Glenn Gould Remastered - The Complet E Columbia Album Collection

Contents of the collection follow this review.There is no question that the revival of interest in Bach's music over the past 60 years is due in no small measure to the success of Gould's recordings of his music. If nothing else, it proved that the music composed by the Cantor of the Thomasschule at the Thomaskirche in Leipzig was commercially viable, which is a judgement that eluded the great man's music in his own day. Although the historically informed performances/authentic instruments revolution in Baroque music interpretation has changed the way Bach's music is played and heard - with the harpsichord preferred for an "authentic" Bach keyboard performance - the fascination with Gould's unique recorded interpretations on a modern, albeit altered, piano continues.One small nod to "authenticity" was Gould's modification of the piano that he used for Bach performances so that it produced a shallower, rather treble focused sound that suggested the characteristic clatter of a harpsichord. In Gould's own words: "I fixed the action in some of the instruments I play on—and the piano I use for all recordings is now so fixed—so that it is a shallower and more responsive action than the standard. It tends to have a mechanism which is rather like an automobile without power steering: you are in control and not it; it doesn't drive you, you drive it. This is the secret of doing Bach on the piano at all. You must have that immediacy of response, that control over fine definitions of things." Given Gould's tendency of playing Bach's presto markings at supersonic speed, only his altered piano could avoid a blur of sound. His piano's crispness was another method of heightening his articulation of Bach's complex fugue structures. Gould discovered something resembling a natural sounding Bach performance method played on a modern piano, a far more commercially acceptable instrument during that era. His landmark 1955 recording of the Goldberg Variations was something of a revelation at the time.All of the great Bach recordings are included in this box set: the two versions of the Goldberg Variations, the Partitas, the French and English Suites, the various Preludes and Fugues. The Keyboard Concertos seem not to have aged well: most of them recorded in indifferent mono with rather sluggish, outdated performances that serve to emphasize the sea-change in Baroque performance practice over the past 60 years. Their shortcomings, however, serve to highlight how remarkably well Gould's solo performances of Bach have aged. His vision of this music is sui generis. When it collides with other performers it seems to wither a bit because of the passage of time.Gould's Beethoven performances have always delighted me. They are energetic, forceful, focused and exciting. His recordings of several of the sonatas are played through a Bach prism, with similar gem-like articulation and a delight in counterpoint that adds several layers of intellectual complexity to Beethoven's heroic sounding music. The late sonatas, although recorded early in Gould's career (1956), nevertheless feature that inner-directed mystery that makes them such a challenge to play. The piano concertos are much more public Beethoven, with the concertos nos.3 and 4 with Bernstein and the "Emperor" with Leopold Stokowski (1966) especially noteworthy. Gould's recordings of Haydn piano sonatas are adventurous for the era and hold-up nicely. Hindemith is another composer that Gould plays beautifully, perhaps because of Hindemith's obvious affinity for Bach.Mozart is a composer for whom Gould seems to have had very little patience. His recordings of Mozart sonatas can at best be described as extremely fast bordering on curt, with their blazing speed suggesting that he preferred them out-of-the-way