Glenn Gould - Beethoven: Sonatas Nos. 30-32 - Speakers Corner LP

180-Gram Vinyl, Mono, Speakers Corner Audiophile Reissue

Myths abound when it comes to the late works of the great composers, and a performer is usually expected to treat them with due reverence and an exceptional command of the instrument. Not so with Glenn Gould, who at the tender age of 23 — shortly after his celebrated Columbia debut of Bach's Goldberg Variations — dared to record Beethoven's last three piano sonatas. Analytical yet supremely flowing, Gould carves out the tightly-knit contrapuntal structure of the fast movements while the slow movements waft gently, free of contemplative sentiment. Here, in the hands of this young maestro, Beethoven's spirit is compelling and intoxicating.

Features

• 180-gram vinyl
• Mono; recorded June 1956 at Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York
• Label: Speakers Corner (originally Columbia ML 5130)

Track Listing

Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109:

1. I. Vivace, ma non troppo, sempre legato
2. II. Prestissimo
3. III. Andante molto cantabile ed espressivo; Variations I-VI

Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, Op. 110:

1. I. Moderato cantabile molto espressivo
2. II. Allegro molto
3. III. Adagio ma non troppo; Arioso dolente
4. IV. Fuga: Allegro ma non troppo

Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, Op. 111:

1. I. Maestoso; Allegro con brio ed appassionato
2. II. Arietta: Adagio molto semplice e cantabile