Glenn Gould - Beethoven, 32 Variations on an Original Theme in C minor WoO 80 (OFFICIAL)

As part of the Humphrey Burton interviews, Glenn performs Beethoven's 32 Variations on an Original Theme.
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[@Timothy-c4p]

Glenn Gould conceives of himself as both the composer and performer of music. And that is where wonder and miracle of this man lies. Since he breathes life into everything he plays.

[@木の葉いちよう]

曲を、自分の一部にしている感じ。美しいの一言。ベートーヴェンの魂が乗り移ってる感じがする。 　お金とか、地位とか、名声とか、権威とか、生活とかいうことを、全く考えずに、ひたすら曲の世界に没入しているのがわかる。 　音楽だけを糧として生きてた人だと思う。

[@renoraider9817]

Glenn is so accomplished technically that that is never an issue for him. He is able to focus completely on the musicality of the composition.

[@ms6465]

This is the most lysergic, passionate and outstanding performance of this out-of-this-world piano work. I can't be more thankful for this.

[@militaryandemergencyservic3286]

what does lysergic mean?

[@andrewculwell707]

@@militaryandemergencyservic3286 Psychedelic!

[@marksmith3947]

It's so wild you could almost say it's lycanthropic

[@marijane8665]

I love the piano...I love Beethoven...I love Gould playing Beethoven❣️Just makes me happy!

[@nadejdazakirova9506]

Divine music and amasing performance!

[@JCTjia]

A masterclass of pure beauty.

[@voraciousreader3341]

And even purer technique!

[@corneliakapelinski]

Exploring all possibilities makes the notes vibrate. Mr. Gould brings Beethoven back to life in his explosiveness.

[@edojanich3985]

Formidabile !Tra le dita il pensiero umano !

[@corneliakapelinski]

@@edojanich3985 Ben detto, all notes surround us , nothing get lost

[@winglow7615]

Wow so good. Beethoven so clean and clear.

[@jimc1466]

Amazing

[@picnolepsia]

Only a true genius can perform another genius!

[@marinanovak364]

Fantastic and to the point! Couldn’t agree more !

[@aallpprr8998]

I don’t agree Beethoven music is universal everyone can play it. But i agree gould is a genius

[@shinshuklee5712]

@@aallpprr8998 yes, you are completely correct. Not all geniuses are good interpreters and all great interpreters are not geniuses. Sure, being a genius might give you a boost, but that applies for everything whether it's academics or sports.

[@ciararespect4296]

Gould is only a slow typist . Don't sully the great Beethoven name with this imposter

[@phoebelinden9602]

@@ciararespect4296 You are free to visit another artist's page. Any time. How about now? B'bye.

[@restouri]

Glenn Gould, the master of variations.

[@gildasanchez47]

Magnífica interpretación ! Gracias Glenn por lo que nos dejaste !

[@valerieheinderyckx4506]

Tres bon tempo. Un peu comme une passacaille. Magnifique Glen Gould.

[@begonaalvarez6843]

Gracias por siempre, Glenn Gould!!

[@nah6541]

Marvelous!

[@Memo-pg1fb]

Brilliant! Very outstanding performance 🎭

[@js1mom]

A genius playing the work of a genius...

[@gordonf238]

There are days when KZbin seems like a constant stream of complete junk material, and then there’s this. It makes you grateful to have a platform to share the genius of Gould and Bach with the world, for free.

[@JulieHoltzman]

Fascinating to hear this after BRENDEL 's very contrasting version . Both WONDROUS.

[@felixdragovetsky9224]

Serviporno

[@YsAbTones]

time has stopped during those 12min

[@stefaniasemeria3614]

Fantastico❤️

[@robertwilkscomposer3726]

The variation form - a form that can be inherently tedious and sectional - is turned into a work of supreme artistry and sustained expression by Beethoven's fertile imagination. He never ceases to amaze me.

[@alexiverne]

Наверное лучший исполнитель Бетховена.

[@ОлегШабинский-б8я]

Маэстро находится под лучом! Вот оно - озарение! ❤

[@renato45222]

Una lettura semplicemente magnifica, ciò che nessun altro è riuscito ad evidenziare di queste stupende Variazioni.

[@matheom.5400]

Neanche lo stesso Beethoven, visto che le disprezzava!

[@vittoriosianesi2220]

assolutamente d'accordo

[@fabriziocarpine9930]

Immenso. Punto.

[@antoniavignera2339]

Very good .

[@galinaprozorova7903]

Слушаю каждый день, Бетховен был-бы доволен таким исполнением. Гульд это загадка.

