The Gould Variations: The Best of Glenn Gould's Bach

Review If you've never heard Glenn Gould's Bach, this well planned compilation might just be your ticket to ride, as well as a great gift idea. Disc one begins and ends with the Aria from the Goldberg Variations (Gould's theme song, sort of). Among familiar Gouldian fare are the Fifth Partita, selected inventions, plus the C major and D major Preludes and Fugues from the Well-Tempered Clavier. Some less obvious choices also prove compelling examples of Gould's x-ray Bach style: the A minor Italian Variations, the Gigue from the B minor French overture, and the Chromatic Fantasy minus its fugue (Gould hated the fugue, and never recorded it!). Disc two contains Gould's sole organ recording, devoted to the first nine movements of The Art of Fugue. If you insert this disc in your computer CD-ROM drive, you can access a nifty interactive program. It includes full scores, liner notes, logs…