While
Glenn Gould's 1955 debut recording of
Bach's Goldberg Variations has attained legendary status, there are many devoted fans who rank the 1981 recording just as highly, even though it offers a dramatically different interpretation.
Gould's tempos are slower and more measured here, and the observance of some repeats also differs. The 1981 performance is reflective and carefully considered, in contrast with the technical brilliance and impulsive energy of the first.
Gould's background humming is common to both Goldbergs, and even though the technology existed to remove it,
Gould kept it in, for fear of losing the piano's full sound. This eccentricity may be off-putting, but there are so many fine points in
Gould's playing that it must be overlooked to appreciate the true value of his playing and his understanding of
Bach, which is original by any standard.