Variation 15 of the Goldberg Variations shows notable differences from Gould’s 1955 recordings to those of 1981. The first change you would likely notice is the tempo. Gould decides to take the piece at a much slower pace in 1981, resulting in a more intimate and retrospective tone. Another interesting difference is Gould’s breathing during the piece. The younger Gould takes controlled exhales along with the rhythm, while the older Gould is practically singing along with the melody, which shows us a man much more familiar with the piece than he was 26 years prior. In 1988, Gould appears to let each note he plays have a short moment in the spotlight,, making an effort to bring equal importance to both the right and left hand voices, while in his first recording, the left hand appears to serve merely as a support to the melody. The combination of a slower tempo and a more separated playing style, the piece takes on a less humanlike tone, although I’m not sure that was his intention.

As a result of these recordings being taken over two decades apart, the sound quality is noticeably better in the later recording, although the soft, high-frequency hiss of the 1955 recording does provide a comforting, more nostalgic feel to the piece. I began writing for this prompt thinking I was going to give the later recording higher praise, as I did enjoy it more on first listen, but there’s something much more genuine to how Gould plays it in 1955 that cannot be replaced.