GG: In Performance

[PHILIP.GARON@hq.doe.gov]

     I'm forwarding this posting, from one of the classical music 
     newsgroups, because I thought it might be of interest to the list 
     members.--Phil
     
     
     [Forwarded message begins...]
     
     
     kehila@libra.math.tau.ac.il (Miki) wrote:
     
     >Is it true that Glenn Gould said that he play and record only
     >music by German composers because they are superior ?
     >--
     >kehila@math.tau.ac.il
     He may have said it, but he didn't practice it. The discography 
     in
     Otto Friedrich book: Glenn Gould: A Life and Variations shows the
     following exceptions on recordings:
     Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Taneyev, 
     Morawetz,Sweetlinck,Byrd,Pentland,
     Hetu (a Canadian, like Gould),Scriabin, Scarlatti,
     Gibbons,Grieg,Bizet,Sibelius,and himself.
     
     On Radio/TV in addition to the above he did
     Chopin!!!!,Valen,Debussy,Ravel (his own transcription of La
     Valse),Poulenc,Walton,Casella
     
     And In concert plus the above: Dupuis (Organ Cto), a surprising 
     amount
     of Chopin in his early years. After his US debut in 1955 to the 
     end of
     his performance career on Apr 10,1964, your statement is 
     generally
     true with very few exceptions.  I myself saw him in Madison WI in 
     1961
     (The date in the book is in error -Oct 12,14 ,1961, he cancelled 
     and
     played about a month later) he opened the program with "My ladye
     Neville's Booke" (Byrd?).  My program from that concert is buried
     amongst my memorabilia.  His third last concert at Statford ONT
     July28, 1963 he did a Glinka trio and the Prokofiev Violin Sonata 
     #2
     with Shumsky.  From the mid 50s he seemed to deviate from German
     composers only for some of the very early English music he 
     played.
     
     BTW the Friedrich book is probably the most highly regarded among 
     the
     many written about the man.  And  no, I did not get his autograph 
     the
     night I saw him.  He made a couple of curtain call to thunderous
     applause and then waved as to dismiss the audience as to say I 
     will
     not do any encores (or any more encores - I don't remember if he 
     did
     any).
     
     Jon Teske
     
     [Forwarded message ends.]