Here is a video of Glenn Gould preparing for his legendary 1981 recording of J. S. Bach Goldberg Variations.
Glenn Gould: Bach Goldberg Variations 1981 Studio Video (complete)The recording was made at Columbia's famous 30th Street Studio, NY City, April 22-25 & May 15, 19 & 29, 1981.
I don't see any mics and I don't hear much room echo, singing, or chair squeaks so it may be one of those piano mics laid close to the strings.
Note the front of the piano is removed so he can hear better without cans. Note his old folding chair instead of piano bench. It is rickety and noisy and has no cushion. He carried this with him and used it on all performances and recordings.
The youtube video is delayed by about 1 second from the audio. A DVD is available:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Goldberg-Variations-Glenn-Gould/dp/B000050IL0 but the DVD might also be delayed as this is a common flaw in music videos produced by non-musicians. There are a lot of interesting information in the customer review section of this DVD on Amazon.
This video is not the actual performance that went to the CD, despite the youtube notes stating so. This version is 47 minutes long and has some slight differences in interpretation from the 51 minute version that went to CD. He was on tons of "meds" which changed his mood from one hour to the next. As good as this performance is, the published version is utterly transcendental, Gould's greatest work, imo. He died a year and half after this project.
The recording was one of the first commercial digital recordings, using Sony's 2 track, 14 bit digital 1/4" stationary head reel to reel recorder PCM-3202. It was meticulously edited to perfection by Glenn, who still had complete artistic control of his recordings. I never was bothered by the sound quality of the original digital recording and I listen to it very often. But some people objected to the SQ of the early digital version. The session was also recorded to analog tape, which was later recorded to DSD where the original edits were reproduced to match the original CD version and then the DSD was mastered as 20 bit PCM for release to CD in 2002 as part of a special Gould's Goldbergs comparison set called "A State of Wonder".
http://www.amazon.com/State-Wonder-Complete-Goldberg-Variations/dp/B00006FI7C with outtakes and booklet, 1955 version, etc. The remastered ADD version of 1981 Goldberg is available alone on CD as
http://www.amazon.com/Plays-Bach-Goldberg-Variations-Bwv/dp/B0085MK2M6 Beware the 1999 Goldberg SACD version which is not made from analog masters as they were only discovered in 2001.
The published recording won the 1982 Grammy Award for Best Classical Album, and another 1982 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Solo Performance. It won 1983 Juno Award in Canada for Best Classical Album of the Year. Gould posthumously won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.
Goldberg Variations score, and more info about the composition.
http://www.opengoldbergvariations.org/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bach:_The_Goldberg_Variations_(Glenn_Gould_recording)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_GouldTake a dose of vitamin G once a day for a month, see how you feel!
