Glenn Gould - The Complete 1981 Goldberg Sessions

Forty years ago, on September 2, 1982 - the year of Michael Jackson's Thriller and Steven Spielberg's E.T. - Glenn Gould's legendary second recording of the Goldberg Variations closed a circle that his revolutionary 1955 recording of Bach's masterpiece had opened. Just five weeks later, the Canadian pianist died unexpectedly, leaving the world a masterpiece that - awarded two GRAMMY®s - is still one of the most listened-to classical albums worldwide.

In addition to the original album, this edition includes for the first time Gould's complete recording sessions, carefully transferred from the original ¼-inch analog tapes and mastered at 24 bit / 96 kHz. The listener is thus offered fascinating insights into the working methods of one of the greatest musical personalities of the twentieth century. The 216-page book includes co-producer Richard Einhorn's recollections of the days at Columbia's 30th Street Studio, a detailed introduction to the project, the complete transcript of all studio conversations, sheet music illustrations, photographs, and facsimiles.

Gould's sessions were also the very last to take place at Columbia's legendary 30th Street Studio in New York. The place where so many famous recordings were made by artists like Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra and Leonard Bernstein.

Fascinating for all fans of this unique artist, this edition documents and preserves a groundbreaking recording, serves as a source for further research and offers a fascinating insight into the working methods of one of the greatest musical figures of the 20th century.