Re: GG Two piano pieces

[Michael Arnowitt <arnowitt@sover.net>]

At 05:38 PM 09/24/1999 +0100, Andrew wrote:
>I recently got the GG composer CD on Sony and having previously worked on
>the 1st of the 2 piano pieces I was quite surprised at what I heard. Firstly
>the pieces are performed in a very un-Gouldian style. ...

Would you mind elaborating on this?  In what ways is it non-Gouldian?

I ask in part, for I have just recorded the Two Pieces myself (at the
beginning of September).  I don't have the recording you speak of, so the
score was the only guidepost I had (other than GG's personality) for
interpreting the music.  I haven't edited the tapes yet, so here's your
chance to be an active listener and put some thoughts out there for
consideration.

I do believe the first recording of a piece ought to be a little more
"conservative" or "straight" in terms of rhythm, etc. as it will probably be
a listener's first exposure to the piece and one should give the work a
chance to be heard with the note-values and pitches that the composer left
in the score or manuscript.  

>From what you had said, I am now a little concerned - for I had assumed
(without listening) that the Sony CD was this sort of a "standard take" - I
studied with Emile Naoumoff at Fontainebleau many years ago (not sure your
description of him as a 20th century specialist is accurate, by the way) and
as he is also a composer I expected that what I might call a "composer's
version" had already been recorded.

In my recording of it, I did do some rubato and added some articulations (as
you note, the score is pretty much unmarked, a la Bach), as Gould adds
articulation in his Bach playing.  However, it would disturb me a little if
someone would think that Gould had specified, for example, some of the
staccato or slurred articulations I "added".  But I guess that's the risk
you take with any interpretive move.

When I do a live performance of a piece of contemporary music, I tend to
"let go" a little more -- I feel this generally advocates for the piece
better.  But putting down a first recording of a new piece, as I said, moves
me in the direction of recording and editing it in such a way to make sure
the pitches, rhythms, and other indications of the composer were realized -
so the recording serves as a starting point for others to branch off from.

I hope there are other recordings of the 2 Pieces out there, as I definitely
enjoyed learning them, and I hope listeners will have enough "takes" of it
that they won't be unduly influenced by any wrong notes, rhythms, or
liberties taken by Emile Naoumoff or myself.

I have a few thoughts on "wrong notes", but as this e-mail is getting a
little long, I'll separate it out into a separate post.

Michael