# Glenn Gould



## Yoshi

Definately my favourite pianist of all time.
Here's a thread for general talk about Glenn Gould, as I couldn't find any.


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## Sebastien Melmoth

GG's definitely my #1 as well--although I do enjoy others for works which Gould eschewed.

For example Gould played no Schubert, Chopin, or Debussy to speak of; he played only two Skryabin Sonatas as well--which is unfortunate, for he had intended to record the whole Skryabin cycle.

For *Schubert* I prefer *András Schiff*.
For *Chopin*, *Claudio Arrau* or *Cyprien Katsaris*.
For *Debussy*, *Pascal Rogé* or *Claudio Arrau*.

GG's Mozart has been harshly critized, but I grew up with it and I love it more than anyone else's.


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## Yoshi

It's a shame about some composers that he didn't play.
I also enjoy his Mozart usualy.


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## Webernite

He did play some Chopin actually.


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## Yoshi

Only one piece tho. That I know of?


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## Webernite

Yes, the Third Sonata.


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## Sarabande

He's my favorite pianist, I especially enjoy his playing of Bach and Schoenberg


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## Yoshi

Is anyone familiar with his compositions? 
I personaly find that it's a real shame that most of his pieces are incomplete or lost.


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## Sebastien Melmoth

Yes, Gould's performance of *Chopin's Third Sonata* is remarkable.

As for GG's original compositions, really the only thing of any consequence is his *f-minor String Quartet* "Opus 1"--which is a very substantial work indeed of over ~:35mins. performance duration.

I like it a lot. It's very much in the vein of Strauss, Reger, and early-Schönberg, early-Berg--like a complete synthetic mixture; but then, these are some of the composers Gould loved the most.

He could play most of it on the piano.

http://www.amazon.com/Gould-String-Quartet-No-1/dp/B000VFGSD2/ref=cm_lmf_tit_9

http://www.amazon.com/Glenn-GOULD-s.../R3BDYACDAGEZMX/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_title_full


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## World Violist

You forgot that among his compositions there are to be found several astounding radio documentaries, particularly the five that have been released on CD: the Solitude Trilogy and programmes on Casals and Stokowski. They are definitely some of my favorite things to listen to lately, particularly as I'm venturing into avant-garde/nouvelle vague films.

As for Gould the pianist, I often find that nobody can match him. The only thing I've heard from him that I didn't immediately take a liking to was his recording of Bach's gamba suites with Leonard Rose. Even then I acknowledge that he had a very well thought out interpretation and carried it out with much aplomb.

He's a genius, and for that he'll always be controversial.


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## Sebastien Melmoth

Also if you want to include amongst Gould's 'compositions' or recompositions, his several transcriptions.
Especially notable are his *Wagner transcriptions*.

He said he played for himself Bruckner's Eighth on the piano: too bad we don't have his transcription of that!


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## Sebastien Melmoth

World Violist said:


> _his recording of Bach's gamba suites with Leonard Rose._


Yeah, those recordings along with *Bach's Violin Sonatas with Jamie Laredo* have had a tough time being accepted.
Perhaps like a rare vintage their time will yet come...


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## Webernite

World Violist said:


> You forgot that among his compositions there are to be found several astounding radio documentaries, particularly the five that have been released on CD: the Solitude Trilogy and programmes on Casals and Stokowski. They are definitely some of my favorite things to listen to lately, particularly as I'm venturing into avant-garde/nouvelle vague films.


I love the one about Stokowski.


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## Yoshi

I like his string quartet aswell.



World Violist said:


> ...the Solitude Trilogy and programmes on Casals and Stokowski. They are definitely some of my favorite things to listen to lately, particularly as I'm venturing into avant-garde/nouvelle vague films.


This is new to me, I'm curious and will try to find it because I really want to listen to it.



Sebastien Melmoth said:


> Also if you want to include amongst Gould's 'compositions' or recompositions, his several transcriptions.
> Especially notable are his *Wagner transcriptions*.
> 
> He said he played for himself Bruckner's Eighth on the piano: too bad we don't have his transcription of that!


I particularly love his transcription of the prelude of Die Meistersinger which I listen to very often. Listening to the counterpoint so defined on the piano is just beautiful.


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## Webernite

This guy's Youtube channel has some of the programmes Gould made: http://www.youtube.com/user/nonnaderachel#p/c/8A8262AE9A18CA0E/0/efYs0TuuKCM

And, just so you know, I'm pretty sure that his Die Meistersinger Prelude is one of the recordings where he had to record himself playing the parts separately and then dub them over each other. I think it's because his transcription is unplayable by two hands only. See if you can hear it. (It's only in the last couple of minutes, though.)


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## Yoshi

Webernite said:


> This guy's Youtube channel has some of the programmes Gould made: http://www.youtube.com/user/nonnaderachel#p/c/8A8262AE9A18CA0E/0/efYs0TuuKCM
> 
> And, just so you know, I'm pretty sure that his Die Meistersinger Prelude is one of the recordings where he had to record himself playing the parts separately and then dub them over each other. I think it's because his transcription is unplayable by two hands only. See if you can hear it. (It's only in the last couple of minutes, though.)


But there's a video of him playing it somewhere...? 

Thank you for the links!


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## Webernite

There _is_ a video of him playing it, but he stops before the end, for two reasons: (1) he gets bored and (2) it becomes unplayable. (I think I read somewhere that when he played it in private, he'd cut out some of the contrapuntal lines to make the whole thing playable.)

