I don't think we've had a thread on this one yet, have we?

Anyway, I'm currently listening to Glenn Gould playing Bach's Goldenberg variations on YouTube.
I suppose that they are more or less to classical music what Kind of blue is to jazz - a product that's both high in quality and quite easily accessible for the untrained listener.

I must say that I'm really enjoying this and that I will more than likely go out to but this music.
On the videos I'm watching he seems to be playing the whole thing by heart too. Quite remarkable.

I expect the variations are most likely written-out improvisations, so even if Gould had to make up of it, that would still be authentic. It was never clear to me whether Goldberg's boss requested the music to put him to sleep, or to entertain him when he couldn't sleep. It could serve either purpose--if you can't sleep it's worth staying awake for, and if you fall asleep, you're cured of insomnia and you can always listen to the whole thing some other time.

I used to have a harpsichord rendition, but I can't find it. I have Alexis Weissenberg's recording (on piano), but I think I heard part of Gould's a long time ago on the radio.

The best (and to some people the worst) thing about Gould is how you can hear him moaning and grimacing as he plays. A very intense and strange fellow.

He said he that he considered that vocalizing embarrassing and inexcusable, but that he couldn't play any other way.

It might have just been his spontaneous reaction to the music as a kid, and it turned into a habit he couldn't break.