quickly. Gould matured during the era in which Mozart was still considered a small, be-wigged, Rococo music box and he seems never to have outgrown that early, parochial viewpoint. Gould plays Schoenberg and Scriabin with skill and affection and with much better understanding. Every composer played by Gould in this collection receives something of his unique viewpoint. Uniqueness is one quality that Gould possessed in great abundance and it is a quality that insures that there continues to be a persistently high level of interest in his recordings.Sony has sonically improved the Gould catalog using DSD transfers and 24 bit/96 kHz.re-masterings. The recordings sound quite a bit clearer, with superior spatial presence creating a much more natural soundstage for the piano. A direct A-B comparison between tracks from the 2007 Original Jacket Collection and this new Glenn Gould Remastered box set reveals superior presence, greater clarity and more sheer heft to the newly remastered recordings. Spatially, the newly remastered material effectively recreates the sound of a piano occupying a room in which the listener is perhaps 10 feet away. The piano is relatively closely miked but just a bit short of intimacy. The soundstage itself is more natural and the superior dynamic range of these recordings gives them a "punchier" sound that the older, more reticent versions mostly lacked. I own all of the previously mastered recordings and these are generally superior overall. The few recordings that show little or no improvement are the early orchestral ones that were recorded in monophonic sound. These still sound rather compressed and spatially distant to my ears. Gould's recorded piano, with improved spatial presence and more forceful sonic attributes, provides Bach's complex polyphony with superior clarity, making it easier to hear the composer's intricate counterpoint and improving listener enjoyment and musical understanding. This new re-mastering also seems to have obscured most of Gould's characteristic vocalizations during his recorded performances, which were something of a nuisance to many listeners.Each disc is housed in a reproduction of the original LP. The large (400 page) enclosed book is a nice celebration of Gould's life and pianism. The box itself is sturdy, albeit too large for single-handed manipulation. The overall sonic improvement of Gould's recordings is sufficiently great to merit at least an audition of this collection if you own previous versions. If you do not possess the previous incarnations of Gould's recordings, this collection is very easy to recommend. This box set contains a plethora of iconic recordings that merit a place in every collection.Contents of the collection:DISC 1: ML 5060 BACH: THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS (1955)DISC 2: ML 5130 BEETHOVEN: PIANO SONATAS NOS. 30–32DISC 3: ML 5211 BEETHOVEN: PIANO CONCERTO 2BACH: KEYBOARD CONCERTO 1 GOULDBERNSTEINDISC 4: ML 5186 BACH: PARTITAS NOS. 5 & 6DISC 5: ML 5274 HAYDN: PIANO SONATA HOB. XVI: 49MOZART: PIANO SONATA NO. 10DISC 6: MS 6017 BEETHOVEN: PIANO CONCERTO 1BACH: KEYBOARD CONCERTO 5 GOULDGOLSCHMANNDISC 7: ML 5336 BERG: SONATA NO. 1KRENEK: SONATA NO. 3SCHOENBERG: 3 PIANO PIECESDISC 8: MS 6096 BEETHOVEN: PIANO CONCERTO NO. 3 GLENN GOULDLEONARD BERNSTEINDISC 9: MS 6141 BACH: ITALIAN CONCERTOPARTITAS NOS. 1 & 2DISC 10: MS 6178 GOULD: STRING QUARTET OP. 1 THE SYMPHONIA QUARTETDISC 11: MS 6237 BRAHMS: 10 INTERMEZZI FOR PIANODISC 12: MS 6262 BEETHOVEN: PIANO CONCERTO NO. 4 GLENN GOULDLEONARD BERNSTEINDISC 13: MS 6338 BACH: THE ART OF FUGUE (FUGUES 1–9)DISC 14: MS 6339 MOZART: PIANO CONCERTO NO. 24SCHOENBERG: PIANO CONCERTODISC 15: MS 6341 R. STRAUSS: ENOCH ARDEN CLAUDE RAINSGLENN GOULDDISC 16: MS 6408 BACH: THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER I (PRELUDES & FUGUES 1– 8)DISC 