Edit: But for the studio recording he wanted it to be perfect, so he decided on overdubbing instead.


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## Yoshi

Yes you're right, he doesn't play all of it. I was just listening to the recording again and I get it now. Thanks for clearing that out, I didn't notice it before.


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## Webernite

I would never have noticed it either if I hadn't read about it somewhere. Goes to show how good the editing was.


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## Yoshi

Exactly, that's what I just thought.
Shows how Glenn Gould really treated recording as an art itself.


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## Webernite

True, but I think his technical people should get some credit as well!


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## Yoshi

Of course.


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## Sebastien Melmoth

Did anyone see the new Glenn Gould film that's making the rounds?
http://www.amazon.com/Genius-Within...=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1295299958&sr=1-10

Saw it last month: what a *disappointment!*

Rather than lots of clips of GG playing, we get a bunch of wierdos banging on about their relationships with him--b o r i n g.

Oh--and the 'great revelation' that he carried on an affair with Cornelia Foss. Big deal.

I didn't even watch the film to the end; after a hour and a half of that crap, changed the channel.

I so disliked the film that I won't even review it for Amazon--(hate to give low-star ratings).


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## Yoshi

Noooooo  Are you serious?
I've been waiting forever for a release of that film and it turns out to be bad?


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## Sebastien Melmoth

Yeah, totally worthless.

The best way to know Gould is (1) listen to his playing; (2) read Dr. Bazzana's book, _Wondrous Strange: The Life and Art of Glenn Gould_.

http://www.amazon.com/Wondrous-Stra...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1295305132&sr=1-1


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## KJohnson

Because of Glenn Gould, I didn't give Mozart the light of day all through college.


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## MrTortoise

There is a wonderful film about GG: Thirty-two Short Films about Glenn Gould

It is well done (the same film makers did the movie "The Red Violin", also terrific).

I'm a huge GG fan, most likely my favorite pianist if number of owned recordings is any indication. While there are some recordings that are sheer perfection, others are a bit harder to accept (thinking of the Mozart sonatas specifically). GG is always technically brilliant.

An overlooked recording is the Brahms Ballades. GG has a way of finding polyphony where it not always so apparent to others. I would love to hear a recording of the Brahms concerto that he took at almost half-tempo.


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## World Violist

MrTortoise said:


> I would love to hear a recording of the Brahms concerto that he took at almost half-tempo.


Funny thing about that recording is that now there are several "standard" recordings that have almost identical timings.


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## the_emptier

I think I saw that documentary on PBS, I thought it was decent and I had never heard of him before. it was on at the wee hours of the morning and i caught it right in the beginning. I was just getting ready to go to bed but i was so captivated I stayed up until 4 to finish it. Now i'm a huge fan!


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## tdc

I agree he is a ridiculously talented/skilled piano player. My one criticism is I find his singing with the music not enjoyable to listen to. It depreciates my enjoyment of his music.


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## the_emptier

yeah i was listening to him and i totally forgot he did that and i kept hearing this weird noise in the background....the engineers do a decent job of covering it up though.


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## Yoshi

tdc said:


> I agree he is a ridiculously talented/skilled piano player. My one criticism is I find his singing with the music not enjoyable to listen to. It depreciates my enjoyment of his music.


After listening to him alot, it doesn't really bother me anymore.
I would find it odd listening to a Glenn Gould recording without the humming, it wouldn't sound real. :lol:


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## Yoshi

I just watched Genius Within: The inner life of Glenn Gould. I thought it was very interesting but I do agree with Sebastien Melmoth about the lack of clips of his playing. The constant zoom on photographs while people were talking was getting tiring after some time, but I still enjoyed it.


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## wingracer

Jan said:


> After listening to him alot, it doesn't really bother me anymore.
> I would find it odd listening to a Glenn Gould recording without the humming, it wouldn't sound real. :lol:


Yeah it's weird and I understand why some people wouldn't like it but to me, it feels more real. Like it was just him, me and a piano in the room enjoying some good music. Plus it beats my usual piano music experience. My roommate is quite the musician but when she isn't singing along to her playing, she's spewing expletives at every mistake.


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## Webernite

I _*so*_ want to sit around all day talking to Glenn Gould about Webern and listening to him play Schubert symphonies on the piano: like this.


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## Yoshi

wingracer said:


> Yeah it's weird and I understand why some people wouldn't like it but to me, it feels more real. Like it was just him, me and a piano in the room enjoying some good music. Plus it beats my usual piano music experience. My roommate is quite the musician but when she isn't singing along to her playing, she's spewing expletives at every mistake.


Glad someone understands me .



Webernite said:


> I _*so*_ want to sit around all day talking to Glenn Gould about Webern and listening to him play Schubert symphonies on the piano: like this.


Me too my friend.


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## Sebastien Melmoth

MrTortoise said:


> _I would love to hear a recording of the Brahms concerto that he took at almost half-tempo._


Note: it's only the first movement wherein GG slowed down; the other two movements are at ordinary time.

The recording with Bernstein is unfortunately terrible as it was miked over the audience.

http://www.amazon.com/Brahms-Piano-...7698617?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1300026271&sr=1-1


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## kv466

Alas, I have found my people! What else to say...you all hear what I hear.


