GG as accompanist

[aq094@lafn.org (Eugene Selig)]

He was a SUPERB accompanist. Read the reviews and listen to him in the 
Sony Series with singers and instrumentalists. His (audio) recording of 
R. Strauss' "Ophelia Songs" with E. Schwartzkopf, done in ONE session is 
astounding proof, since the soprano is a respected Strauss interpreter,
even though GG insisted on giving Madam Schwartzkopf a brief lecture on 
one of his own favorite composers, whose lieder they were now to perform. 
Nevertheless, the result is marvelous without further takes. GG writes 
that there were to be more of this collaboration but her commitments 
interferred and caused a postponement. Had GG lived, the resulting 
recordings would have captured opera lovers into the Gould fold.
There are many other examples: Bach sonatas, each with cello and violin, 
another "Ophelia" set with another lesser-known soprano, and more Strauss 
(one of the "Four Last Songs" -Vier letzer lieder- with a famous Canadian 
soprano on the Sony Video Series). There is also the Schoenberg "Fantasy" 
for piano and violin, which GG recorded with Y. Menuhin. Since YM did not 
share GG's enthusiasm for AS, GG insisted that if the music were played 
from MEMORY (!) S's musical ideas would become more comprehensible. So, 
both played it without music. YM said he still didn't care for it. But 
the ensemble work is very polished, not to mention the musicianship.