Variation 27, Canone alla Nona (1955, 1981)
The contrast in tempo between the recordings is the most immediate difference, with the 1955 recording a bit faster than the one from 1981. While the speed of the first recording makes for more impressive trills and 16th note runs, the ornamentals are more pronounced in the slowed version. In both pieces, the runs are incredibly precise – listening closely, they are made up of quick successions of staccato, instead of the legato that often define Bach’s 16th note passages. The recordings differ structurally as well, as Gould ignores both repeats in the 1955 recording, but takes the first repeat in the 1981 recording. With the recurrence of the A section in the second recording, Gould is able to introduce a higher level of contrast to the piece and give each section a distinct character. In 1955, he played the A section in a consistent mezzo forte, then got quieter in the B section. In 1981, the first A section is louder and gives way to a much quieter repeat, and then the B section returns to the dynamic of the first A section. The general dynamic range in both recordings is reserved and stable, and the dynamic contrast between both hands is also fairly small. The right hand is a little louder, and the left hand emphasizes the standalone 8th notes. Because each recording is homogenous in many aspects (strict tempo, stable dynamics), the parts that Gould does chose to accentuate clearly stand out.