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## Vaneyes

For GG fans who may not have everything yet, let me help.


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## kv466

Hello, fellow Gould afficionados...with Glenn as my favorite, who would you recommend as a great performance of the Brahms concerti? Thanks in advance!


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## Vazgen

Great eccentric guy. My wife used to watch the talk show he had on Canadian TV in the 70's, when he would inadvertently start conducting the conversation.

Much as I love his Bach, I've always loved this 3-CD set of Gould playing Schoenberg, Scriabin, Hindemith, Prokofiev, and Krenek.


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## Vaneyes

mcamacho said:


> Hello, fellow Gould afficionados...with Glenn as my favorite, who would you recommend as a great performance of the Brahms concerti? Thanks in advance!


Not based on anything GG did with Brahms--1. Douglas/Skrowaczewski (RCA), 2. Kovacevich/Davis (Philips).


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## kv466

Vaneyes said:


> Not based on anything GG did with Brahms--1. Douglas/Skrowaczewski (RCA), 2. Kovacevich/Davis (Philips).


Thank you...I shall give them a slooshy tomorrow...I'm sure I'll enjoy...these are really growing on me


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## Webernite

Speaking of Brahms, someone on Youtube's uploaded a Brahms recording I'd never heard of. It's Glenn Gould playing the Piano Concerto No. 1 live, but not with Leonard Bernstein. This recording's from a few years earlier, the tempo's faster, but unfortunately, the sound quality is just as bad if not worse. Still, it's worth a listen for those interested in historical recordings: here it is. I find the second and third movements better than the first in this recording.


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## Vaneyes

Webernite said:


> Speaking of Brahms, someone on Youtube's uploaded a Brahms recording I'd never heard of. It's Glenn Gould playing the Piano Concerto No. 1 live, but not with Leonard Bernstein. This recording's from a few years earlier, the tempo's faster, but unfortunately, the sound quality is just as bad if not worse. Still, it's worth a listen for those interested in historical recordings: here it is. I find the second and third movements better than the first in this recording.


October 8, 1959, WinnipegSO/Feldbrill

West Hill Radio Archives set...

















Retail description (Shop around for best deal. Not available in US)

http://www.prestoclassical.co.uk/r/West%2BHill%2BRadio%2BArchive/WHRA6038


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## Sofronitsky

He was once engaged to play Rachmaninoff's 'Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini', but backed out at the last minute having changed his mind about the music.

Boy, what I would give to hear Glenn Gould play that Rhapsody...


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## Webernite

Yeah, his playing style is quite similar to Rachmaninoff's, so it would have been interesting.


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## itywltmt

For more on Mr. Gould, please check-out my blog post from this past Tuesday:
"This Day in Music History - June 21st 1954"
http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/itywltmt/231-day-music-history-june.html

A couple of documents I included have Gould himself discussing his approach to music (here, the Goldberg's) in the months preceding his passing.


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## kv466

Sofronitsky said:


> He was once engaged to play Rachmaninoff's 'Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini', but backed out at the last minute having changed his mind about the music.
> 
> Boy, what I would give to hear Glenn Gould play that Rhapsody...


Oh, man, would that have been awesome...he was also set to record the Grieg a couple of times, I believe, and ended up canning it last minute, A la Glenn...I don't know about the Mozart d minor but that would have been pretty amazing as well...


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## Sofronitsky

kv466 said:


> Oh, man, would that have been awesome...he was also set to record the Grieg a couple of times, I believe, and ended up canning it last minute, A la Glenn...I don't know about the Mozart d minor but that would have been pretty amazing as well...


I remember seeing a bit about this in a documentary, someone was being interviewed saying something along the lines of...

_Once I heard Glenn sight-read through the Grieg Piano Concerto. This wasn't just fooling around with the work, he read through it completely and at a very fast tempo at first sight. Imagine that! This, a concerto that normal pianists fumble with and take months to learn, Glenn is taking at sight. There are some passages in this concerto that would be almost impossible to play without going over the fingering first, but Glenn played them like they were nothing. That's how fast his mind worked. What was even more incredible was that, while playing this incredibly difficult concerto, he would take the orchestral parts, too. If he didn't have the room to play the orchestra's part, he would sing it. At the end of the 3rd movement he stopped playing, glanced over at me, and said 'It's not for me'._

Hopefully you'll read through that whole anecdote, it certainly was of interest to me. If he was set to record the piece at some point, it seems he has very rapidly changing impressions of the pieces he plays.


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## kv466

Thanks!...I hadn't read that but I'll surely look for it...yeah, he was supposed to record it a couple of times with Von Karajan and also with the Cleveland and Karel Ancerl...errrrr...


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## itywltmt

I remember reading that Gould and Karajan tried "for years" to find a project to work on together. I think the one that came closest to happening was a bit of an unusual choice - Saint-Saens's organ symphony, with Gould playing the organ.

Few people realize that Gould was trained as an organist at the Royal COnservatory in Toronto. Except for a recording of the Art of the Fugue he made for CBS, I can't think of another recording of his as an organist.

I did find, however, the following videos through Google:
http://www.google.ca/search?q=gould...&ct=mode&cd=3&ved=0CA8Q_AUoAg&biw=780&bih=438


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## Billy

Glenn Gould knew how to articulate every note when playing.