[@marksmith3947]

He's very physically vigorous in this performance. He looks completely entranced

[@asddfgfjhgjhu]

Гений!!!!!!

[@remotoadamotroppovelocelaf868]

Unico.

[@orestemaurizioregispani3524]

Eis o mítico glenn gould em heróica ação com BEETHOVEN...

[@arrascaetadora7560]

Y como te digo una cosa te digo la otra. Estoy escuchando y viendo el maravilloso carnaval, uruguayo. Ahora a Metele que son pasteles. De todo se nutre la vivir.

[@jonathanlechman]

Pearly May Elise: you found it!❤ Paco, your Husband Jon. Enjoy. I am working on this one up to 1st 4 variations!

[@jonathanlechman]

Gould. Pearly May Elise, please come home to me in Jesus Mighty Name Amen!

[@artygunnar]

Did this channel get hacked??????

[@sigma2781]

.....잉...?

[@jseo1]

Sigma ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅌㅌㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[@gojewla]

Interesting performance, but I am really surprised by the number of misreading.

[@neelsdp1]

"Authentic Sound" plays his world premier tomorrow, so I came here to listen to Glenn Gould to prepare myself to listen to the interpretation by Wim Winters. I'm not aware that I've heard this piece ever!

[@kaleidoscopio5]

So?

[@neelsdp1]

@@kaleidoscopio5 So I ended up listening to at least eight faster interpretations... fastest was 9:57, slowest was Glenn Gould at 12:27. I'll comment more later... it is later now. It is worth it to listen to Wim Winters now as well. His speed seems to be the speed indicated by Beethoven.

[@neelsdp1]

@@kaleidoscopio5 I listened to Glenn Gould and after him to four more pianists. Glenn took 12:27 minutes, the fastest interpretation was by Su Yeon Kim, 9:57 minutes. I'll not going to say which interpretation is best, but I'm willing to say I seem to prefer slower interpretations, yet I will listen to as many as I can find... so I can get to know this work from various interpretations.

[@bradleyscarffpiano2921]

Wim’s speeds are wrong. They are objectively and factually wrong. They are biased interpretations of sources that he uses to excuse his desire to play slowly

[@vktitov]

За что люблю вариации Бетховена, чувствуешь, что все клавиши под рукой!

[@jonathanlechman]

Pearly May Elise: we meet again .❤❤ theme and first 4 variations are for you. I've been working hard. Jon. The rest is for Jesus Christ. 😢😂❤😢 Lord Willing.

[@arrascaetadora7560]

Dijera mi hija mayor: Si me hubieras comprado un piano. Tipo de risa. Un piano ? Bueno.

[@lezzo4393]

What is that chair 😂

[@ryannahtannarome3258]

.

[@ronanstenfort3259]

La pire interprétation jamais entendue de ces superbes variations. Je les auraient découvert avec lui pas sur que je les aurais aimé. Avoir un nom permet de jouer n'importe quoi en sur-interprétant. Tout faux.

[@bachetal.4651]

Gould is, and will be, one the of the most extraordinary experiences I had in my life. And this specific recording is really transcendent. Pure magic.

[@PointyTailofSatan]

Back when The Chair still had some seat cushion left. lol

[@phoebelinden9602]

In this live performance the breaks between the Variations are imperceptible. It sounds like one piece. Whereas the breaks are quite noticeable in studio version. Not bad or good, just the way it is and another reason to watch and listen to Gould as much as possible. Variations on Variations.

[@ciararespect4296]

Load of rubbish too slow and ridiculous histrionics

[@ephemeraforever4580]

@@ciararespect4296 Is this the kind of person you really want to be? One who goes around leaving snarky negative messages for no reason?

[@JohannaCTjia]

What an incredible stylist he was. For me number one! Music pours out of him. Beautiful!

[@scobo7497]

he gets you to the climax at 10.28. Other renditions of this piece are narcissistic garbage in comparison.

[@MisterPathetique]

Calm down

[@nunziomeatballs]

@@MisterPathetique no

[@PMiss-gl8fy]

so fucking true my friend

[@bobjones-bt9bh]

damn...what a genius. plays a bunch of the fast passages slow and the slow ones fast...makes it an entirely distinct piece from nearly all the rest. This guy's left hand was better than anyone's is or has been since. Most of the time when you hear his reading you believe that must have been how it was scored

[@marimatsumoto372]

Does it have anything to do with him being left handed? No of course NOT. Silly me.

