# Gould's recording of Beethoven's First Piano Concerto



## Guest (May 11, 2013)

I find the tempi of the recording preposterous! The speed isn't suppose to be like the speed of a hurricane. Also, i noticed some liberties and disregard for the composition. Simply put, i found it weird [Not the good type].

What about you? How did you find it?


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

It was pretty common to use that tempo back in Gould´s early days (there are several Gould recordings of the work). Another great example is the early mono Serkin/Ormandy (1954, not the stereo 1966). I find it very refreshing.


----------



## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

The tempo for the first movement is allegro con brio crotchet 144.

That is a swift tempo I think.


----------



## Guest (May 12, 2013)

@joen_cph To each to his own, i guess than... Still "refreshing"?


----------



## Marisol (May 25, 2013)

karajan said:


> I find the tempi of the recording preposterous! The speed isn't suppose to be like the speed of a hurricane. Also, i noticed some liberties and disregard for the composition. Simply put, i found it weird [Not the good type].
> 
> What about you? How did you find it?


Gould was Gould, he went his own way.

I think he was a great pianist, not only with Bach but also with Brahms and Strauss. However I have trouble with some of his interpretations of Mozart's and Beethoven's compositions.


----------



## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Gould's performance is a scramble and sounds as if he's got a hot date to go to.
If you play the movement at that speed you have a problem at the end.
I picked up the first three versions that I came to--Robert Goldsand,Juliue Katchen and Robert Casadesus they all play it at a steadier speed and it is much better that way.
If you want anything faintly "normal" you don't go to Gould.


----------



## Orange Soda King (Sep 14, 2010)

I just avoid Gould and go with the conventional Beethoven players. As moody said above me "If you want anoything faintly 'normal' you don't go to Gould."

I have always been very partial to Alicia de Larrocha.


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

joen_cph said:


> It was pretty common to use that tempo back in Gould´s early days (there are several Gould recordings of the work). Another great example is the early mono Serkin/Ormandy (1954, not the stereo 1966). I find it very refreshing.


Didn´t mention Dorfmann/Toscanini 1945, which is also very fast (14:06, 9:27 - and 8:02!)


----------



## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Gould's Beethoven 1 is terrific. I note someone has mentioned the 1954 Serkin. Another great performance. Of course, there are other ways, equally enlightening - eg Kempff, kovacevich, Argerich, eg al.
The fact is there are many different ways to skin a cat! And play this piece. Eschenbach and Karajan did a remarkable recording of the work with a much slower tempo for the first movement. As did Baremboim and Klemperer.


----------



## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

moody said:


> Gould's performance is a scramble and sounds as if he's got a hot date to go to.
> If you play the movement at that speed you have a problem at the end.
> I picked up the first three versions that I came to--Robert Goldsand,Juliue Katchen and Robert Casadesus they all play it at a steadier speed and it is much better that way.
> If you want anything faintly "normal" you don't go to Gould.


Gould happened to have the technique to play it at that speed. It certainly is not a scramble in his hands!


----------