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## jdavid

One of Glenn Gould's early teachers taught all his students an exercise which required that you 'place' one hand over the keyboard (left or right) lightly touching the keys in a pattern for scale or chord, then _with the other hand, each finger of the 'placed' hand would be tapped as if the fingers were the piano keyboard_ - this is how he got every note to 'pop'. This is hard to describe, hope the idea can be grasped from my attempt.


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## jdavid

A complex and highly original genius. His Goldberg Variations are unmatched - both versions. These two recordings are so powerful that even alone, they would establish his reputation as one of the greatest pianists in history. I have read 'A Life and 32 Variations' and have watched several films about him as well as one he made on the 'idea' of North. However, he could turn in some of the strangest interpretations. I bought his complete Mozart Sonatas a number of years ago and found that the tempos were so fast that it was just unlistenable for me. They sounded like a contractual necessity. Later I read in his biography that he was quoted as saying he wasn't very fond of Mozart. I bought recently his WTC Vol I & II and again found some of his interpretations went against the grain of what Bach had written (in my opinion). But, of course, he knew exactly what he was doing - he said in a live interview that he couldn't stand the idea of approaching a work in the traditional manner i.e. that every performance should bring out a new take on the composition, and I do not disagree with this idea. Then there is the famous concert with Bernstein and the Brahms First - Bernstein speaks to the audience in his usual very urbane way and speaks of Gould as a great artist but that they have disagreed about the interpretation of Brahm's Concerto (particularly the tempi), and because he admired Gould so much as an artist he was going to cooperate and conduct the work as Glenn preferred - this was a disclaimer! I still love the man, even more, possibly, because of his solitary life devoted to his art and his uncompromising vision of it; his hours-long conversations with friends on the telephone into the wee hours; his long walks with his dog; his habit of dressing for the Arctic even in the summer. I believe he was a bit 'divinely mad' and I wouldn't change a thing as I sincerely believe he was a joyful man even in his austerity. I listen to him often and have just ordered his recording of Schoenberg, Berg and Webern. Netflix has a good number of films available on GG - I have watched all of them and they are fascinating.


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## itywltmt

jdavid said:


> A complex and highly original genius. His Goldberg Variations are unmatched - *both *versions.


There are FOUR versions. Read
http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/itywltmt/231-day-music-history-june.html


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## jdavid

I did read! Great news! Great blog, reading, and video/sound clips!!! Thanks for the link.


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## Vaneyes

Some of my favorite GG photos to follow. My own descriptives, but for one or two borrowed.

I start with Preparing to Play, then Lunch Break.

View attachment 3515


View attachment 3513


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## Vaneyes

GG at work.

View attachment 3517


Testing, 1, 2, 3.

View attachment 3516


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## Vaneyes

GG prepared for winter, in August.

View attachment 3518


Winter.

View attachment 3519


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## Vaneyes

GG with Nicky.

View attachment 3520


GG with Mozart & Nicky.

View attachment 3521


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## Vaneyes

The Chair.

View attachment 3522


Glenn Gould Music Machine, sculpture by Leslie Potter.

View attachment 3523


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## RomanticRubbish

Nice to see so many knowledgeable Gould fans here.

Glenn is my favorite pianist too, though in large part due to his personality. I find him fascinating as an individual: his hypchondria, his philosophies on recording and musical interpretation, his constant contradictions of himself, his insistence on individuality .... all those things which make up the Gould phenomenon. 

As for his playing, I used to worship everything he did blindly but now I'm far more critical. I find a lot of his playing harsh and downright annoying, not because it is "eccentric" but because it simply isn't enjoyable. For instance, I don't like his "play as fast as you can" attitude to lots of music, including Bach, and the overuse of stacatto can render a piece silly. His Mozart infuriates me, as do many of the Beethoven sonatas. But I would never take Gould to task for deciding to play this music this way, for all of his recordings are interesting in their own way.

I adore Gould most when he permits himself to be romantic: his Scriabin 3rd, and the Beethoven concertos, for example. The Hindemith sonatas, too. In Bach I like him best in the concertos, the Goldberg, and the inventions.


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## kv466

Okay, so I liked the first line and the first and third paragraphs.


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## Vaneyes

kv466 said:


> Okay, so I liked the first line and the first and third paragraphs.


That first line is a paragraph, also...and my favorite part of the post.

I suppose GG and Martha can share my favorite pianists pedestal.

GG criticism? Not too much. Coming to mind most often--last three LvB Piano Sonatas and the second volume of Mozart Piano Sonatas. I'm not wild about any of his concerti (GG works best alone), but they're passable.

Martha criticism? All those EMI compilation guest artists CDs come to mind most often.

I see my numbered attachments on earlier posts sitting like graffiti. Shame. TC admin has my blessing to remove those entire posts, if possible.


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## itywltmt

Read my latest post entitled _Glenn Gould, the Broadcaster _
http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/itywltmt/956-glenn-gould-broadcaster.html


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## kv466

So for some of us it's already the 25th so,...

*Happy Birthday, Glenn!!* And thank you for everything you left us!


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## Ukko

Thanks for the link, Mike. I hadn't heard that performance. Most of it is wrong, but all of it is right.


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## KenOC

Glenn Gould, bundled up in the sopping heat in Florida, sitting on a park bench, was taken in for vagrancy. Not since Beethoven...


