERY unique.

[johannsebastienbach]

@bachmaninoff it's gould's formidable technique that made all these interpretations possible. They way he handles polyphony with such dynamism is astounding. Playing at such a tempo with unbelievable clarity. It's genius' work

[bachmaninoff]

@johannsebastienbach

There are plenty of pianists with comparable technique. Richter or Argerich fro example. I don't agree that Gould's technique is the source of his unique interpretations. I argue that it's his eccentric personality (and even a touch of ego).

[bachmaninoff]

As unorthodox and weird as it is, I really like what he does to the minuets.

[KABRIS1]

@bachmaninoff That's because the musicality Gould posesses is not weird, nor unorthodox.

[bachmaninoff]

@KABRIS1 True. Everything he does seems very natural for him, but wouldn't necessarily work for others.

[KABRIS1]

@bachmaninoff I'm sure that is true, but it's a hypothetical statement because

what Gould did does not pertain to others and because

"others" haven't even conceived of Gould's unique interpretations.

[bachmaninoff]

@KABRIS1

Whatever that means.....Most of what Gould does is not stylistically appropriate and the only reason he gets away with it is because he's Glenn Gould.

[KABRIS1]

@bachmaninoff He got away with it because it sounded good.

[bachmaninoff]

@KABRIS1

Well, that is subjective. Yes his playing is musical, his technique, impeccable. However, take the Allemande from this suite for example. My opinion is that the 16ths sound much better legato. Listen to Andras Schiff for example. Gould was a genius and was highly respected, and therefore succeeded in doing anything he wanted to the music. However, I'll tell you this, go into a competition and play Bach like Gould, and you will lose, I promise.

[KABRIS1]

@bachmaninoff I;m sure that's true, because society dosen't encourage individuality any longer and that sentiment has appeared in the classical music world. Arturo Rubenstein said, after hearing a group of young players performing Chopin, "I can't pick a winner because you all sound alike".

[simcha181818]

@KABRIS1 No, Glenn got away with it because he was uniquely good.

[KABRIS1]

@simcha181818 I am in absolute agreement with his being uniquely good. I also believe that his interpretations were uniquely good.

[oneginee]

Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and C P E Bach were left handed, and some say Mozart too. Also out of interest Glenn Gould, the rather eccentric pianist was left handed.

[vanderbilt887]

@oneginee

Some people claimed that Mozart's amazing left-hand dexterity was caused by a magic ring he wore as a kid. :-)

The courante is played in Schindler's List, isn't it?

[meats0]

@vanderbilt887 The Prelude to Bach's 2nd English Suite, one of my favorites, is the one played in Schindler's List. Happy to help : )

[vanderbilt887]

@meats0

Mucho gracias.

[vanderbilt887]

@meats0

But isn't it the courante from the 2nd Suite?

[KABRIS1]

@oneginee This is a great point. No one had Gould's left hand.

[oneginee]

nobody can make Bach work so well like Glenn Gould does. He is so much more in the music than indulging in being a concert platform pianist looking for fame. T Other pianists simply are not even close. His genius of touch and interpretation has been unsurpassed. It is as if the music takes complete control of him and his allowed to pass through to the listener in its most pure immaculate form. Gould is a legend of phenomenal musical genius.

[KABRIS1]

@oneginee You said it all!

[Jackoby62]

Ive just bought this version of the Allamande! What is G, Gould playing at?? Does he not love this piece?? Slow it down ! let us hear every NOTE for god sake!! you are without a doubt a talanted pianist but do not understand the beauty of the music! just me!

[bicsc7]

@Jackoby62

You know nothing about Gould, do you.

[Jackoby62]

@bicsc7 Sorry you feel this way, & yes i do understand Gould. What gives you the right to judge what i like? Gould is a master & i love his playing, but for me his version of the french suite is played a bit too quick. there are for me better versions allthough his version of the second suite is superb.

[Alanuboat]

Bach y Gould, genios ambos!

[micheldvorsky]

Gould's technical control is probably very close to the limit of what is humanly possible. I wish Hofmann or Busoni had recorded pieces like this too so we could compare.

[KABRIS1]

ValhallFR: You are correct. "Gould WAS (and is) music".

[KABRIS1]

Valhall: If I may quote you, "Gould WAS music".

[fbager]

Wonderful... eccentric yes, but amazing all the same. His tempi can be very controversial, but somehow he makes them work. He's a genius. His humming is delightful :-D

[paolo85row]

Un grandissimo!!! Grandissima interpretazione!!!

[iguarni]

Hai ragione! Siamo davanti ad un fenomeno assoluto. Nessuno ha suonato Bach come lui; solo S. Richter e F. Gulda in alcune intrepetazioni lo avvicinavano.

[drew2849]

I think one might call Glenn Gould many things, but retard is not among them. Considering he was considered one the foremost interpreters of Bach of the 20th century, I also suspect he had very specific reasons for choosing the tempos he did. Considering that the dance forms in the suite could have a range of tempos, including faster ones and that the sarabande the one most expected to be slower, is indeed slower, I don't see anything at all "inappropriate" with Gould's choice of tempos.

[TheOneWingAngeI]

ONE of the foremost interpreters of Bach?

correction: THE foremost interpreter of Bach. Hell i think he IS Bach

[ValhallFR]

Funny you should say that : I always thought Gould was really Bach reincarnated... The rage and passion he used to put in the music drove him to madness and seclusion, but granted him an understanding of music only a few human beings ever attained. He WAS music, he was flesh and blood and notes.

The French suites are a tremendous achievement ; what he did afterwards with the Goldberg variations is still beyond words.

[lefekir]

corrupt5358: You're absolutely right. What's more, there is no need to rush through like that. Gould had sufficient talent to measure appropriate tempos - shows it towards the middle and the end.

[Corrupt5358]

What a dreadful mess! Totally rushed and inappropriate - I fucking hate this retard!

[JamesTR4]

U hate a guy who is considered by most people who actually know a thing about classical music the best interpreter of bach...ok, maybe u know better.I think if there's anyone saying what's appropriate in bach its gould. Btw, noone gives a **** what u think cause u obviously have no idea what u are talking about!

[prueveil]

Gould along with Biggs are unparalleled in their interpretation of Bach.

[LazyJLazy]

Thanks for uploading these.... though I can't stand Gould's voice in some these recordings..

[supermanifold]

douchebag, why do you bother then ? ugh

[baratanegra]

GLENN GOULD is GOD!!!!

[morvensky]

Splendid!

[migoratia]

Only Gould plays with so much fire and passion!! beautiful!!!!!!!!

[gianm73yout]

wonderful