GG: Piano Action, etc.

[John Hill <jphill@home.com>]

Burkhardt Ingersoll Wilke wrote:

> you might be surprised :)  the piano in question had been dropped by the
> movers.  Gould along with the a steinway guy tried to save it.  The
> inventions are a direct result of these efforts.  personally i have grown
> fond of these silly instrumental quirks in the recording and listen to them
> often :)

Actually, this is not correct.  The Inventions (and Sinfonia) were recorded in
the mid-60's, long before CD318 got dropped.  Gould's explanation for the
midrange "hiccup" effect on that recording was that he and his technicians
had been experimenting with some dramatic alterations to the action and
had not allowed the instrument it's normal "recuperation" period before the
sessions were scheduled to happen.

The Toccatas were recorded about 12 - 15 yrs. later (in two sessions,
two years apart) in the Eaton Auditorium.  The dropping incident happened
in the early 70's in Toronto.  Hence, CD318 had gone through a number of
sugeries before the toccata recordings were made.

I really like the sound on both these recordings and I don't mind that hiccup
at all;  in fact, I like it.  It is said that every great work of art has a
"flaw" that
distinguishes it.  I think that hiccup counts, so much so that I don't even see
it as a flaw anymore.  Strange how that works.

jh