Glenn Gould Goldberg Variations 1955 & 1981: Var 4

The fifth part of my series comparing Gould's 1955 and 1981 recordings of the Goldberg Variations. These are the two recordings of the fourth variation.

Variation 5 is up here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mIBnehJfzA

Category:

Music

Tags:

• baroque
• classical
• bach
• glenn
• gould
• goldberg
• variations

[Kurtyoungblood]

I love these, I'm watching them all in a row.

[day7pettersens]

@BachScholar - I couldn't disagree more. This variation has lots of chords and they form voices which weave in and out from each other. I'm not sure how you can hear them if you play the whole thing light, nor could you get neat contrast between this variation and the ones surrounding it. It has lots of nice textures that make the piano sound harpsichord-like as well which is interesting. When you play it sounds choppy and I don't hear the voices and it sounds boring and lifeless.

[JupiterIV]

@WuHoo21 I've pretty much got the Courante (Var. I) knocked by ear alone.

[WuHoo21]

i love variation 4! it's really pretty at the beginning! i'm learning to play a few of the 30 variations

[BachScholar]

Poly: Thanks for doing these comparisons. It's a very interesting experiment.

I think both versions are too heavy and not light enough to evoke the passepied spirit. The tempos are good though.