Re: GG: Intros

[PHILIP.GARON@hq.doe.gov]

     Hello All!
     
     I've been an F-minor "lurker" since the early days of this list, 
     and am pleased that it's helped me increase my knowledge and 
     appreciation of GG, the man and the music.
     
     I'm a U.S. Government worker who lives in the Washington, D.C., 
     area -- beautiful Falls Church, Va., to be exact.  I was 
     fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work in Paris for 
     five years during the 1980's.  A number of things were happening 
     musically at that time. Compact discs and CD players began to 
     arrive in the stores; I acquired a player in 1985, and began to 
     build a CD collection.  Also, some of the GG videotapes were 
     being shown on French television. The French music critics and 
     fans tend either to idolize or vilify strong musical 
     personalities; GG was idolized, and had quite a cult following 
     among the French musical fans.  To that point, the only GG 
     recording that I owned was the famous 1950's "Goldberg 
     Variations" on LP, but the videotapes spurred my interest. Also, 
     a fellow with whom I worked -- a very knowledgeable classical 
     music fan who now writes reviews for "Fanfare" magazine, among 
     other publications -- was a GG enthusiast.  So, I set out to 
     acquire more GG recordings -- I now have a modest collection -- 
     and to learn a bit more about him. (I'm still working on that, 
     and have been carrying around Friedrich's GG biography for the 
     last six months or so, trying to find time to read it.  BTW: 
     Friedrich's book "Before the Deluge: Berlin in the 1920's", 
     written in the early 1970's, has just been reissued in paperback, 
     and is fascinating; it's history written like a gripping novel.)
     
     I have to confess that, unlike some of our list-members, I'm 
     still not a "True Believer."  GG is one of several pianists I 
     enjoy listening to, but I still find many of his mannerisms 
     (e.g., the loud humming) annoying to the point of distraction, 
     and some of his interpretations (e.g., the Mozart and certain 
     Beethoven sonatas) to be a bit bizarre.  Also, I find that, as I 
     get older and increasingly neurotic, the music that speaks to me 
     most deeply and meaningfully is that of Gustav Mahler -- and GG 
     performed little of that. One of these days, I'd love to hear 
     GG's performance, as conductor, of the section ("Urlicht"??) of 
     Mahler's "Resurrection" symphony which he recorded somewhere.  
     Doesn't it feature Maureen Forrester as the vocal soloist? 
     
     Having said all that, there's at least one GG recording which I 
     would *definitely* include among my desert island discs: the 
     ethereally beautiful Byrd/Gibbons/Sweelinck "Consort of Musicke" 
     CD, which has been praised by others on the list. I'd probably 
     want to have one of the GG Goldbergs along with me as well.
     
     I'm sure I speak for others on the list in expressing gratitude 
     to Mary Jo -- a *really* neat lady, IMHO -- for all her work in 
     creating and running the mailing list and Web page.
     
     Cheers, and best regards,
     
     Phil Garon