[@francobonanni3499]

A masterpiece in the hands of a master genius. This work is known as one of the most creative of Beethoven's works for piano. Gould shows his extraordinary technique that few pianist have. A giant that holds hands with another giant.

[@matthewwilson3305]

I've always wondered why it is not held in higher regard with Beethoven's other masterpieces

[@normangensler7380]

I believe that Gould had the technique above all other pianists of the century. Of course, my music prof. tried to claim he was only a great musicologist. I think alcohol had much to do with that unfortunate opinion.

[@marksmith3947]

​@@matthewwilson3305is it because fewer people perform it? I imagine that memorizing this piece could tax the abilities of many pianists, leaving aside the technical issues. I was told by a teacher that this piece is more difficult than the Hammerklavier

[@neilmedina6096]

Beautifully put sir. Thank you for loving Glenn Gould.

[@Starlite4321]

Mind numbing. Thank God Glenn Gould occurred at a time in history when audio (and even video) recording existed. Could whoever uploads these please include at least the most obvious, basic information like when and where it was recorded ?

[@darkone9572]

This and the Goldberg variations and a bourbon and a cigar and I'd be ready to go !!..........done .....

[@mk5244]

....at least three hands and numerous brains: GG. Mi piace moltissimo

[@galinaprozorova7903]

Лучше этого исполнения я никогда не слышала! Господь водит его руками.

[@zvezdinki7998]

Galina Prozorova да 👍 жаль не все вариации сыграл

[@ЕленаДементьева-е9п]

Рахманинов. Тоже, к сожалению не все вариации в записи.

[@erandolph84]

Menuhin once said to Gould "I wish Beethoven were alive to hear you today" I couldn't agree more. What a personal reflection that took this work to its pinnacle.

[@me9674]

Lolllll beethoven were alive to her Gould destroy his work and everything he sought after to undo everything that Beethoven had done, Glenn Gould is a joke to any real musician, and it's not Burger King have it your way, it's Beethovens way,....

[@RusskyVoyennyKorablIdiNakhui]

@@me9674 Well, I am real musician, and he is no joke to me.

[@mahanmotaghiraad1790]

too bad because Beethoven was deaf😂

[@jonathanlechman]

Menuhin ( sp?) Or Pearlman decisions, decisions Gould or Brendel? Decisions, decisions. Yehudi was right about Gould.😂❤

[@jonathanlechman]

At least Beethoven should have heard Gould part.

[@IanPatrickCompton]

Extraordinary........up there with the very very best of them..........mega gifted

[@alessiofagioli9235]

un assoluto genio che ha inventato la musica altra. Irripetibile anche per Beethoven.

[@sukiserjeant9110]

More I know his music more I am pulled into it . He is just magic !!!! Each note!!!!!

[@jpage99999]

As Brahms said, " In the beginning was rhythm", and how incredibly does my hero Glenn Gould tap into that rhythm. Nobody plays like this anymore. Thank goodness this was recorded.

You can say this once you know all the pianists of the world... which you probably don't. :)

[@jpage99999]

Dušan Holý - You obviously misunderstood my comment. His full on rhythmic dynamic and tenacity will never be replicated.

[@akakalis8684]

@@jpage99999 j

[@phoebelinden9602]

@@jpage99999 yes, Gould is one of a kind. Irreplaceable, inimitable and because of recordings like this, immortal.

[@jpage99999]

@Fredrik Larsson yup you know what I think you’re probably right. He was definitely on the spectrum…..

[@damongatewood795]

Just like Glenn Gould to render a performance full of imagination. He rescues this theme and variations from descending into the dungeons of an insipid finger exercise.

[@discerenecessa9062]

He is a pure athlete; sticking perfectly to the rhythm without ever neglecting even a single note! Unique rendition!

[@peperoman9755]

It seems that he's on drugs but he didn't need them, music was enough for him

[@pedroa.cantero9449]

La variación es tan propio a la creatividad como el fluir en la naturaleza, habitual en todas las artes y profuso en la creación musical de todos los tiempos. Juego, técnica, desafío y divertimento, la variación asienta saberes y alumbra imaginario. Nada extraño pues que Beethoven recurriera a ella con cierta frecuencia, a modo de andamiaje para articular conocimientos y superarlos. «Desde las primeras obras de Beethoven, la Variación se afirma como una de las formas más cercanas de su espíritu, de su naturaleza» (Boucourechliev 1963: 77).

