A lesson in interpretation

When I first began to listen to classical music, I thought, rather naively I now realize, that composer composed and musicians simply played whatever notes were lined up on the partition. As long as they were free of mistakes, any two interpretations would pretty much be the same. And then I discovered Gould who brought Bach to life like no else. Certain purists will say that he gouldianizes too much. I am not one to judge. But I have listened to countless recordings of the goldberg variations and they either put you to sleep (composed as they were to help the insomniac Count Kaiserling fall asleep) or simply fail to inspire. Gould's 1981 recording elevates the soul. Maybe it's the humming, maybe it's the prominence of the left hand or maybe it's just a great pianist revisiting a piece 26 years after it launched his career. Even if you don't like music, just look at Gould as he savors every note.