Re: GG: Schubert

[David Daniel <DanielFamily@worldnet.att.net>]

Hi all,

Gould said regarding Schubert:

        "... I am not really addicted to most of Schubert's music.  I find 
        myself unable to come to terms with the repetitive structure it
        involves, and I find that I get very restless and squirm a great 
        deal when I have to sit through one of the longer Schubert essays."

I hate to admit it, but for the most part I agree with Gould.  Even his best
works, such as the first movt. of the Unfinished (Symph #8) I find depressingly
repetitive.  On the other hand, I regard Schubert's late string quartets to
be among the best ever written.

I don't think I would categorize Schubert with the other 19th century romantics
that Gould considered 2nd rate and never recorded (Chopin, Liszt, Schumann),
but include him in the late classical period with Beethoven.  I think that 
Gould could have brought off an excellent performance of any one of the 
sonatas, but probably felt that other pianists were already making successful
records of Schubert, and what could he do that was different from them? 

A very interesting thread though.
Happy 200, Franz!

David