Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0696998775923
Format: Limited Edition
Label: Sony
Manufacturer: Sony
MPN: 87759
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: 2002-09-03
Studio: Sony

Customer Rating:
Summary: Gould - Master interpretation of Bach
Comment: Gould playing Bach? Need I say more? Beautiful and sublime.....Love these interpretations. Wondering why Glenn's own written liner notes were not posted on this CD. He normally included this, unless this was not an official release at the time. I am sure someone can comment on this.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: The Ulimate
Comment: This Art of Fugue is simply the best there is--Gould was born to play Bach and after having heard many different versions, nothing comes close to his performances in my opinion. Clear, compelling, natural, lyrical and musical. The combination of Gould on the organ playing Art of Fugue makes this a force of nature in all it's varieties--beautiful, powerful, delicate, searching.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Amazing, terrible, profound...
Comment: Gould's final performances of the Art of the Fugue - particularly the final, unfinished Contrapunctus XIV - are absolutely stunning. They are probably as close to divine as music can aspire.

His earlier attempt to master Bach's monumental work is on organ and it is a shocker - the first 10 tracks of this cd are worthy as a curio or for the perverse.

But the last half of the album redeems the organ catastrophe and then some. Listen to the last fugue and realise that even with Gould singing, even unfinished, it is truly awesome.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Genius at work
Comment: It was not until recently thay I new of Glenn Gould I am sorry to say.I saw his trip to Russia and what the Russians thought of him.I have never heard anyone play like him!Every month I add something more to my collection!Since I am retired I spend a great deal of time in my workshop and listen to Glenn all day as I work.It seems like the notes from his playing just fill the room.His work is not boring by any means!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Gould's Most Errant Interpretation
Comment: Mr. Khekoyan, who reviews this disk below, is quite correct that it is errant in tempi and in percussive interpretation. I'm not in agreement with him about Glenn Gould's stature as the foremost interpreter of Bach of the century. I'd suggest listening to the performance of Menno van Delft, which is included in the Bach Edition complete works produced by Brilliant Classics. There are any number of people who might nominate Gustav Leonhardt, Trevor Pinnock, or Bob van Asperen as more insightful interpreters of Bach than Glenn Gould. Don't let Gould's curious cult status mislead you; his performances are more quirky than competent.
Or, if you are attracted to the Art of Fugue rather than the Artist, you might listen to the performance of the Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet, also available on CD. Though there is no historical justification for playing Bach's harpsichord music on recorders, the LSQ makes fine and insightful music on their wooden flutes, large and small. At times they sound more organistic than Mr. Gould on his modern behemoth.

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