17: MS 6498 BACH: PARTITAS NOS. 3 & 4TOCCATA BWV 914DISC 18: MS 6538 BACH: THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER I (PRELUDES & FUGUES 9–16)DISC 19: MS 6622 BACH: THE TWO- AND THREE-PART INVENTIONSDISC 20: MS 6686 BEETHOVEN: PIANO SONATAS NOS. 5–7DISC 21: MS 6776 BACH: THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER I (PRELUDES & FUGUES 17–24)DISC 22-23: M2S 736 THE MUSIC OF ARNOLD SCHOENBERG VOL. 4DISC 24: MS 6888 BEETHOVEN: PIANO CONCERTO NO. 5 “EMPEROR” GLENN GOULDLEOPOLD STOKOWSKIDISC 25-26: M2S 767 THE MUSIC OF ARNOLD SCHOENBERG VOL. 7DISC 27: MS 6945 BEETHOVEN: PIANO SONATAS NOS. 8–10DISC 28: MS 7001 BACH: KEYBOARD CONCERTOS NOS. 3, 5 & 7 GLENN GOULDVLADIMIR GOLSCHMANNDISC 29: 32 11 0046 CANADIAN MUSIC IN THE 20TH CENTURYDISC 30: MS 7097 MOZART: PIANO SONATAS NOS. 1–5DISC 31: MS 7099 BACH: THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER II (PRELUDES & FUGUES 1–8)DISC 32: MS 7096 BACH: THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS (1955, RE-CHANNELED FOR STEREO)DISC 33: MS 7095 BEETHOVEN/ LISZT: SYMPHONY NO. 5DISC 34: MS 7173 SCRIABIN: PIANO SONATA NO. 3PROKOFIEV: PIANO SONATA NO. 7DISC 35: MS 7274 MOZART: PIANOS SONATAS NOS. 6, 7 & 9DISC 36: MS 7294 BACH: KEYBOARD CONCERTOS NOS. 2 & 4 GLENN GOULDVLADIMIR GOLSCHMANNDISC 37: D3S 806 SCHUMANN: PIANO QUINTETPIANO QUARTET LEONARD BERNSTEINGLENN GOULDDISC 38: MS 7413 BEETHOVEN: PIANO SONATAS NOS. 8, 14 & 23DISC 39: MS 7409 BACH: THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER II (PRELUDES & FUGUES 9–16)DISC 40: M 30080 BEETHOVEN: VARIATIONS WoO 80, OP. 34 & OP. 35 “EROICA”DISC 41: M 30537 BACH: THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER II (PRELUDES & FUGUES 17–24)DISC 42: M 30825 A CONSORT OF MUSICKE BYE WILLIAM BYRDE AND ORLANDO GIBBONSDISC 43: M 31073 MOZART: PIANOS SONATAS NOS. 8, 10, 12 & 13DISC 44: S 31333 MUSIC FROM KURT VONNEGUT’S “SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE”DISC 45: M 31312 SCHOENBERG: COMPLETE SONGS FOR VOICE AND PIANO, VOL. 2DISC 46: M 31512 HANDEL: SUITES FOR HARPSICHORD HWV 426–429DISC 47: M 32040 GRIEG: PIANO SONATABIZET: NOCTURNE IN DVARIATIONS CHROMATIQUESDISC 48: M 32347 BACH: FRENCH SUITES NOS. 1– 4DISC 49: M 32348 MOZART: PIANO SONATAS NOS. 11, 15 & 16FANTASIA K 397DISC 50: M 32350 HINDEMITH: THE 3 PIANO SONATASDISC 51: M 32351 WAGNER/GOULD: PIANO TRANSCRIPTIONS OF ORCHESTRAL MUSICDISC 52: M 32349 BEETHOVEN: PIANO SONATAS NOS. 16–18DISC 53: M 32853 BACH: FRENCH SUITES NOS. 5 & 6OVERTURE IN THE FRENCH STYLEDISC 54: M 32934 BACH: THE 3 SONATAS FOR HARPSICHORD & VIOLA DA GAMBADISC 55: M 33265 BEETHOVEN: BAGATELLES OPP. 33 & 126DISC 56: M 33515 MOZART: PIANO SONATAS NOS. 14, 17 & 18FANTASIA K 475DISC 57-58: M2 33971 HINDEMITH: COMPLETE SONATAS FOR BRASS AND PIANODISC 59-60: M2 34226 BACH: THE 6 SONATAS FOR HARPSICHORD AND VIOLIN GLENN GOULDJAIME LAREDODISC 61-62: M2 34578 BACH: THE 6 ENGLISH SUITESDISC 63: M 34555 SIBELIUS: 3 SONATINAS OP. 67KYLLIKKIDISC 64-65: M2 34597 HINDEMITH: DAS MARIENLEBEN ROXOLANA ROSLAKGLENN GOULDDISC 66: M 35144 BACH: TOCCATAS VOL. I – BWV 910, 912 & 913DISC 67: M 35831 BACH: TOCCATAS VOL. II – BWV 911, 914 – 916DISC 68: M 35891 BACH: PRELUDES, FUGHETTAS & FUGUESDISC 69-70: M2 35911 BEETHOVEN: PIANO SONATAS NOS. 1–3 & 15DISC 71-72: M2X 35914 THE GLENN GOULD SILVER JUBILEE ALBUMDISC 73-74: I2M 36947 HAYDN: THE 6 LAST SONATASDISC 75: IM 37779 BACH: THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS (1981)DISC 76: IM 37800 BRAHMS: 4 BALLADES OP. 102 RHAPSODIES OP. 79DISC 77: IM 37831 BEETHOVEN: PIANO SONATAS NOS. 12 & 13DISC 78: IM 38659 R. STRAUSS: PIANO SONATA5 PIANO PIECESDISC 79: BS 15 GLENN GOULD: CONCERT DROPOUT – IN CONVERSATION WITH JOHN McCLUREDISC 80: M3X 38610 GLENN GOULD ON HIS PERFORMANCES OF THE “GOLDBERG VARIATIONS”DISC 81: 77 337 GLENN GOULD ON BACH (IN GERMAN), BEETHOVEN & SERKIN