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## ClassicalGuitarist

I'm a huge Glenn Gould fan the man was a genius. Nobody plays Bach like Mr. Gould. It's great to see his legend live on. I have watched videos on youtube about him and I have learned so much about him. His playing and his personal life he enjoyed his solitude in Canada. He would wear his hat, coat, and gloves to the beach in the middle of summer. He was like the Rockstar Classical pianist. I love that his approach to the piano was so different from the traditional pianist. When I heard him play the complete Beethoven Sonatas I was blown away especially his tremendous virtuosity on the third movement of Moonlight Sonata. I don't think anybody has ever played or can play that movement faster than Glenn Gould.


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## Vaneyes

ClassicalGuitarist said:


> I'm a huge Glenn Gould fan the man was a genius. Nobody plays Bach like Mr. Gould. It's great to see his legend live on. I have watched videos on youtube about him and I have learned so much about him. His playing and his personal life he enjoyed his solitude in Canada. He would wear his hat, coat, and gloves to the beach in the middle of summer. He was like the Rockstar Classical pianist. I love that his approach to the piano was so different from the traditional pianist. *When I heard him play the complete Beethoven Sonatas *I was blown away especially his tremendous virtuosity on the third movement of Moonlight Sonata. I don't think anybody has ever played or can play that movement faster than Glenn Gould.


If you've got some undiscovered basement tapes, I'd like to hear them.


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## DavidA

ClassicalGuitarist said:


> I'm a huge Glenn Gould fan the man was a genius. Nobody plays Bach like Mr. Gould. It's great to see his legend live on. I have watched videos on youtube about him and I have learned so much about him. His playing and his personal life he enjoyed his solitude in Canada. He would wear his hat, coat, and gloves to the beach in the middle of summer. He was like the Rockstar Classical pianist. I love that his approach to the piano was so different from the traditional pianist. When I heard him play the complete Beethoven Sonatas I was blown away especially his tremendous virtuosity on the third movement of Moonlight Sonata. I don't think anybody has ever played or can play that movement faster than Glenn Gould.


The complete Beethoven sonatas?


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## Vaneyes

KenOC said:


> Glenn Gould, bundled up in the sopping heat in Florida, sitting on a park bench, was taken in for vagrancy. Not since Beethoven...


Understandable, in a State where convenience stores can get robbed three times in an hour.


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## ClassicalGuitarist

DavidA said:


> The complete Beethoven sonatas?


Yes you can listen to them on itunes


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## KenOC

ClassicalGuitarist said:


> Yes you can listen to them on itunes


Beethoven wrote 32 piano sonatas. If Glenn Gould somehow, somewhere recorded all of them, that would major news to me and probably to quite a few others!


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## ClassicalGuitarist

KenOC said:


> Beethoven wrote 32 piano sonatas. If Glenn Gould somehow, somewhere recorded all of them, that would major news to me and probably to quite a few others!


I am sorry I stand Corrected. He is missing a few sonatas. The ones that he did record are amazing.


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## AdmiralSilver

Glenn Gould always unorthodox, which shows his personality in his interpretations.


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## hpowders

George Szell on Glenn Gould: "That nut's a genius!"


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## hpowders

ClassicalGuitarist said:


> I am sorry I stand Corrected. *He is missing a few sonatas. *The ones that he did record are amazing.


And maybe a few screws, too!


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## 38157

I was introduced to Gould last year by my pianist friend who I write for. He quickly became my favourite pianist, although I don't listen to him often. His attentiveness to the details of recording and the potential of that technology is something which distinguishes him for me (and his performances are sort of okay too). Very strange man, but that's probably what made him the kind of musician he was. He had some strange concerns that could be considered obsessive-compulsive, and maybe this somewhat accounts for his careful interpretations (obviously secondary to his skill as a musican).


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## Fugue Meister

This is the GG thread I should be on I haven't been under musicians because I'm not one myself but here is where all the fans of Gould are. I've posted on a few others but he get's an equal amount of guff from other TC members. 

I have to admit he has influenced me a great deal, I have a tendency to not really care for the romantic era of music for much the same reasons as GG. I love his Beethoven recordings and it puzzles me why he didn't get around to finishing the cycle particularly op. 7 & 22 (I wondered how he would have interpreted those). Don't get me wrong, his recording output is pretty incredible and diverse. I'd even go as far as saying I'd gladly give my right arm if it would have given him another 10 years of life. Think of what he would have done.. From every thing I understand he was nearing a period where he wanted to focus on composing. Imagine a full scale symphony by Gould! Oh well, its nice to fantasize. I know I can do that here I'm among friends. 

Anyway thanks Mr Gould where ever you are. :angel:


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## merlinus

I'm with you, FM. I listen to Bach played by Koroliov, Tureck, Sokolov, Perahia, and Richter, but always come back to Glenn Gould. Same with Beethoven concertos and sonatas. I listen to the Gulda, Annie Fisher, Gilels, Kempe, Richter, and Pollini sonatas, and Gulda, Michelangeli, Arrau, and Kovacevich concertos, but GG remains my mainstay.

Watching the last part of the youtube video, "An Art of the Fugue," never fails to send shivers up and down my spine, especially the ending of Contrapunctus XIV, with Glenn hovering over the keyboard, his hand frozen in mid-air.


