Beethoven

["Leon A. Le Leu" <lleleu@medeserv.com.au>]

Somebody was wondering about GG's Beethoven performances.  I obtained a few
of the GG collection videos a few days ago at what I thought was the
reasonable price of AU$18 per video (about US$15 if we have to use that
comparison). They had been reduced from AU$32.   One of them contained his
playing of the Bach D minor concerto, the first movement of the Beethoven
first piano concerto with his marvellous cadenza, and what I feel is a
rather superb rendition of the 32 Variations in C minor.  I was so inspired
that I started practising them again but perhaps without GG's posture, his
gestures, and, of course, his tonal control and musicality.

I think his performance of the 32 variations is really masterly and gives
more of an impression of what a dramatic and well integrated work it is.
Just his rendition of the last three chords of the work, complete with
expansive gestures, is masterly in itself.

What do others think?

Leon Le Leu
Australia

P.S.  I bought five videos altogether.  I was going to cycle through them
but I am so struck by the Bach-Beethoven one that I find myself playing it
again and again.

For those list members who live within a one hundred kilometre radius of
Canberra - of which I might be the only example - Abels has a good
collection of Gould CDs and videos.