Ghosts in the City of Angels

[Birgitte Jorgensen <bj@kemmunet.net.mt>]

Jim Morrison wrote:
> I've
> come to feel that the poor sound
> quality of the 55 and 59 Goldbergs is part of their inherent nature
(even
> though I know that inside the studio, and to the audience in Salzburg,

> Gould's piano
> didn't sound like it does on those mono recordings.)  The sound
quality
has
> actually become part of their charm, esp the aria and the other slow
> movements; the aria sounds so much more pensive, beautiful in it's
> melancholia, in mono.

Now that's very interesting. It reminds me of how we perceive the ruins
of antiquity and find them compelling for the haunting way that time has
imprinted itself upon them. The process of erosion often reveals some
otherworldly beauty. It's why we love an aged person's face for what it
says about the distance they've travelled. (Well, this physical
characteristic is probably somewhat less appreciated in L.A.!)

> I can't say that I've ever come across a Canadian in LA.

My point exactly.

> Oh one other thing about Canadians in LA.  Everyone out there know
that an
> LA theater was the last place GG gave a concert?  I've been meaning to

take
> a look at it, but haven't yet.  I'm scared it has bad karma.  Could it
be
> that LA is a bad place for Canadians and classical music in general?
I've
> only lived here for a year and a half, by the way.

On the contrary, I think that Gould's abandonment of the concert stage
was so positive for him (and indirectly for us since it enabled him to
devote more time to the recording studio), that you could say Los
Angeles was a good place for that particular Canadian and hence, a gift
for classical music in general. Anyway, from what I detect in the
passion and commitment you put into your postings on this list, your
presence there denies that the city of angels is an entirely unwelcoming
place for classical music.

As for the notion of visiting the theatre where Gould gave his final
concert and assessing it's
ghostly "vibes," I think this is an intriguing prospect. Would you do
it, and report back to the list on your experience?

Birgitte