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## Fugue Meister

I know that the diehard fans of GG have probably already watched every scrap of footage or heard all the audio interviews on youtube but just in case you've not found this one I just had to share it. I only include the link to the first part of nine but it's mainly for the beautiful rendering of the Bruckner string quintet he plays at the beginning, (it just shrink-wraps my eyes in tears every time) besides if your really a diehard Gouldian you will find a way to finish it yourself:


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## Vaneyes

Fugue Meister said:


> This is the GG thread I should be on I haven't been under musicians because I'm not one myself but here is where all the fans of Gould are. I've posted on a few others but he get's an equal amount of guff from other TC members.
> 
> I have to admit he has influenced me a great deal, I have a tendency to not really care for the romantic era of music for much the same reasons as GG. I love his Beethoven recordings and it puzzles me why he didn't get around to finishing the cycle particularly op. 7 & 22 (I wondered how he would have interpreted those). Don't get me wrong, his recording output is pretty incredible and diverse. I'd even go as far as saying I'd gladly give my right arm if it would have given him another 10 years of life. Think of what he would have done.. From every thing I understand he was nearing a period where he wanted to focus on composing. Imagine a full scale symphony by Gould! Oh well, its nice to fantasize. I know I can do that here I'm among friends.
> 
> Anyway thanks Mr Gould *where ever you are*.


That would be Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.

While visiting Toronto this past week, I partook of a few Gouldian things. 110 St. Clair Avenue West, Fran's Restaurant, and Eaton Auditorium (now Carlu).

His St. Clair apartment building exterior is pretty much as it was when GG resided there. Up to his death in 1982.

Fran's Restaurant has been improved upon. It's front dining patio is most attractive. All outside tables were full when I was there, or i might've stopped and ordered scrambled eggs.

Within a block is Eaton Auditorium, now called Carlu. It has a dedicated elevator to the 7th floor of the old Eaton Building. A kindly guard allowed me a few minutes inside this beautiful Art Deco piece.

Laredo & Gould's Brahms Violin Sonatas (amongst others) were recorded here in the 70's wee small hours.


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## Morimur

Vaneyes said:


> That would be Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.
> 
> While visiting Toronto this past week, I partook of a few Gouldian things. 110 St. Clair Avenue West, Fran's Restaurant, and Eaton Auditorium (now Carlu).
> 
> His St. Clair apartment building exterior is pretty much as it was when GG resided there. Up to his death in 1982.
> 
> Fran's Restaurant has been improved upon. It's front dining patio is most attractive. All outside tables were full when I was there, or i might've stopped and ordered scrambled eggs.
> 
> Within a block is Eaton Auditorium, now called Carlu. It has a dedicated elevator to the 7th floor of the old Eaton Building. A kindly guard allowed me a few minutes inside this beautiful Art Deco piece.
> 
> Laredo & Gould's Brahms Violin Sonatas (amongst others) were recorded here in the 70's wee small hours.


Gould related things aside, what did you think of Toronto, Vanayes? I grew up there but eventually came to loathe the place. It was much nicer 15-20 years ago; cleaner and less congested. It has changed so radically. Mount Pleasant is still beautiful though and Fran's menu isn't bad.


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## Vaneyes

Lope de Aguirre said:


> Gould related things aside, what did you think of Toronto, Vanayes? I grew up there but eventually came to loathe the place. It was much nicer 15-20 years ago; cleaner and less congested. It has changed so radically. Mount Pleasant is still beautiful though and Fran's menu isn't bad.


It's very busy at all hours. Toronto Transit's subway helped.

It had been many years since I explored Toronto as such. Hi-rises are everywhere, as in all large cities. The Royal York Hotel in which Rachmaninov entertained in the 1930's as a lounge lizard, is dwarfed by them.

Note: All the photos I post are from Google-searching, and close to my visual experiences. This interior (pic below) of Fran's (20 College Street) is pretty accurate, in recollection of my moments there. GG coped without HDTV, fancy pendant lamps, and recessed lighting. ha ha










Other places I hadn't seen for some time were Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake. A daytrip handled these. Even Monday was busy. Large hotels and casinos dot the Falls' perimeter now.


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## Fugue Meister

You lucky S.O.B, I've never been to the holy land. Love the scrambled eggs reference, oh us Gouldian's are an odd bunch.


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## Vaneyes

Fugue Meister said:


> You lucky S.O.B, I've never been to the holy land. Love the scrambled eggs reference, oh us Gouldian's are an odd bunch.


Do try to make the Gouldland visit. I suggest leaving the car behind. GG loved to drive, but it was a different and less congested place then.

Consider a cheap flight, with accommodation near Yonge Street. Subway runs on or runs near much of this Gouldian tour backbone.

Three days would be enough for the basics. Re GG books and records/CDs, any "free" time can be spent at Eliot's used books (Yonge Street), Indigo new books (Eaton Centre), Sonic Boom used recordings (near Bloor & Bathurst).:tiphat:


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## stevens

I think Glenn Gold often sounded like a ..midifile. Boring as hell. -However, I havent heard him live


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## Albert7

My favorite classical musician ever!


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## dgee

Fans or otherwise of Glenn Gould may enjoy this video


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## Albert7

Woot, right now I'm encoding his first 1955 recording of the Goldberg Variations into ALAC for playback on my iPod classic. I love this recording very much.


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## iliasvl

I love Glenn Gould with all my heart. If there is one pianist i would choose to listen only to in all my life, it would be Gould. And i don't think, like many people, that Gould is only about Bach. His recordings of Beethoven for example are great. In fact, I like everything he recorded.


