GG and buffstoppage

[Bradley Lehman <bpl@umich.edu>]

At 12:41 PM 7/14/2000 -0700, Jim Morrison wrote:
> If GG had any real friends they wouldn't have let him release that Handel
> CD.
>
> Friends don't let friends drive/play Wittmayer's.  :)
> (...)
> His relationships and psyche suffered from self-inflected buffstopage.

On the front cover: a full-color photo of a double-manual Wittmayer exactly
like the one GG played.  A candelabra sits on the lid, which is closed; all
nine candles are lit.  The keyboard is open, and the music desk is up: a
tattered book of piano music (Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody #2, absolutely
unplayable on harpsichord) is open on the music desk.

To the right of the instrument stands a slim 20-ish redhead, her long hair
up in an elaborate 'do, exposing her ear and her graceful neck.  She wears
a brown woolen jacket and slacks, with a ruffled white blouse.  Her left
hand is on her hip, with a large dark oval ring (mood ring?) on her ring
finger.  Her right reaches to touch (but not play) a key of the Wittmayer's
lower manual oh so delicately with her forefinger.  Her eyes are closed,
and her face looks beatific.  Bright front lighting illuminates her profile.

On the back cover: a black and white photo.  Everything is similar, except
that the lighting is much softer and the candle flames are blurred with a
filter.  The redhead is in a similar pose but her face is turned more
toward the camera: she looks into the distance with a slight smile and a
thoughtful expression, as if pining.  In this one she is wearing a dark
dress with a low neckline.  Her hair is back-lit.

"The only sounds...a rainy night outside, an isolated beach house and the
rumble of the thunder overhead.

"Against this...the delicate, but penetrating melody of a harpsichord.

"A mood...a mood of love.  Jonathan Knight, harpsichordist for the Midnight
String Quartet the featured performer, his sole accompaniment a rhythm
section and flute.

"The songs are carefully chosen for a mood of romance and subtle
excitement.  The sounds of the storm woven into the music further enhance
this mood.

"An album truly for lovers -- listen once and you'll agree."

Side One: Misty; Lara's Theme from "Doctor Zhivago"; Lonely Rainy Night;
Shadow of Your Smile; Dreams of Yesterday; Ebb Tide.

Side Two: What Now My Love; Night Came Too Soon; Melancholy Serenade; All
Alone Am I; I Left My Heart in San Francisco; Escape to Love.

Viva (Dot) V6006, "Lonely Harpsichord on a Rainy Night."  Looks like c1970
judging from all clues.

(It is not known whether Beethoven's fourth concerto with GG was playing
during the photo shoot to inspire the mood.)

And yes, this album sounds pretty much as one would expect.  The
harpsichord is closely miked to be heard above the rhythm section, but then
the electronic thunderstorm sounds often drown it out.

This was the popular milieu into which GG's Handel LP was released.

See also http://home.earthlink.net/~spaceagepop/lpinstr.htm

Interestingly, a Yahoo search for "jonathan knight harpsichord" yielded
this GG discography page from a University of Oregon course about Glenn
Gould, but it's obviously a complete coincidence by keywords:
http://libweb.uoregon.edu/music/gould.html


Bradley Lehman
Dayton VA
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl