Goldberg Variations 20-24

[KV4671]

he defednitally is the greatest

[cmclarkmusic]

How in the world could five people "dislike" this?

[dartagnanlevrai]

@cmclarkmusic because the world is full of asshole who will never can see and hear a miracle happening in front of them

[quinto34]

Gould always leaves me speechless

[almskaya]

Hmm i guess after all he did practice a lot ...

But Nevertheless his playing is as perfect as it can be

[pierospirit]

when a genius as Gould meets a genius as Bach, the miracle is accomplished.

[Jimistroll]

if you want to become a master like me, you'll have to practice the hard peices like suzuki 3.

[Darkboy2525]

OW GLENNN I LOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVE YOU !! YOU ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRE THE PIANIST ! YOU EAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA­AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARN EVERYTHING YOU WANT ! it is such a HERO !

[chelseabeeb]

I wonder what he is whispering while he plays... He is absolutely amazing! I heard some hums here and there but don't know what he is saying when he is "talking" lol

[aibangmaini]

@chelseabeeb He's humming the melody. It's been a Gould trademark. Engineers used to have fits, trying to find a way to get him to either stop, or to find a method to keep it out of the mix. Alas, they never could - and it's become one of the things we love most about Gould.

[cncdaddy]

@aibangmaini I have conflicting info here. I personally thought he was indeed humming , but have since also heard that he is singing the lyrics to this amazing piece of music. I wonder if that's really so

[aibangmaini]

@cncdaddy The thing that might provide some clarity is the fact that he does it in almost every single thing he's ever played - solo piano music is just that...solo. There are no lyrics.

[cncdaddy]

@aibangmaini That I understand about the solo thing , however , Glenn is such an enigma , I wouldnt have doubted in any way that there may have been lyrics and that Glenn indeed knew them :) We Canadians are interesting like that . Thanks for the insight regardless

[yuyiya]

@cncdaddy if there weren't any, Gould would have created the most apt lyrics possible!

But consider this: he sings not one, but three or four distinct parts - simultaneously. He's a whole opera in himself ;-)

[BrigitC1]

Many thanks to Bruno Monsaingeon and his devotion to the legacy of Glenn Gould. To be able to see and hear Gould playing Bach is a truly mystical experience.

[chronnoss503]

Il ne chanterait pas en jouant?

[Lassannn]

3 people prefer Justin Bieber.

[humpert]

variation 21 is unreal..

[Gibson29]

I wish Gould had made some recordings of Godowskys works, his technical ability is really only matched by pianists today such as Marc-Andre Hamelin and  (perhaps) Berezovsky. Gould really should have recorded at least more Liszt or Chopin even, as unbelievable as he is with some of Bach's most difficult works, perhaps he would have the definitive performances of an aforementioned composer's opus of etudes, for example.

[ftcvilla]

@Gibson29 Do you really think possible of Gould works by Chopin. He has said that Chopin is not for him to play, or I think even listen. In his playing is portrayed, if you listen well, his inability to interpret romantic music. He has the distinct, lustrous, immaculate shine of the barroque, and it´s almost exempt-of-internal-strugle dialogue. The dark, clashing sound of the romantic are not for him to reproduce.

[Gibson29]

@ftcvilla Ya- good point, perhaps Liszt was a poor example, but Gould recording Godowsky's transcriptions on the Op. 10 etudes by Chopin would have been interesting undoubtedly . They sound fantasic when adhered to their mathematical rigidity that Gould is so talented at without rubato or anything. Knowing Gould, he probably could have taken them to a new standard of technical excellence, Gould-hyperspeed :) :)

[Gibson29]

@ftcvilla As my personal repertoire is shifting away from the Baroque/Classical and more to the romantic, I have developed a deeper appreciation for the romantic repertoire, however my deep respect for Gould and his talents will never be compromised simply because of the style he plays. The man will always be remembered as a genius, as he should be.

[Broopster5]

@Hayden0117 Don't feel too bad - Gould was left handed.

[humpert]

@Hayden0117 i don't know you but i guess his left hand is way better than your right...no offense.

[dapa50]

Janjohandealglenman, the humming is indicative of how he immersed he gets when he is playing......  Passion for music can take the musician anywhere at anytime!! He becomes his music!!!!

[RaleighDawlishRaynar]

Glenn Gould. and Goldberg variation. No offence but it is balm to my soul. Music. Apt. Nice playing.

Doctor Kildare's theme has this as a source surely? No 20.

[philateliceun]

at 0:15 he just sits there as if he is just ordering his desk oO

[Haeronthegreat]

Gould's 21st variation is soul-destroyingly beautiful.

[utlibet]

If Bach could see this, he'd be proud.

[mvolkov11]

Tatergumfries, your screen name says it all, unless in the recondite sterility of

your hidden genius you're having a laugh on the rest of us, which I seriously doubt. If Gould is fake, how did you even make it out of the womb? God deliver us from dilettantes like you. Meanwhile, heat up some taters and gumfries, thus liberally greasing what little gray matter you still have left.

[silexent]

One of The Most prolific musicians in human history.

[TaterGumfries]

Fake.

[xbasket12x]

@TaterGumfries Lets see you play this better

[pacrijna]

I seriously wonder what the 3 people that said ''I don't like'' at this, were thinking....

This is genius at it's best.

[janjohandealgenman]

@pacrijna

prolly something like: "I CANT STAND THE FUCKING HUMMING IN THE BACKGROUND!"

But it doesn't bother me that much though

[MellowCypriot]

Inspiring to watch, beautiful to hear. And with his particular tastes, I don't know how he is able to concentrate with his shirt sleeves unbuttoned...they must be brushing on the top of his hands during the cross-overs!

[1972jewish]

lo bueno k tenia este hombre es: la musica contrapuntistica en especial requiere estar muy concentrado y el desde luego lo consigue con su balanceo, tararear. O tal vez eso sea consecuencia de su concentracion. Pero si tocaba siempre desde 1 asiento tan bajo acabaria jorobado

[sjy108]

Every time i hear this, i remember life's trials and triumphs. God speaks through this piece. Many concert pianists are hesistant to re-intepret Gould's version because it is almost sacred

[mrgeniusontv]

@sjy108 oh what utter nonsense this is!

[bolawarrior]

@mrgeniusontv

agreed, glenn gould is by far surpassed to someone as simple as god.

[ssdamouni]

it is kind of crazy how many people stop watching after each video.

[j4ns0n44]

gould was a perfectionist. why you think there is a cut between each variation? so he could choose the best one.

[sailing19100]

so clean, clear and crisp even at very fast tempo. and the excellence is carried out all the way through; no evidence of fatigue. really quite remarkable.

[tommyIglesias]

5:04

[semicroma]

harmonically bach seems to be ahead of his time in variation 21

[Irshkboy]

Variation 20 has to be the hardest of them all to play. Its insane

[Aul1kki]

This is not real! I can't believe that he can control his fingers so well...

[sailing19100]

@Aul1kki it is hard to believe that he did, but he did.

[rambeiro]

I love the way how he start at 0:50. So deeeeep.

[Borismusic7]

Did you heard anything, anywhere, anytime, something more beautiful...or excellent ??

[LinTzuYoung]

Good job.說得好！

[DesertAnnie]

Glenn Gould bestrides the Steinway like a Colossus and always amazes! This was about a year before he died, & he certainly seemed in fine form! His arthritis wasn't hindering him here, hmm?! Just watching him is almost like watching high-flying acrobats at a greart circus -- the action being performed by GG's "flying fingers" is just as breathtakingly amazing! I can never watch him without feeling total wonderment and awe! Bravo, Maestro GG, Bravo!!!

[ALGER685]

increiblemente esplendido.

[carmengloriao2]

21 mi favorita

[NihilNominis]

OK, I'll be original. At about 0:55, when he was switching to the next variation, did he not have the whole aspect of a kung-fu fighter lunging at the keys in a death-blow?

[dreampoets]

@NihilNominis i love your comment!

at 5:03 there is striking-like preparation..as if to get ready to inflict a next blow ; exact target for the execution... for most all pianists i loathe the emoting and pretentiousness at the piano,, but with Glenn he was real and had the artistic license to do it !

[xultradragonslayerx]

@NihilNominis AGREED

[reinehcreinehc]

@NihilNominis XD



[TonusAMaximus]

@NihilNominis It's called passion ;)

[neverafrown]

sick tuuuunnne!

[BentGordonsen]

dirty beat!....

[shackleton12]

I've been comparing the comments on Gould and Gangsta rap videos. The rap comments are generally along the lines of 'sick tuuuunnne', or 'dirty beat'. Gould comments are better written, but are equally generic, usually following several major themes.

Why are people posting on youtube so unimaginative? I would have thought, since we're all different people, there'd be an immense variety of reactions to any piece.

[nsxxs]

The majority of musicians are audiences and they clap when they are supposed to.

Hopefully they enjoy it too :)

[shackleton12]

That seems a bit insincere, if they're only clapping to fulfill some unwritten rule of social behavior. I'd like it if people were a little more polite at rap gigs, and a little less polite at recitals.

[fragglet]

Seriously? You were expecting something insightful from Youtube comments?

Google for "xkcd 202"

[shackleton12]

Read it. Wasn't really expecting insight, just a bit more variation. We're all different people, it's uncanny to find that we're all to unimaginative to come up with anything unusual, and that our comments on any video are roughly equivalent.

[robolyleon]

Glen Gould was BORN to play Bach-it really is as simple as that

[AprilReign]

I agree.... a friend once asked me, "doesn't his nasal and humming sounds bother you?" and all that Asberger stuff and i said, "No, because he plays it better than anybody else." I have listed to other productions and something about Gould - if you close your eyes, it feels like it's actually physically transporting you - I don't get that sensation from other performances.

[Kalen1457]

Wow that looks pretty difficult to execute!

[whatthecello42]

this should have more views

[sevlev]

Excellent as always.