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RE: [F_minor] Glenn Gould
A recent BBC Music Mag had the same idea in its cover article on Lenny.
The author felt that Bernstein was THE musician of the century. Not
that I think there is such a thing (I'd also vote for Ravi Shankar) but
it makes for good after dinner conversation.
Glenn evoked strong reactions wherever he went and whatever he recorded.
As did Bernstein. His output was smaller than Bernstein's but for lovers
of piano music there are few others who rippled the waters so regularly.
(Maybe Horowitz but I think his claim to fame was more live performances
which were hair raising affairs).
Regards,
Fred Houpt
-----Original Message-----
From: f_minor-bounces@email.rutgers.edu
[mailto:f_minor-bounces@email.rutgers.edu] On Behalf Of paul wiener
Sent: Thursday, January 24, 2008 11:03 AM
To: Singh; bobmerk@earthlink.net; F_MINOR@EMAIL.RUTGERS.EDU
Subject: RE: [F_minor] Glenn Gould
As I mentioned, I think Leonard Bernstein had as great an impact - or
greater - on the music world. Not to minimize Glenn.....
At 07:32 PM 1/23/2008, Singh wrote:
>I do not doubt that many geniuses have emerged in many fields since
>Gould's time. But has any one of them had a similar impact that
>Glenn Gould had on the musical world? Perhaps what I meant is not
>that one will emerge, but that there is now room for one more, to
>help revitalize Glenn Gould's message. Perhaps a Gouldofski? ;)
>
>Singh
>
> > Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 15:05:06 -0500
> > To: bobmerk@earthlink.net; F_MINOR@EMAIL.RUTGERS.EDU
> > From: pwiener@ms.cc.sunysb.edu
> > Subject: Re: [F_minor] Glenn Gould
> >
> > Chester hopes for a new Gould-like figure to emerge. If you hope and
> > look hard enough, one WILL emerge - possibly on American Idol.
That's
> > not the way charismatic geniuses make their mark, however. Such
> > figures are always a surprise! Gould emerged out of his times ,
> > before the internet, before Bach was brilliantly interpreted and
> > performed by many other pianists, before a world that worships
> > celebrity, less than half a century after the birth of the recording
> > industry, and before a world where good music can be dialed up on
> > cell phones. Like any unique creative genius, he was there at the
> > right time, when we needed him most, not when we wanted him. He was
> > there to usher in a new era of music as a technology. If there is a
> > backlash against Gould developing, it's probably thanks in part to
> > the many fans who have hungrily overhyped him and to our wishful
> > tendency to separate musical experience from mental experience. Two
> > recent books explore the neurological aspects of musical memory and
> > reception, and will help us learn why we hear what we hear: Oliver
> > Sacks' Musicophilia, and Daniel Levitin's This Your Brain on Music.
> >
> > Since his death many other geniuses have emerged in many of the arts
> > (let's not forget his contemporary Leonard Bernstein).
> >
> > At 02:19 PM 1/22/2008, Robert Merkin wrote:
> > >I think the question lurking beneath Chester's question is: Who are
we?
> > >
> > >Are we people simply and honestly mesmerized with Glenn Gould's
> > >achievements and life?
> > >
> > >Or have we also assumed the responsibility of evangelizing and
> > >proselytising Glenn Gould to the Great Unwashed (particularly to
> > >teenagers and college students)? Are we also the active guardians
> > >and apostles of his legacy? Are we draymen hauling Glenn Gould
> into the future?
> > >
> > >Does it suffice to kick back, disconnect the phone, and listen to
an
> > >hour of Byrd and Gibbons on a nice stereo in a comfortable chair?
> > >
> > >Or are we morphing into people who knock on the doors of strangers
> > >and offer them a chatty, upbeat introduction to Glenn Gould, and
> > >some full-color pamphlets, or a free DVD?
> > >
> > >I don't know ... take Caruso as an example. After he died, how
> > >important was an army of his surviving admirers to making him an
> > >idol and superstar of the recorded music era? Or does Caruso keep
> > >hurtling into the future for the inherent content of his squawky
> > >cylinders alone?
> > >
> > >For his entire career, from bobbysoxer teen phenom to death,
Sinatra
> > >attended obsessively to his fan base -- personal letters and cards,
> > >personally autographed photos to any fan who asked, numerous
> > >in-person visits to local fan clubs. One high-class magazine
article
> > >about this -- possibly Esquire -- felt that, beyond Sinatra's
> > >inherent great talents, his attention to the folks in the audience
> > >played a great role in his ultimate success. (Remember Dick Haymes?
> > >Eddy Fisher survives today pretty entirely on his marriage to Debby
> > >Reynolds and Elizabeth Taylor. Maybe they weren't taking care of
> the fans.)
> > >
> > >It seems to me that an artist's path to the future is pretty much a
> > >crapshoot, and depends on the arbitary whims and accidents of
> > >society and industry, of economic and legal forces. There's a six
or
> > >seven year Hole in the middle of Prince's most creative years
during
> > >which he and Warners were having intractible contract disputes --
> > >the world was pretty much denied access to any new work, and he
> > >intentionally fought back by not working.
> > >
> > >Or perhaps poor product placement -- somebody takes Gene Kelly's
> > >delightful, charming, innocent "Singin' in the Rain" and gives it
an
> > >indelible association with brutal sociopathic teenagers (one of
whom
> > >sincerely loves Beethoven).
> > >
> > >I don't know, dare we let Glenn find his own path to the future
> > >without too much of our active help and interference? Perhaps this
> > >is the moment to stop taking worlwide popularity polls, which
> > >strikes me as being a lot like tracking cocoa futures?
> > >
> > >Of course it's a pleasure equal to music itself to share beautiful
> > >music with others. But, of just the performances, can we trust in
> > >their inherent power to keep Glenn Gould as popular with future
> > >listeners as Caruso? Or do we need to shower them with ballyhoo and
> > >comments left on YouTube? Do we have a mission, and how consonant
> > >would our mission seem to the dead gentleman himself? "32 Short
> > >Films" plays with these themes of the relations between Glenn Gould
> > >and the Outside World. They were very complicated.
> > >
> > >Bob
> > >Massachusetts USA
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > [Original Message]
> > > > From: paul wiener <pwiener@ms.cc.sunysb.edu>
> > > > To: Singh <k_dawg71@hotmail.com>; Brad Lehman <bpl@umich.edu>;
> > > <f_minor@email.rutgers.edu>
> > > > Date: 1/22/2008 11:13:52 AM
> > > > Subject: Re: [F_minor] Glenn Gould
> > > >
> > > > This would be more or less upsetting if some facts came with it.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > At 11:48 AM 1/20/2008, Singh wrote:
> > > >
> > > > >Just two days ago, my teacher told me something extremely
troubling.
> > > > >Ratings of Glenn Gould's recordings have gone done alot in the
past
> > > > >short while. This, for me, points out the resurgence of
everything
> > > > >Glenn Gould philosophically tried to disprove. It shows the
> > > > >resurgence of traditionalism, and an increased taste for
> > > > >traditionalist recordings from the general public.
> > > > >I just thought everyone should know. However, this also gives
an
> > > > >opportunity for another Glenn Gould-like figure to emerge. And
we
> > > > >can only hope,
> > > > >
> > > > >Chester Singh
> > >+
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > F_minor mailing list
> > F_minor@email.rutgers.edu
> > https://email.rutgers.edu/mailman/listinfo/f_minor
>
>
>
>----------
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