Limited 11 CD set. Forty years ago, on September 2, 1982 - the year of Michael Jackson's Thriller and Steven Spielberg's E.T. - Glenn Gould's legendary second recording of the Goldberg Variations closed a circle that his revolutionary 1956 recording of Bach's masterpiece had opened. While his first recording is the exuberant, fast-paced work of a 22-year-old pianistic prodigy, his second is the measured, richly detailed interpretation of an experienced studio artist. Just five weeks later, the Canadian pianist died unexpectedly, leaving the world a masterpiece of recording art that - awarded two Grammys - is still one of the most listened to classical albums worldwide. In Gould's 90th anniversary year and 40 years since the second album's first release, Sony Classical is proud to announce the release of Glenn Gould: The Goldberg Variations - The Complete Unreleased 1981 Recording Sessions, a uniquely detailed window into the creation of this classic recording. Across 11 CDs, the set includes the double GRAMMY-winning final release as well as everything committed to tape during the 1981 sessions, restored from the original ¼-inch analogue tapes and mastered using 24 bit / 96 kHz technology. As well as the takes themselves, the session recordings include Gould and the producers' conversations, all of which are transcribed in a hard-cover coffee-table book which also contains an annotated score.