Re: GG listeners

[Lindsey Orcutt <lindseyo@aracnet.com>]

On Tue, 26 Jan 1999, David Daniel wrote:

> unfair to compare Gould's success with the success of Helfgott. 
> Helfgott's success was the result of his being the topic of a
> blockbuster movie that capitalized off his eccentricities. 
> Nothing nearly so comercially successful was ever done for GG 
> (and I hope never will be).

I think the comparison is unfair because of this reason: Helfgott's
playing is not good. Gould's is. 

If you can believe it, it actually makes me sick to think of all the
people who saw Shine and then went out and bought his cd, just because
they liked the movie. And this is the *only* exposure they're getting to
classical music. I worked in a classical music store right around the time
the movie came out, and struggled with my conscience every time someone
bought a Helfgott recording. 

And I don't mean to bash the guy, really. I feel sorry for him that he's
been exploited by his wife so mercilessly and turned into a performing
monkey.

Does this scare anyone besides me?

-Lindsey Orcutt
lindseyo@aracnet.com