There is an often-repeated adage that piano recordings of the Bach’s Toccatas, like those of the Goldberg Variations, fall into two categories: Glenn Gould and not Glenn Gould. These recordings embody the elements of Gould’s Bach without necessarily falling under the shadow of his larger-than-life musical persona. The performance style favours smooth legato, reserved ornamentation and an even balance between the hands. He is rarely tempted to emphasise fugal subjects or thematically significant bass lines. His touch is delicate rather than muscular; everything is confident and decisive but nothing is emphatic or overstated. Gould at his finest!