GG: Blistering Technique and Stastical Note Density

["John P. Hill" <jphill@frank.mtsu.edu>]

On Sat, 18 Apr 1998, Matthew Harding wrote:

> I have this dream that GG announced one day he wanted a recording
> of up to 100 notes/second. I can't remember if Glenn mentioned this
> to me in a dream (he frequently visits me)

Wow...say hello for us!  What do you guys talk about?

> To add fact to fantasy, what do you think is the fastest playing
> by his Gould-ness on record? From my meager 100 recordings or so,
> (I'm sorry, I am not worthy), I am going for the Handel harpsichord
> pieces. The second one, second movement I think - lightning fast. What
> say you all?

No doubt there are tons of examples.  I seem to recall that the 3rd
Hindemith piano sonata had some really blistering stuff in it.  I once
opened up the second mov't. to see how fluently I could sight read it.
Then I listened to the GG tempo and performance and....well...I could only
admire the raw *statistical density* (as Zappa used to say) with which GG
approached that particular rendition.

cheers,

jh