GG: and living composers

[kb@terminus.cs.umb.edu]

A few messages back someone mentioned that perhaps Gould avoided playing
Stravinsky et al. because they were still alive at the time.

Gould did record some pieces by living composers. The one I'd like to
mention here is Jacques Hetu, a Canadian -- Hetu wrote a response after
hearing Gould's recording that was reprinted in the first GlennGould
issue (sorry, I forget where it originally appeared) that was quite
fascinating to read.

Basically, Hetu's point was that Gould made such radical changes in the
piece through dynamics/phrasing/pedaling/etc. (in some cases going
directly against the score) that it almost amounted to a different
creation (creating counterpoint where it didn't exist :-).  He seemed
truly appreciative of Gould's efforts, while at the same time rather
deploring the fact that Gould lost something by replacing Hetu's ideas
with his own.

kb@cs.umb.edu