GG: Bringing Out Voices

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

On Thu, 17 Dec 1998, Michael Brenner wrote:

> Gould used techniques like this more than once.  He said that when quad
> sound came out, he tried recording a four-voice fugue by recording one
> voice for each speaker.  I'm sure he often recorded fugue voices
> separately, in his quest for perfection.

There's not much evidence for that last statement, at least with regard
to the Bach repertoire.  The majority of Gould's recordings were done
live-to-stereo using an Ampex 440 1/4" stereo analog machine.  The only
occasions I know of where he utilised a four-track recorder for
separation of elements were for the Marienleben cycle and the Hindemith
brass sonatas and some of the more experimental works like the Wagner
material.  For more details on these aspects, have a look at the Kazdin
book.

Let's face it;  Gould had the *chops* to bring any voice he wanted to out
of the texture.  He really didn't need separate tracks and faders to
accomplish that end.  But your point is well-taken that GG was
fascinated by the available technology and wanted to try all the inherent
possibilities.  The multimic pair perspective experiments on the Sibelius
recordings would be another example.

jh