Glenn Gould Original Jacket Collection

Glenn Gould Original Jacket Collection ★★★★★
This is a budget offering of the complete studio recordings of Glenn Gould, offering in their original “jackets”, though reduced, of course, to represent the smaller size of the CD as compared to the original vinyl recordings. For 80 CDs, the price from Amazon.com was a true bargain. Glenn Gould tends towards idiosyncratic interpretations, often with an included vocalization of his own making. This has tended some reviewers, such as the British Penguin CD book authors, to regard Gould with disdain, and subsequent editions have mostly left Gould unmentioned. This is not appropriate, as Gould has a sense of character and liveliness that oftentimes breathes new life into a piece, whether it be by Bach, Beethoven, Scriabin, Schönberg, or Byrd, to name a few. It is a grave error to denigrate Gould to second-class status. I would not consider him to be one of the greatest Bach interpreters of all time, but would certainly rank him among the great musicians of the twentieth century, whose interpretations must be considered in discussing keyboard interpretations of classical composers. I am not a purist that demands that Bach be played on original instruments. I really don’t care to know what orchestras sounded like in 1748. Bach, Beethoven, and all classical/contemporary works of the Gould repertoire deserve the best instruments that are available. Since Bach was never specific about what type of keyboard, and often what type of instrument he expected his music to play with, I really don’t think that he would object to harpsichord works being played on the vastly improved sonorities of the modern piano. Any classical music lover with an affection toward Gould would not go wrong purchasing this set.