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## Strange Magic

Regarding Glenn Gould's vocalizing during play, one critic described a Gould Bach recording as "Glenn Gould sings Bach, and accompanies himself on the piano." He shared this trait with the great flamenco guitarist Niño Ricardo, who can often be heard humming away as he plays, even while accompanying a _cantaor_.

I love Gould's Mozart Concerto #24.


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## Open Lane

an elf told me that santa is getting me Glenn Gould's complete Bach set for Christmas . I own a dvd of glenn playing bach. So good.


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## DavidA

Strange Magic said:


> Regarding Glenn Gould's vocalizing during play, *one critic *described a Gould Bach recording as "Glenn Gould sings Bach, and accompanies himself on the piano." He shared this trait with the great flamenco guitarist Niño Ricardo, who can often be heard humming away as he plays, even while accompanying a _cantaor_.
> 
> I love Gould's Mozart Concerto #24.


Critics are often musicians who haven't made it - hence they pounce on some trait to criticise someone who has more musical talent in his little finger than they have ever possessed. I personally can listen to GG and not be distracted at all by the humming. It seems to go with the music.


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## Open Lane

This thread inspired me to take out my dvd of Gleen playing the Goldberg Variations, for the first time in years. All I can say is WOW. Now this is EVERYTHING I love about music. Absolutely STUNNING.


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## Gouldanian

My favorite pianist, not just because he played differently but because he had the talent and the vision to back it up.

It's interesting to learn about the way he perceived the music that he performed and why he performed it in that legendary way that polarized people around him. And so I've spent considerable time listening to documentaries exposing his take on music and the perceptions he had towards the music industry (namely how it was better to reach fans individually via recorded works than collectively via live concerts). One can't but admit that the man was ahead of his time...


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## Strange Magic

DavidA said:


> Critics are often musicians who haven't made it - hence they pounce on some trait to criticise someone who has more musical talent in his little finger than they have ever possessed. I personally can listen to GG and not be distracted at all by the humming. It seems to go with the music.


I agree about critics sometimes(?)/often(?) being failed musicians, but the unnamed critic may not have "pounced" on Gould's humming, but rather felt a duty to report it for the benefit of those hearing the recording and maybe Gould for the first time and being uncertain as to what they were hearing. But I don't know the specifics here. I was glad when another aficionado of flamenco told me about Niño Ricardo's habit of humming; I was at a loss at first about what I was hearing.

I also agree that Gould's humming doesn't bother me in the slightest; in fact it adds a bit of intimacy and charm, knowing that he was enjoying himself enjoying Bach so.


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## Gouldanian

If you've ever wondered if GG can deliver a romantic performance, may I suggest you his interpretation of Grieg's Sonata in E minor? Unfortunately, I can't share with you the youtube clip as this specific piece is blocked in my region (Canada?) for reasons that are unknown and incomprehensible to me.

But if you can access the piece from where you are or if you have it on album (great purchase!), you should definitely give it a few minutes of your life.


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## fluteman

For anyone interested in Gould, a must read is The Glenn Gould Reader edited by Tim Page. It's a collection of his essays, articles, recording notes, radio program scripts, etc.


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## Bernard OHanlon

Sebastien, you are a fervent champion of GG and have written many apologias to that end. How would he have fared in Schumann?

Best wishes, B


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## bestellen

I adore Gould most when he permits himself to be romantic: his Scriabin 3rd, and the Beethoven concertos, for example. The Hindemith sonatas, too. In Bach I like him best in the concertos, the Goldberg, and the inventions.


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## DavidA

Gould playing Beethoven's Tempest sonata. Sound is poor but what playing!


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## Pugg

bestellen said:


> I adore Gould most when he permits himself to be romantic: his Scriabin 3rd, and the Beethoven concertos, for example. The Hindemith sonatas, too. In Bach I like him best in the concertos, the Goldberg, and the inventions.


Agree with most of this :tiphat:


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## Lever Du Jour

Gould I consider to be one of the finest pianists of Bach's music, and also had many interesting things to say about music in general.
I think, however, that he is completely wrong(for my taste) in some of his assesments of composers like Mozart ("Mozart died too late rather than too early") and that Chopin and Schubert had no idea how to write for the piano, seems to me ridiculous.


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## ClassicalMaestro

Glenn Gould is my favorite pianist and musician. A true genius and virtuoso.


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## Allegro Con Brio

I dislike him (quite severely) in Bach aside from the '81 Goldbergs. I have a sinking feeling that those who deride Bach as "dry" and "mechanical" may not have explored performances outside of GG. His Beethoven is more palatable to me but not preferred. So I'll just point out my favorite thing he recorded- his disc of Brahms Intermezzi. He channels his idiosyncrasies into plumbing these little gems for every last morsel of beauty; finding voices, ideas, and emotions in this music that no one else could possibly do. And he supposedly only learned the music 2 weeks before the recording session!


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## flamencosketches

Allegro Con Brio said:


> I dislike him (quite severely) in Bach aside from the '81 Goldbergs. I have a sinking feeling that those who deride Bach as "dry" and "mechanical" may not have explored performances outside of GG. His Beethoven is more palatable to me but not preferred. So I'll just point out my favorite thing he recorded- his disc of Brahms Intermezzi. He channels his idiosyncrasies into plumbing these little gems for every last morsel of beauty; finding voices, ideas, and emotions in this music that no one else could possibly do. And he supposedly only learned the music 2 weeks before the recording session!


that's my favorite Gould recording too. Phenomenal disc. Hit me right in the soul the first time I heard it.


