Re: Hewitt's live goldbergs

[John Hill <jphill@home.com>]

Jim Morrison wrote:

> Anybody catch Hewitt's live version of the Goldbergs on performance today on
> Friday, I just caught the last third, from the "black pearl" onward,  great
> stuff, almost made me late for work, I sat in the parking lot riveted.
> She's my favorite Bach on the piano player, next to Gould.  I like to think
> of her as Gould brought back to life as a female.  And they're both
> Canadians!  And she's played upon CD 318!! The spirit has entered her.  Give
> her a listen.

I have a CBC recording of Hewitt and Bernardi realizing some of the Bach
concertos with the Vancouver Symphony.  It's well-recorded and I find
it very enjoyable to listen to.

I don't think I could agree on the "Gould brought back to life as a female"
idea.  Her playing strikes me as being very solid;  carefully thought
out and well-executed.  But, for me at least, it doesn't take too make
chances and I don't find the same kind of "throwing caution to the wind"
that so often comes through GG's interpretations.  I see her interpretations
as being much respectful of the composer's intent, or at least what
we know of that.  Gould's point-of-departure seemed much more about
"recomposing" the work based upon his own structural analysis and much
less about a "recreative" enactment.

Just my $0.25 worth (upwardly adjusted for inflation).  YMMV.

cheers,
jh