Bach: The Toccatas, BWV 910-916 (complete) (2012) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44.1kHz]

There is an often-repeated adage that piano recordings of the Bach's Toccatas, like those of the Goldberg Variations, fall into two categories: Glenn Gould and not Glenn Gould. These recordings embody the elements of Gould’s Bach without necessarily falling under the shadow of his larger-than-life musical persona. The performance style favours smooth legato, reserved ornamentation and an even balance between the hands. He is rarely tempted to emphasise fugal subjects or thematically significant bass lines. His touch is delicate rather than muscular; everything is confident and decisive but nothing is emphatic or overstated. Gould at his finest!

Gould’s extraordinary gifts with Bach’s great keyboard masterpieces have became almost the core of the repertoire, and his recording of the Toccatas is no exception.

The recorded sound, especially in the fully remastered 24-bit digital recording from the original master tapes, is superb, bringing out the crisp, x-ray detail of the keyboard that became Gould's ultimate trademark.

01. Toccata in D Major, BWV 912
02. Toccata in F-Sharp Minor, BWV 910
03. Toccata in D Minor, BWV 913
04. Toccata in C Minor, BWV 911
05. Toccata in G Minor, BWV 915
06. Toccata in G Major, BWV 96
07. Toccata in E Minor, BWV 914
Recorded 1976-1979 at Eaton's Auditorium, Toronto, Canada, and 30th Street Studio, New York City