Re: Eine Kleine Digression

[Gregory Barton <barton@mozart.inet.co.th>]

I agree with Duncan about the hums and groans. I would hate to edit them out.
They demonstratet that Gould really feels the music. It is an expression of
passion and involvement. Note the Penguin CD guide comment on Richter's
recording of the WTC "One wonders whether he is on auto-pilot"... Gould's
humming indicates that he is never on auto.

gb

Duncan Basson wrote:

>  HIP is a euphemism for intellectual snobbery. These
> >people do not appreciate music for its own sake. They are caught up in the
> vanity
> >of emulation.
>
>  But it's all water out of the spout. I listen to music because it sounds
> >good. Not because it's kosher. As Tuen says, "they're dead".
> >
> >Rober Kanuth is right. Bach is too pure to be restrained by formalistic
> >considerations such as HIP.
>
> I agree with the above points and I think that further, it seems ludicrous
> to steal away from the performer the right to interpret the music as he or
> she sees fit.  As was illuminated in other messages, at the core of the
> debate about whether or not Gould's interpretations are valid are strictly
> musical concerns.  Music's greatest power lies in the fact that at base,
> its nothing more than a specific arrangement of tones.  Music is
> fundamentally free from societal and cultural restraint in its purest form,
> and as far as I'm concerned, the 'purest' interpretation of a work
> concentrates solely on a study of the way the notes in a given piece relate
> to each other.  Thus, a musician like Gould, who gave not a moment's
> thought to historical accuracy or deference to the composer, did their
> music a far greater service than he would have otherwise.
>
> On a somewhat different note, I'd like to come down firmly in favor of
> Gould's habit of humming, squeaking, moaning, etc. on his records.  To me,
> the decision to let these imperfections record along with the music feels
> like a deliberate assertion of the humanity involved in the performance.
> Despite the fact that I just finished expounding on the virtues of
> interpretation of music on a strictly musical level, I don't exhaggerate
> when I say that music is perhaps the greatest example of accomplishment by
> the human race.  Gould's noisy playing subtly reminds the listener that the
> piece being played isn't merely an abstract construction; it is a piece of
> work, executed by humans for the understanding and appreciation of other
> humans.  In some ways, Gould's hums and grunts are his greatest musical
> contribution.
>
> Duncan