ARCHIVED - The Glenn Gould Archive

Audio

Listen to archival audio tapes of: a speech made by Gould; home recordings; test tapes; and Gould's final piano recording sessions, featuring Brahms' Ballades and Rhapsodies.

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Speaking

Listen to a short speech made by Gould while he was in Newfoundland to record material for the "The Latecomers", the second installment of his "Solitude Trilogy." This tape highlights his philosophic and comedic nature.

• Tape 7283: A short speech made by Glenn Gould in St. John's, Newfoundland in 1968. (2 min, 27 s)
  [RM 289 KB] / Source

At home

These tapes were recorded by Gould in his home or cottage. They represent the pianist at his most relaxed and unscripted.

• Tape 7513: Richard Strauss' Burleske for Piano and Orchestra as played and sung by Glenn Gould (15 min, 23 s)
  [RM 1,804 KB] / Source
• Tape 7535: Johann Sebastian Bach's Sinfonias (15 min, 51 s)
  [RM 1,858 KB] / Source

In the studio

The following "test tapes" were made to assess pianos, studio or hall acoustics, microphone placement, etc. During these "sessions," Gould played excerpts from a wide variety of music in a very spontaneous fashion.

• Tape 1049: "Studio G test" [CBC Toronto], undated (22 min, 38 s)
  [RM 2,653 KB] / Source
• Tape 1087: Orillia Opera House test, November 2, 1981 (26 min, 23 s)
  [RM 3,093 KB] / Source
• Tape 1178: CBC [Toronto] piano test, April 13, 1975 (28 min, 9 s)
  [RM 3,301 KB] / Source
• Tape 1183: Piano test at Eaton Auditorium, Toronto, on Steinway No. CD 131 and CD 230, March 11, 1976 (18 min, 15 s)
  [RM 2,139 KB] / Source
• Tape 1184: Piano test at Convocation Hall, University of Toronto, March 9 or September 3, 1978 (33 min, 2 s)
  [RM 3,872 KB] / Source

Recorded in 1982 in New York City, the following tapes constitute the entire Brahms Ballades and Rhapsodies sessions. These were to be Gould's last piano recordings.

Ballades, op. 10

• Tape 1736: "Reel 1A tests," 1982 (27 min, 31 s)
  [RM 7,625 KB] / Source
• Tape 1737: "Reel 2A," 1982 (27 min, 32 s)
  [RM 7,630 KB] / Source
• Tape 1738: "Reel 3A," 1982 (23 min, 6 s)
  [RM 6,406 KB] / Source
• Tape 1739: "Reel 4A," 1982 (26 min, 11 s)
  [RM 7,262 KB] / Source
• Tape 1740: "Reel 5A," 1982 (30 min, 23 s)
  [RM 8,421 KB] / Source
• Tape 1741: "Reel 6A," 1982 (30 min, 5 s)
  [RM 8,341 KB] / Source
• Tape 1742: "Reel 7A," 1982 (23 min, 23 s)
  [RM 6,480 KB] / Source
• Tape 1743: "Reel 8A," 1982 (32 min, 56 s)
  [RM 9,122 KB] / Source
• Tape 1744: "Reel 9A," 1982 (32 min, 1 s)
  [RM 8,869 KB] / Source
• Tape 1745: "Reel 10A," 1982 (24 min, 18 s)
  [RM 6,734 KB] / Source
• Tape 1746: "Reel 11A," 1982 (27 min, 30 s)
  [RM 7,620 KB] / Source

Rhapsodies, op. 79

• Tape 1757: "Reel 1A," 1982 (28 min, 35 s)
  [RM 7,918 KB] / Source
• Tape 1758: "Reel 2A," 1982 (30 min, 33 s)
  [RM 8,466 KB] / Source
• Tape 1759: "Reel 3A," 1982 (27 min, 57 s)
  [RM 9,063 KB] / Source
• Tape 1760: "Reel 4A," July 1, 1982 (32 min, 54 s)
  [RM 9,113 KB] / Source
• Tape 1761: "Reel 5A," 1982 (32 min, 42 s)
  [RM 7,744 KB] / Source