[@HKLee-dn1fh]

I came here after listening Evgeny Kissin playing the same piece. Kissin’s performance: wow! Gould’s performance: ......... (I’m speechless in awe) One and only Glenn Gould

[@JCTjia]

Welcom to the club

[@evslol1153]

i personally prefer kissin's- i see what you mean about both being astounding! i do think gould sets himself away from others with the dynamic changes (😍), personally i feel that while the slow tempo means that all emotion can be milked from this, i prefer kissin's tempi for the variations.

[@JCTjia]

Evslol1 It is how incredible well Gould plays. Incomprehensible. Nobody can do that.

[@OuaghlaniAlaa]

Same

[@evslol1153]

@@JCTjia i think he plays in a different way, and i like the way he plays it- but i think kissin's is the best imo, we all have diffeeent opinions

[@ttrons2]

This is when the CBC was great.

[@santiagodeloscaballeros3743]

Absolument sublime! Merci beaucoup pour ce merveilleux partage!

[@fmoll2509]

Спасибо, Гленн Гульд, что я тебя узнала. Как я могла жить без тебя?

[@arrascaetadora7560]

I am love a Gleen. y ni que decir del más de todos.

[@michelrocker9044]

En général, (ce n'est qu'une vue personnelle,bien sûr),je n'apprécie pas particulièrement les interprétations par G.Gould de Beethoven; mais là,il y a une telle MAÎTRISE et une telle CLARTÉ, dans le domaine technique comme dans le domaine musical,qu'il me semble bien difficile de seulement imaginer mieux !

[@agedinthesun6689]

This guy is a freak of nature.

[@stellachibukhchian6932]

i don't believe anybody loves Piano more than Glenn

[@eppiehemsley6556]

Apart from Liberace

[@mercoid]

I don't think he loved Piano. I think he loved Music. I think he was grateful for his mother starting him on piano and his aptitude for piano playing. If the only instrument he had was a rusty kazoo, he'd play it as only Glenn Gould could, and we'd love it.

[@alhfgsp]

mercoid you are right. He even said something to the effect of, the piano is simply the best vessel I know to express the music.

[@eppiehemsley6556]

@@mercoid Damn right Mercky.

[@shinshuklee5712]

Im pretty sure that Glenn just liked classical music more than piano

[@JMillerBayRidge]

This is my favorite Beethoven work. It takes you on this journey through this dark void we call "life".. hearing it at the hands of Glenn, with his peculiarities, his introverted life, this is a recording I can put on repeat for hours

[@marcap1000]

Ja ! Der liebste, "weil er feurigen Geist, und gute Fahrt verheisset den Schiffern".......

[@ttrons2]

He was not the introvert you thought he was. Quite the ladies man. Besides his affair with Cornelia Foss he had a ridiculous amount of mail from women that wanted him. Fascinating man.

[@eppiehemsley6556]

@@ttrons2 He was a handsome bugger in his youth. Even Leonard Bernstein had the hots for him, but nothing materialised from that as Glen was no ginger. Purely a ladies man our Glen but Lennie swung both ways. Good old Lennie.

[@Eorzat]

@@ttrons2 You can be an introvert and still be a "ladies man." I swear people don't actually know what extroversion/introversion means...

[@Ren-pn6pk]

Well said.

[@gianlucaghilardi4374]

The god of the Piano 🎹

[@n.megumig644]

確かに　　はじめはびっくりしやが、とても良いですね。昔レコードでミケランジェリのを聴いてすごい！と思っていたが、それに匹敵するかもしれない。・・・ＣＤで探しても出てこないので今は残念、聴けない。　誰か出してほしいものです。

[@matthewwilson3305]

Such a crisp and unique performance. I've really been loving these videos

[@anthonytay523]

This is definitely not Beethoven, but everybody plays like Arrau or Giles, it will be very boring. Gould is a very individualistic pianist, he cares not what other people think. While everybody is playing very fast , he is playing rather slow. He open our vision that music can be expressed in such a new dimension. Well done , G Gould!

[@adriennebeecker5000]

GENIUS beyond words!

[@davetubervid]

I am coming round more and more to this point of view. Having just listened to Gould playing Mozart sonatas, they seem to be imbued with extraordinary spirit and depth, very different from the usual way of playing him. They are a real experience!

[@Pogouldangeliwitz]

@@davetubervid Finally someone like me who ACTUALLY LISTENED to Goulds Mozart instead of dismissing it with the usual clichés: too fast, he didn't like Mozart, was making fun of everybody, was merely fulfilling a contract with CBS by recording them, blah blah...

[@wolfgangklofat594]

This pianist should be more obliged to the score of the composer, his playing is simply too subjective. May be Arrau is "boring"(?), but Gilels surely not in his singular golden sound. The best record of this WoO 80 I do know is that of the young Peraiha.

