70 Years Ago: Glenn Gould Recorded Bach’s Goldberg Variations

70 years ago, a young Canadian pianist stepped into Columbia’s New York studio and boldly redefined how we listen to Bach.⁠
⁠
Glenn Gould arrived not just with sheet music, but with towels, spring water, a custom chair, and a ritual: soaking his arms while chatting about music and literature.⁠
⁠
What followed was a week of brilliance, eccentricity, and pure artistry. Gould’s 1955 “Goldberg Variations” — his debut recording — was unlike anything before it: precise yet poetic, radical yet reverent.⁠
⁠
He sang, he danced, he argued with the piano. And in doing so, he gave us a performance that still stirs the soul.⁠
⁠
Today we celebrate 70 years of a recording that continues to inspire awe — Glenn Gould’s “Goldberg Variations,” where genius met grace in every note.