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GG "Moscow" live of Bach Sinfonias
In January 1994, Sony Classical in Tokyo
asked me to write a linernotes for
the Japanese issue of
"Glenn Gould Live in Salzburg and Moscow"
of the GLENN GOULD EDITION
(the world-wide catalogue number is SMK 52685;
the number of the Japanese issue is SRCR 9500)
As for Bach's Sinfonia 2-15,
I had my doubts about the date and place
of the recording.
Though the main office of Sony Classical
(and Michael Stegemann) declared
that it is a live recording from Moscow 1957,
I had a different info: it is a live recording from
Wien.
So, I wrote a fax to Walter Homburger, the impressario,
who had been with GG in Moscow on the tour of 1957,
to make sure of the facts.
Here I quote the main body of my latter to Walter
dated January 21, 1994:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Subject:] Glenn Gould's live recording: 14 Synfonias.
Dear Mr Homburger:
Here, I am writing down the notes on the issue.
If you have any facts for/against my conclusion,
please let me know.
Best wishes,
Junichi Miyazawa
--
(I) The recording credit from the compact disc
(Sony Classical SMK 52685)
Bach's Three-Part Inventions (Sinfonias) Nos.2-15
Produced by Moscow/Melodiya
Live recording: Moscow, May 7, 1957; Mono
(II) My conclusion:
Recording place and date:
at least not May 7, 1957;
possibly Wien, June 7, 1957.
If it is a Wien recording, the source is:
Broadcast tape made by an Austrlian radio,
which was sent to the Moscow Radio and once made
into an LP by Melodiya.
(III) Reason:
(1) There was no recital of Gould found in Moscow
(and in Leningrad) the program of which included
Bach's Sinfonias. In fact the May seventh recital
carried not Sinfonias but The Art of Fugue
(according to the two articles: one is the report
by Mr Homburger for Toronto Star, the other is the
review article of a Russian newspaper Sovetskaya
Kul'tura, May 9, 1957, written by the late pianist
Tatyana Nikolaeva).
(2) an testimony by Professor of Gnesin Music
Institute (Moscow), Vladimir Tropp, who wrote
the liner notes for the Melodiya original LP record of
Gould's Moscow Conservertory recital (May 12, 1957):
According to Mr Tropp, the Sinfonias were not
performed in Moscow; Melodiya got the Sinfonia tape
from the Moscow Radio, and the Moscow Radio got the
tape from an Austrian radio, which was recorded at the
recital in Wien, on June 7, 1957.
The Moscow Radio broadcasted the Sinfonia tape many
times.
With the Sinfonia, Beethoven's Sonata No.30 was also
broadcasted, which was also recorded in Wien at the same
recital.
Eventually, Melodiya made it into an LP record.
(Mr Tropp has a copy).
(IV) facts (for reference):
Gould's 8 concerts in Russia:
*May 7 (Moscow): Bach's The Art of Fugue, Partita No.6,
Beethoven's Sonata No.30, Berg's Sonata,
some variations from the Goldberg (bis).
*May 8 (Moscow): Beethoven's Concerto No.4 with
Moscow Philharmonic conducted by Samuel Samosud.
*May 11 (Moscow): Bach's Goldberg, Brahms' Intermezzi,
Hindemit's Sonata.
*May 12 (Moscow): recital with lecture at the Moscow
Concervatory.
No Bach except some from the Goldberg (bis).
*May 14 (Leningrad): the same as in May 7
*May 16 (Leningrad): the same as in May 11.
*May 18 (Leningrad): Bach's Concerto No.1 and
Beethoven No.2 with Leningrad Concervatory Orchestra
conducted by Vladislav Slovak.
*May 19 (Leningrad): recital with lecture at the Leningrad Concervato
ry.
*Gould's recital in Wien, June 6:
Bach's Sinfonias, Beethoven's Sonata No.30,
Webern's Variations.
*The number of the original Melodiya LP record of Gould's
Sinfonias: D 7133/4
The recording is supposed to have been released
in 1961. Melodiya's monthly announcement Sovetskie
dolgoigrayushie gramplastinki(No.3, 1961) covers the
new LP's from 7101 to 7391, although 7133/4 doesn't
appear on the page because the record was an
unauthorized source.
‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
To my fax, Walter Homburger answered that
he did not remember, so he could not
say either yes or no, but my conclusion might
be correct. He said he would tell this matter
to the people of Sony and GG Estate.
I did not make sure if he did so or not.
I made a phone call to Vadimir Tropp and
made it sure again.
He told me some additional info:
1. The person who released the illeagal Melodia
recordin of the Sinfonias was a director
named the late Gendadi Kavalevski.
2. Professor Tropp saw the tape of the
recording in the archives of the
broadcasting station with a credit of
a recording of a festival in Wien 1957.
Anyway, I reported my research to the Sony Tokyo.
The person in charge of the disc told me I might
be right and allowed me to slightly mention my
hypothesis of the recording on the linernotes.
I don't know if he told the matter to the main
office of Sony Classical.
Junichi / junichi_miyazawa@msn.com