Please compare CD 32, the remastered stereo version of the Goldberg Variations, with CD 1 - the mono version. I think the stereo version is far superior to the mono version. Apparently there was a piano problem (buzzing, ringing, Gould humming, etc) that they tried to EQ out on the mono version. They kind of killed the sound. The stereo version has much more presence, much more clarity in the high end, and more realistic piano sound in general. The stereo version is certainly worth exploring with an open mind..... This whole set is superbly transferred and is a treasure chest of musical experiences.

I'm going to keep this review short and sweet. I'm assuming you're already familiar with Gould, enchanted by his music, charmed by his personality, and you seek to own all of his albums. If that describes you, then you won't be disappointed with this box set.I'll begin by expressing my slight annoyance with the packaging. First, the box which contains the albums was designed way too large: not to house the CDs, but rather to house an oversized hardcover book (which I'll return to shortly). I don't understand why they created this giant shell: just keep the book separate from the albums. The final minor caveat is that when the CD sleeves are in the box, they must be placed in such a way so that the spine faces up in order to be able to see the album titles at a glance. So far so good. The annoying part is that the sleeve opening occurs opposite the spine, so that when you go to pull a CD, often you pull up an empty sleeve because the disc has fallen out. Despite the packaging flaws, I'm keeping 5 stars for the quality of the content.Each album was intended as an intimate mini concert in which Glenn performed the music that he loved most. And Sony has done a fine job of preserving the original feel of these albums. The CD sleeves are made of sturdy cardboard and showcase the original album art. Speaking of original album art, Sony has included an incredibly gorgeous over-sized hardcover book which adds a lot of value to this box set. The book includes original artwork plus original liner notes (many of which are said to be written by Gould himself). The pages are sturdy and glossy, with vivid color, and generally well done. This is an excellent companion to albums.Everything else has been said, so I'll not be redundant. Now go buy the set and enjoy many evenings with the Master! Glenn Gould Remastered: The Complete Columbia Album Collection

The attractive feature is that each CD is beautifully packed in the original LP sleeve, in strict chronological order, although the collection does not include all of Gould's CBS recordings. Some CD have reading defects on the encoding and the laser cannot read some sectors. It's a shame, but I can tell you it's minimal. Flawless book accompanies the box, with the original recording recording session blog. For a serious follower and admirer of the work of Gould, is a compulsory purchase.

This is an absolutely awesome set!So well done. From the super cool original album art on the stiff paper CD sleeves, to the original record labels on the CD's themselves, the way they are numbered and stored in the box-- not too tight, to the super interesting book.I cannot say anything bad about this set. Whoever put this together really knew what they were doing, and really loved Glenn Gould's music.The sound quality is fantastic on my high end audio system.I am so glad I got this.

Exceeded my expectations in terms of packaging. The book that comes along is really a wonderful companion to the CDs. I'll be listening to this for years before I can really give any kind of a review of the music itself. I will say I've loved every minute of the first five CDs

The sound quality is incredible and the extras that come along with the set include some really valuable pictures and info.

