When listening to Glenn Gould’s two recordings of the Goldberg variations it is impossible not to be dumbfounded by the precision and passion with which both pieces are played. However both recordings offer almost a completely new interpretation of the challenging work. One of the main differences that one could recognize is the duration, Gould’s 1955 recording is 38 minutes 34 seconds long, while his reconsidered, slower 1981 version is 51:18 , over ten minutes longer. The extreme tempi that Gould chose for his first recording was reflective of his interpretation of how music should be played at that time in his life. Gould believed that lingering unnecessarily between passages or movements distracted from the unity of the piece. I believe that Gould being a young and upcoming pianist wanted to shock and surprise his listeners with his debut recording, the precision and speed at which he could execute dynamics and clarity perfectly was astounding to all listeners. This showmanship is something Gould moved away from as he matured, eventually quitting live performance nearly 20 years before his death. Along with this change in character came a change in musical style. Gould’s second recording of the Goldberg Variations just a year before his untimely death, is played at a much slower tempo allowing much more space in between phrases and movements. From the first three notes played by his left hand it is very evident that he is playing with a much more introspective style. In Gould’s first recording one of the fast sections with overlapping left hand is found at the 4:50 mark of the recording, in contrast this section isn’t found until the 7:20 mark of the 1981 version. Gould allows his own interpretation  and emotion to fill in the space of the slower tempi creating a more pensive and thoughtful atmosphere. It seems as though he is listening to himself play in real time and reacting to the music, discovering the balance and relationship between movements, dynamics, tempo, tonality and texture. In contrast his first recording which seems to be more rigid, following a preconceived idea of what the piece should sound like. While both recordings are of the same piece, they provide a very different listening experience. To me this shows how Gould’s feelings towards music changed throughout his life. Many people found Gould to be very eccentric and often hard to understand, however his music allows us a sneak peak into the mind of his musical and personal evolution still to this day.
“I can no longer recognize the person who did that. To me today that piece has intensity without any sort of false glamour. Not a pianistic or instrumental intensity, a spiritual intensity”- Glenn Gould in an interview about his first recording of the Goldberg Variations.
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