Re: Speaking of Gould and Richter

[john grant <dohgrant@idirect.com>]

Of course, the slow tempo would not, in principle, be a problem for Gould.
Witness the Brahms concerti (to cite the most notorious example).   And now
to digress completely (I can't resist), I don't mean to disparage Gould's
Brahms.   I can't think of a more satisfying performance of the Intermezzi
than Gould's for Columbia.  A benchmark.

John Grant
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/42/john_lewis_grant.html
----- Original Message -----
From: "Anne Smith" <smithqa@NEXICOM.NET>
To: <F_MINOR@EMAIL.RUTGERS.EDU>
Sent: Sunday, September 10, 2000 1:48 PM
Subject: Re: Speaking of Gould and Richter


> John asked:
>
>
> >I seem to recall that Gould and Richter were not only aware of each
other,
> >but may have had some direct or indirect contact or communication.
>
> >Can anyone assist me here?  What was the reationship, if any?   And what,
> in
> >truth, was Gould's impression of Richter and vice versa?
>
>
> Anne M. is right as usual.
> >From Volume 1 of The Glenn Gould Journal: Page 12
> Gould's admiration for the great Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richer may
seem
> surprising at first, given Richter's reputation as a powerful virtuoso and
a
> champion  of the sorts of Romantic, Impressionistic and modern repertoire
> that Gould always avoided.  Yet, from at least the time of their first
> meeting in Moscow in 1957, during Gould's famous Russian tour, the two
> pianists formed a mutual admiration society.
>
> A short essay follows that GG wrote in May 1978 as a broadcast commentary
> for the CBC  radio program  From the Masters.  In it GG said that he first
> heard SR play at the Moscow Conservatory in May 1957.  He raved about his
> playing even though he played a Schubert Sonata at a VERY slow tempo.
This
> same essay is in The Art of Glenn Gould  edited by John Roberts.   From
Page
> 73 of this book in an interview with Tovell:  I met the most famous
pianist
> in Russia, Sviatoslav Richer.  He is an idol in Russia -- an incredible
man,
> a wonderful person, a wonderful human being and a marvelous, marvelous
> pianist.
>
> Hope this helps.
> Anne Smith