[@bobjones-bt9bh]

@@wolfgangklofat594 if everyone does the same thing in the recording era, we do not need more pianists

[@voraciousreader3341]

I love watching Gould’s right hand beginning with the patterns at around 1:05….his fingers barely seem to touch the keys!! But the sound is amazing!

[@teecell-io2wh]

Pour enregistrer ce Maître alors qu'il écoutait son travail depuis son banc ; la seule manière dont je ferais, et pour lui, un honneur de me souvenir jusqu'à mon dernier souffle. Cecilia smiles with special favor...

[@gerardabitbol5680]

Un génie, tout simplement

[@benjaminravail5028]

And some dare to say he lacks in technique🤣

[@zofiaskokowska6816]

They don't know what they are talking about. Glenn can measure the time with movement. This music is beyond listening...I simply absorb it.

[@pabloscar7835]

Gracias Glen!!! Donde quiera que estés!!!

[@arlettehellemans2117]

Pas als je dit hoort, weet je wat "variaties" betekent

[@ronjohnson4328]

He was music touching itself.

[@williamogrady8216]

Relegated to Work-without-Opus. Yet, it teaches you probably all you need to know about music: Present a theme, vary it. In this case, through a piano virtuoso lens. Glenn takes some liberties. In Variation 4, I think my favorite of all of them, starting here at 1:27, Beethoven marks the melody, in the middle voice, staccato. Not Glenn. Still, I think Mister Gould taught me to love it. A worthy piece to take on, and nice results.

[@johnnewcomb8541]

Gould doesn't simply play the music, he becomes the music.

[@illia_dmytryk_style2221]

4:29 !!!!!!!! VIBRATTO!!! ON THE PIANO 😭😭😭😭 HOW!!!!!! 10:38.. 🫢God!

[@r.i.p.volodya]

A wonderful rendering with interesting tempo relationships between variations.

[@DanielSantos-oq2qh]

Glen Gould, how extraordinary!!!👌...a genius!!!

[@brayanangel8271]

The best, very good excelent!!!!!

[@Justme1635438]

Usually Glenn plays too fast and mechanically for my taste, but this is utter perfection!

[@voraciousreader3341]

“Too fast and mechanically”…..well, I don’t know how on Earth anybody could say that about _Gould,_ who was absolutely passionate about everything he played, and I cannot remember ever hearing him playing like a metronome. And usually, Gould was criticized for taking everything _too slowly,_ even in this comments section, someone said that this “wasn’t Beethoven” for that very reason! You must be speaking about his Bach recordings….many people don’t have an ear for Bach, so that would be understandable. They want to hear Bach played like a Tchaikovsky piano concerto, or they think it’s mechanical. So ridiculous!

[@yanivhristoforov]

​@@voraciousreader3341 I love Gould but to say he played everything passionately is just wrong lmao. Look at his a minor Mozart sonata for example.

[@daniele8716]

All of his Mozart sonatas are ridicolously fast and mechanical. And much of his Bach too. He fared better in Beethoven or Haydn, also because the 'fast and metheonomic' side was already taken and he had to explore other venues to distinguish himself. As Brendel once said, Gould never surpassed his edipic phase and always had to argue 'against' something, to do things differently. I find this fascinating and problematic at the same time.

[@JohnSmith-oe5kx]

@@daniele8716Gould’s Mozart was mostly godawful-and I say that as a huge fan-although he does have some interesting insights. Worth listening to at least once

[@bobjones-bt9bh]

@@daniele8716 vs the litany of pianists who've played the exact same thing the same way for decades one after the other? Brendel was one who tried to adhere to the score no matter what and that was his thing. He is not the final authority on what piano "should" be. Why do I even need to listen to his recordings when there is Schiff or Ashkenazy out there? Those who discuss Bach should first familiarize themselves with how "fast and mechanical" the harpsichord sounds. The music was not composed for the piano in the first place.

[@javiercastiella]

Precioso...Beautiful

[@samroth4118]

What a masterpiece in its MOST astounding rendition. I'd give up diabelli for this gem

[@fredericchopin7538]

Marvelous!

[@robertflynn6686]

Impeccable!!

[@robertoa.m.3984]

Absolutely fantastic 😮😊

[@brydon10]

Stunning.

[@jean-mariedethier5495]

Extraterrestre !

[@johnwilliamadlington1552]

Ça en fait deux avec Beethoven

[@SpontaneityJD]

Divine.