Glenn Gould and Leonard Bernstein: Bach's Keyboard Concerto No. 1 (I) in D minor (BWV 1052)
Why Hacker News recommends it
Recommended as a definitive Gould interpretation whose playing makes Bach's counterpoint clear.
What it is
A 1960 CBS clip in which Leonard Bernstein introduces and conducts Bach's Keyboard Concerto No. 1 in D minor with a 28-year-old Glenn Gould at the piano. Gould's performance starts around 5:08.
Recommended by 2 HN commenters across 2 different months, 2018 to 2024.
What Hacker News said
Recommends siglesias · 2018-03 · on “Can any composer equal Bach?”
If anyone is interested in Bach's keyboard literature, it's hard to top the interpretations of Glenn Gould, a fascinating musician in his own right. Here, for example, is a seminal performance of the D minor concerto, conducted by Leonard Bernstein: [this video]
Recommends ternaryoperator · 2019-01 · on “Debussy’s Radical Search for Simplicity”
I find Osetinskaya plays so fast that it's difficult to make out the counterpoint. Have a look/listen at Glenn Gould's version, which makes the counterpoint really clear [1]. As you might know, this interpretation was controversial at the time. [1] [this video]
Cites swannodette · 2024-02 · on “Bach’s Cantata Calendar”
I felt that way at first, but after getting around to listening to a few of them you start to realize he repurposed a lot his favorite material from these cantatas into his instrumental works. For example, one of Bach's innovations was the keyboard concerto - where the keyboard played the central solo role. The profound Harpsichord Concerto in D minor BWV 1052, [this video] , is actually reworked from the cantatas BWV 146 & 148. While there's obviously plenty to enjoy w/o dipping into the cantatas, you might miss out on making these kinds of connections which I think really enriches our understanding of the instrumental works.