Re: GG: CBC Recordings

[Marco Poli <poli@imiucca.csi.unimi.it>]

Dear Elisha, Harold and other F minoreans

all the CBC recordings are in effect extremely interesting, but the
Goldberg one is astonishing: in fact it looks not so much a mix of the 1955
and 1981 versions, but, to my ears at least, is closer to the 1981
recording.   The general character of the performance is not "Dionysian",
as in 1955, but very "Introspective", as in 1981 (of corse, I use these
terms only in a very loose sense).  This might then be a confirmation that,
as Glenn wrote, he was "fully formed" from the beginnings of his performing
career: his interpretative ideas were probably very clear from a very yong
age, and he was experimenting with them in his different performances.

As for Howard's question, the Legacy vol. 1 set has been available in
Europe on vinyl as CBS M3X 38610 and possibly on CDs - I'm presently unable
to check if I own both versions or only the vinyl one; I'm also not sure if
the CD contained Tim Page's interview.   It might still be possible to grab
an odd copy: I'm pretty sure I saw one on the shelves of a shop here in
Milano a couple of months ago.


Best wishes





Elisha Tseng wrote:


>Dear F minoreans,
>
>It's been quiet in here...guess most people went to vacation.
>
>Well, I guess I have an anecdote: My mom and I were at Best Buy looking
>for computers.  Not surprisingly I ran to the classical CD section and
>started disc swapping everything I saw.(;-)  In the Gould category there
>were only two CDs and one of them is GG (the other was a conductor name
>Morton Gould-any relations?).  However, this is different: it is a CBC
>record and it is not a recording at a studio, but a performance
>broadcasted live in 1954.  In it are performances of Goldberg Var. and
>some Prelude and Fugues.  After some drama and tumultuous whining, I
>convinced my mom to buy the CD.  Her complaint was "Why should I buy it,
>when you already have both versions of Goldberg--what difference is one
>more going to make?"
>
>What was surprising is that this is the Goldberg played before his debut
>recording of the same work in 1955, and the interpretation is like a mix
>of his 1981 and 1955.  Although the quality makes the playing sound raw,
>but this is-I believe- the ultimate progression to GG's stardom.  Another
>surprising fact is I never saw a CBC recording in the US until yesterday.
> Is CBC making a volume of GG's own broadcasts- kind of like Sony's own
>volume of GG's recordings?  If so, let me know, because I would like to
>have a small CBC recording library as well.
>
>Regards, Elisha
>
Harold Sinclair wrote:

>Elisha,
>
>I have been looking around lately, and like you, have never seen CBC stuff
>in the racks. The Goldbergs you speak of I have noted on the CBC web page,
>but do not own it.
>
>> (the other was a conductor name Morton Gould-any relations?).
>
>No relation that I've ever heard of, but this composer does have a
>presence in the racks, it seems. I'm sure others on the list know all
>about him.
>
>> What was surprising is that this is the Goldberg played before his debut
>> recording of the same work in 1955,
>
>Yes, he was already a young star in Canada before his recital at the
>Philips in DC and the subsequent recording of the 1955 Goldbergs for CBS.
>Am I wrong in saying that he had already been recorded in Canada before
>coming to the US?
>
>Your comments on the recording make me want to hear it. List comments
>apprecitated!
>
>An aside: another list member and myself have recently been trying to find
>the CBS recording (vinyl or CD) called The Glenn Gould Legacy, Volume I,
>which is supposed to include both Goldbergs as well as a Tim Page
>interview.
>
>Can anyone please shed any light on whether this is available?
>
>Apologies if this had been mentioned here before (I don't think, or I
>would have taken notice).
>
>As ever,
>Harold Sinclair