12. Glenn GouldBach: The Goldberg Variations
I love this record. It’s been in my life since I was a baby. I can’t imagine this not being on my iPod or in my record collection. I don’t even consider this classical, but it does reaffirm my belief that eventually all things return to strictly piano music. That’s such a music major thing to say, because all music majors have to take piano lessons. It doesn’t matter what instrument you’re studying: everybody has to take piano. That’s the root of everything. I still play a little bit, but not like three hours a day anymore. Classical music is a major commitment, and I’ve noticed that people I know who study classical have the worst taste in other contemporary music. The worst taste. They’re really into Lady Gaga or something. But this is like the perfect DJ set. It begins with an aria, hits various peaks and valleys, reaches a hands-in-the-air plateau and then slowly comes back down and ends with another aria… all in 30 variations! Also: this is the first ever classical record to go double platinum.
I’m into baroque and I’m really into Bach, but I never go to classical concerts. I feel like there was a huge revolt against it with me, in school. I didn’t finish school, I kind of had a falling out with the department and just never looked back at that world. I was way more interested in other kinds of music. I did the whole ‘I’m going to take year off of school and move to New York’. I didn’t ever go back. That’s happened to a lot of people.