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## starthrower

I like his Beethoven. I bought quite a few of the 2012 edition Bach sets but I don't listen to them very much. Dry and mechanical is an apt description. I might try some Evelyn Crochet. Her WTC sounds very good. I spend more time watching GG on TV via YouTube than listening to the CDs.


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## Zhdanov

Allegro Con Brio said:


> those who deride Bach as "dry" and "mechanical"


those who do so just don't understand that some works are supposed to sound this way.

mathematics, physics and literature are what music derives from; its not always about feelings alone.

science constitutes the mechanism of music language to write a literary piece, which is a score.


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## starthrower

It's all just notes on paper until a musician plays and interprets the music and gives it life. It's like a blueprint for a house. It's just a blueprint until someone builds and decorates the house and makes it a home.


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## Zhdanov

starthrower said:


> It's all just notes on paper until a musician plays and interprets the music and gives it life.


if there was no composer and his notes, then how a musician plays anything?

the sound does matter a lot and this is what makes music so special and unique.

however, sound without message and means to convey it would be mere noise.


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## Allegro Con Brio

Oh, Glenn. Your technical giftings are out of this world. If only you would take the time to make _music_ with it! Whenever I hear him play almost anything, all I hear are robotic, AI-type sounds shorn of any sort of expression. It's like a soulless machine gun of notes. So, I ask you, Gouldanians of TC: what makes you love him so much? I'm not asking this in a condescending way, I'm just genuinely curious. If at all possible, I would love to appreciate what he does, but I'm just not hearing it right now. Certainly his way with slower, introspective music is brilliant- if only he more often flashed the level of insight he did in his Brahms album! His slow movements from Beethoven and Mozart sonatas are utterly transcendental. But most of the time; all I hear is mindless, mechanical plunking with no dynamic range whatsoever (he doesn't vary his touch at all). What should I be listening for if I have any hope of liking Gould? For those who praise the depth of his musicianship, what about it attracts you?


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## Bulldog

Allegro Con Brio said:


> Oh, Glenn. Your technical giftings are out of this world. If only you would take the time to make _music_ with it! Whenever I hear him play almost anything, all I hear are robotic, AI-type sounds shorn of any sort of expression. It's like a soulless machine gun of notes. So, I ask you, Gouldanians of TC: what makes you love him so much? I'm not asking this in a condescending way, I'm just genuinely curious. If at all possible, I would love to appreciate what he does, but I'm just not hearing it right now. Certainly his way with slower, introspective music is brilliant- if only he more often flashed the level of insight he did in his Brahms album! His slow movements from Beethoven and Mozart sonatas are utterly transcendental. But most of the time; all I hear is mindless, mechanical plunking with no dynamic range whatsoever (he doesn't vary his touch at all). What should I be listening for if I have any hope of liking Gould? For those who praise the depth of his musicianship, what about it attracts you?


First, I hear the expression that you find absent. Second, nobody makes the counterpoint come to life as vividly as Gould.


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## KenOC

Gould has always been divisive, starting in the 1950s and continuing today. Some people like his playing, some don't. Of course the latter group is quite wrong... :tiphat:


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## millionrainbows

I see similarities in Glenn Gould and Sviatoslav Richter, and I read that they had a mutual respect.


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## millionrainbows

Wanda Landowska, now _there's_ a divisive figure.


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## starthrower

Zhdanov said:


> if there was no composer and his notes, then how a musician plays anything?


I believe Horowitz was a bit taken aback after listening to Art Tatum improvise an amazing piece of music. He asked Art if he could see the music and Tatum responded, "there is no sheet music, I just made it up on the spot."


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## Zhdanov

millionrainbows said:


> I see similarities in Glenn Gould and Sviatoslav Richter,


i for one see none, because they were so different. Gould was enirely absorbed in music, he sacrificed his life to it. Richter meanwhile was open to every pleasure outside his profession and took lightly the stress of performing in public.


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## Zhdanov

starthrower said:


> Horowitz was a bit taken aback after listening to Art Tatum improvise an amazing piece of music.


a one-off case, which is more to do with trickery, but not music.

tricks can be ok and even impressive, however, unable to constitute a system.

and music is a system, not just series of separate instances.


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## DavidA

Zhdanov said:


> i for one see none, because they were so different. Gould was enirely absorbed in music, he sacrificed his life to it. Richter meanwhile was open to every pleasure outside his profession and took lightly the stress of performing in public.


Gould was not totally absorbed in music. He managed to play the stock market and have an affair too


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## starthrower

Zhdanov said:


> a one-off case, which is more to do with trickery, but not music.
> 
> tricks can be ok and even impressive, however, unable to constitute a system.
> 
> and music is a system, not just series of separate instances.


I guess you're pretty ignorant about jazz pianists and improvisation. No trickery involved. Art Tatum was a master musician.


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## AlexP

Gould had an emotional connection to Bach that I find transfixing. His 1981 recording of the Goldberg Variations is unmatched in both the serenity of the Aria and the intensity of what follows. He's one of the only classical musicians I've found that was a total artist in his approach. Of course that's also what people criticize him for. But I love him for it.


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