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This disc is somewhat of an anomaly. It contains one of the most diverse selections of Glenn Gould's recordings. While it is nominally a Bach album, the wide range of composers makes it more of a compilation. As a set of pieces from Columbia's "ice-box", this album has no macro-structure; it is just a collection of uncollected pieces. Yet, in spite of that, it is perhaps one of the best introductions to Glenn Gould.

Gould begins with three Bach works after Italian composers. Giving them his own unique sound, he brings these little-known works into the spotlight. He follows with three sonatas by Scarlatti, which he again marks with his imprimatur. A sonata by C.P.E. Bach follows, then back to "old" Bach.

The heart of this disc is the 1959 recording of Bach's Italian Concerto in F major. Gould made it clear that he hated this piece, it was a work that he only agreed to play because he planned to record all of Bach's keyboard works. Alas, if only Gould had hated more music … His is the most passionate, most ingenious recording of this work for piano. He dives into it head-first, with his customary energy and effervescence, casting trills and arpeggios to the wind with alacrity. He plays the andante with the subtlest nuances of intensity, deconstructing the movement into its barest essentials. Then it's back to good old lightning-fast Glenn Gould, for an unforgettable roller-coaster ride through the presto.

There is a CBC documentary filmed as he recorded this work. It shows a Glenn Gould in his early years, wearing his youth on his sleeve, and the energy that courses through him as he records the Italian Concerto is memorable. Yes, and this was a piece he hated.

Perhaps one of the best introductions to Glenn Gould, this hodgepodge of works includes one of his finest Bach recordings, the Italian Concerto.

Kirk McElhearn

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