Glenn Gould - 1955 CBC Broadcast: Sinfonias (3-part inventions) by J. S. Bach

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Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) - Sinfonias (3-part inventions)

No. 1 in C Major - 0:00
No. 2 in c minor - 0:44
No. 5 in Eb Major - 2:45
No. 14 in Bb Major - 5:03
No. 11 in g minor - 6:01
No. 10 in G major - 7:58
No. 15 in b minor - 8:45
No. 7 in e minor - 10:04
No. 6 in E major - 11:38
No. 12 in A major - 12:35
No. 13 in a minor - 13:38
No. 3 in D major - 15:36
No. 4 in d minor - 16:38
No. 8 in F major - 19:46
No. 9 in f minor - 20:39

Glenn Gould, piano
CBC Broadcast - March 15, 1955

1955 was a milestone year for Glenn Gould and the music world with the release of his first recording of the "Goldberg Variations" on Columbia Records. While new to the international stage, Gould was already well-known to Canadians through his concert tours, CBC radio and television broadcasts. This broadcast from March 1955 pre-dates the "Goldberg" recording, but already details the hallmarks of Gould's sensational approach to the keyboard works of J. S. Bach, including the spell-binding control over the counterpoint and voicing.

Although Gould had already developed a love affair with microphone, these early CBC broadcasts were conceived more in the spirit of a concert performance. Notably, in addition to the raw beauty of his tone, is the re-ordering of the Sinfonias, one that not only addresses an analytical approach to the harmonic scheme but also a striking poetic narrative, almost 19th century in its conception.

While Gould's playing certainly speaks for itself, it is indeed illuminating to remark upon the introduction to the Inventions and Sinfonias from the master himself. J. S. Bach writes:

Forthright instruction, wherewith lovers of the clavier, especially those desirous of learning, are shown in a clear way not only 1) to learn to play two voices clearly, but also after further progress 2) to deal correctly and well with three obbligato parts, moreover at the same time to obtain not only good ideas, but also to carry them out well, but most of all to achieve a CANTABILE style of playing, and thereby to acquire a strong foretaste of composition.

The manner in which Bach frames these masterpieces in his own words is testament to his humility and pragmatic approach to composition. While these miniatures were originally intended for the master's students, by no means should this fact bias an understanding of their intrinsic musical value. The magic of Gould's interpretation reveals the elegant genius of these works, and the depth in which they probe the human condition. - JK