# Glenn Gould's complete Bach recordings availability



## vincentfernandes (Jan 8, 2013)

Has anyone ever released Gould's complete Bach recordings? I recently came across a 30-CD box set, but they kept going on about how it was Gould's complete recordings for Columbia Records, as if I care about the label, and for some reason it also had a Beethoven thing on it.

If this doesn't exist, is there a good resource that lists all his Bach recordings?


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

vincentfernandes said:


> Has anyone ever released Gould's complete Bach recordings? I recently came across a 30-CD box set, but they kept going on about how it was Gould's complete recordings for Columbia Records, as if I care about the label, and for some reason it also had a Beethoven thing on it.
> 
> If this doesn't exist, is there a good resource that lists all his Bach recordings?


Sony released a set of his Bach recordings


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

vincentfernandes said:


> Has anyone ever released Gould's complete Bach recordings? I recently came across a 30-CD box set, but they kept going on about how it was Gould's complete recordings for Columbia Records, as if I care about the label, and for some reason it also had a Beethoven thing on it.
> 
> If this doesn't exist, is there a good resource that lists all his Bach recordings?


Glenn's discography is kind a mess depending on what you are looking for. Glenn recorded for Columbia (now owned by Sony) but there are some live albums and things released after the fact. There were also things recorded in Canada by CBC.

The first box Bach Box Sony Released had the CBC stuff and now sells for like $350.








The new Bach Box doesn't have the CBC DVD's but it has pretty much everything else.

I have the original Blue Box as well as the giant Glenn Gould Complete Columbia Recordings box that sells for close to $1000 now and I still had to by some things separately. But if you aren't necessarily looking for rare live things, then the new Bach Box would be the one you want to get.


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## vincentfernandes (Jan 8, 2013)

Thank you! I'll look into it.


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

The latest "complete" Columbia/Sony Gould box set was remastered in 2015 using state-of-the-art Direct Stream Digital (DSD) transfers and 24 bit/96 kHz mastering technology in a 81 CD limited edition box set: https://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Gould-...red+glenn+gould&qid=1602260204&s=music&sr=1-1, and the new DSD Bach remasters recordings in this set were additionally released in a separate Gould/Bach box set in 2020: https://www.amazon.com/Bach-Box-Gle...ocphy=9003302&hvtargid=pla-923720123195&psc=1. Here, the 1981 Goldbergs were remastered for the first time from newly discovered tapes. I don't know if the DSD remasters sound better than the more comprehensive 2012 "blue" box set, but that is definitely something to consider, as they may offer improved sound. At the very least, it is likely that his '81 Goldbergs do sound better:

Here is a review of the "complete" Columbia/Sony Gould DSD remastered box set, from which the DSD Bach set mentioned above is drawn: https://rhystranter.com/2015/07/28/glenn-gould-remastered-complete-album-collection/

In addition, here's a review of the 2012 "blue" Bach set, if you don't care about the newer DSD remasters: http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2012/Oct12/Gould_Bach_88691961142.htm, and a link to the set on Amazon, which as realdealblues has pointed out is selling for about $350: https://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Gould-Complete-Bach-Collection/dp/B0086WQNZ0.

(I own the former 80 CD complete "Original Jacket" Gould box set, which precedes both the 2012 and 2015 sets, and I've been happy with the sound quality (for reference, it cost me about a $175 dollars when it came out): https://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Gould-...t+glen n+gould&qid=1602260892&s=music&sr=1-5 ; however, as stated, I've not heard the newer 2015 DSD remasters.)

If you are set on becoming a completist here, know that there are lots of odds and ends, including recordings for the CDC, DVDs, a Zenph re-performance, interviews, & live recordings, etc., as Realdealblues has pointed out. But, for example, do you really need all the rejected outtakes from Gould's Goldberg sessions that Sony has released? I don't, and I think Gould would have been furious to see Sony release them. It goes against his whole philosophy about how to use a recording studio to reach exactly the performance that he wished to release to the public (by discarding rejected outtakes):

https://www.npr.org/sections/decept...r-new-box-set-of-goldberg-variations-outtakes

In addition, I don't know if the "Zenph" re-performance recording of Gould's 1955 Goldberg Variations is included in the above box sets, but personally, I wouldn't want to be without it: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002PFA79C/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp. Nor would I want to be without his 1950s live Salzburg and Moscow Bach performances: https://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Gould-...variations+live&qid=1602261612&s=music&sr=1-2. So, you might check to make sure that those CDs are in whichever box set you may end up purchasing.

The Tim Page radio interviews with Gould are also worth hearing, as are the film interviews with Bruno Monsaingeon (now on DVD): which are all on You Tube, by the way (along with much else Gould related): 




Here is a complete discography of Gould's Bach, including every single CD and LP release on all labels, plus all the various reissues (so bear in mind that there's a lot of doubling, tripling, etc., on this list): http://www.pianistdiscography.com/d...Display.php?mediaType=0&PIANIST=20&comRich=19.

Here too is a Gould Bach discography organized per each work, which will likely prove easier to use, but you'll need to click on each individual work to find out about all the non-Columbia/Sony Bach recordings, as everything is listed according to labels): http://pianistdiscography.com/discography/pianistComposer.php?comRich=19&mediaType=0&PIANIST=20.

Hope that helps, and sorry for repeating some of what realdealblues has already mentioned.


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## vincentfernandes (Jan 8, 2013)

It does, thank you so much!


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