Wonderful music at good price. I am very satisfied with this purchase

Da ich seit Beginn der CD-Ära so gut wie jede CD des kanadischen Meisters erworben hatte, darunter auch Raritäten wie die 19 „Music & Arts“ Grauimporte und natürlich die große „Glenn Gould Edition“, die SONY nach Übernahme der CBS-Klassik Sparte herausbrachte, und die „Orignal Jacket Collection“ und die blaue „Complete Bach Collection“ und diverse Einzeltitel der alten CBS-Reihen, ist der Nutzen einer weiteren Gesamtedition für meine CD-Bibliothek naturgemäß äußerst fragwürdig.Natürlich enthält diese neue Box keinen Titel, den ich nicht mindestens schon 4 oder 5 mal besitze und bis vor wenigen Tagen war mir die Existenz diese Neuveröffentlichung von 2015 gar nicht bekannt. Vor allem nach Lektüre der hervorragend verfassten Rezension von Herrn Wagner und vergleichbar positiver Bewertungen im Netz von den Herren Stegemann und Czampai, entschloss ich mich, diese Box anzuschaffen.Meine ersten Höreindrücke bestätigten die doch recht enthusiastischen Einschätzungen über die bisher unerreichte Klangqualität dieser neuen Transfers. Gerade die älteren Bach-Aufnahmen scheinen wie von einem Schleier befreit zu sein. So gut klang Gould noch nie! Glücklicherweise ist niemand bei SONY auf die Idee gekommen das Mit-Singen und Summen des Meisters herauszufiltern. Diesen, meiner Meinung nach irrsinnigen Wunsch, konnte ich bei einem namhaften Rezensenten im Netz lesen.Das beiliegende Buch ist von beeindruckender Qualität - so etwas habe ich bei einer CD-Edititon noch nie gesehen. Allerdings ist der Text bis auf eine kanppe Einführung komplett in englische Sprache. Insgesamt ist diese Box die verbesserte Edel-Version der alten „Jacket Collection“, die man eigentlich verkaufen könnte (aber welcher Sammler tut dies schon).

Avevo parecchie incisioni di Gould (varie versioni e ristampe delle stesse composizioni anche)...ma questo cofanetto ha ...una marcia in più'! I cd riproducono le copertine originali e sono presentati in ordine cronologico di registrazione... le gloriose registrazioni di Gould!! Ma il volume che e' allegato e' meraviglioso....per foto...dettagli, note riguardante tutte le registrazioni pubblicate. Anche solo per il libro vale la spesa. Da avere assolutamente se amate il grande Glenn!

Devo dire che non ho mai acquistato un cofanetto così bello; stilisticamente ben fatto, album completi con copertine originali, incisioni perfette. Per completare il suo valore, un ottimo e ben fatto libro comprendente tutte le notizie su tutti gli album presentati che da solo vale tutto il prezzo dell’intero cofanetto. In generale mi sento di dire che questa presentazione soddisfa i cultori di Glenn Gould. E' stato fatto da parte della Sony veramente un pregiatissimo lavoro e mi sento veramente di consigliarne l’acquisto. Cinque stelle meritatissime !!!

Ho acquistato la chiavetta usb con le 78 incisioni di Glenn Gould. Che dire...Un gioiello, con tutte le singole incisioni in versione mp3 e in versione flac, con il libro in versione elettronica.Prezzo alto, ma è uno scotto da pagare per avere questo diamante musicale. Per chi ama Gould una occasione da non perdere. Mi dispiace solo di non avere il libro in versione cartacea. Per il resto è possibile navigare nel marasma delle incisioni con un menu ipertestuale e multimediale molto dettagliato e con molte registrazioni "off" non presenti nella versione in vinile e su cd.

So much has been written about Glenn Gould's playing that there's really no need for me to comment on it, here. Suffice it to say that if you're thinking of buying this box set, you know what you're in for. Even if you don't like all of his renditions, he plays them with such conviction that you certainly can't hate them.The actual box arrived without incident. There was a small dent in the top, but that doesn't matter. It's unusual for anything to arrive in Australia from overseas without some bend or crease.The included book has reprints of all the liner notes and an essay about Glenn Gould. Those notes written by Gould himself do tend to be slightly pretentious, if I'm honest. There are plenty of photographs of Gould working in the studio. I love this sort of thing, so for me it makes the extra weight and size of the book worth it.The transfers are really something. I've spent enough time making records to know a sloppy job when I hear one, and these remasters are anything but. Listening to a few discs in a row, you can hear the effort Gould went to in making his albums. He experimented with a lot of different mic setups and mixing techniques to get a really huge range of tones out of the old pianoforte. It's nice that this stuff is now audible. Even a layman would be able to hear the tone difference between albums. The standout, for me, is, as ever, the Emperor Concerto. My favourite rendering of my favourite Beethoven concerto in such improved sonic detail.I'd strongly recommend this box to any fan. Grab it before it goes out of print. You get 80-odd CDs for quite a reasonable price, so you can't fault it on the value. For the money, you'll get years of enjoyment.