Re: Modernism in GG's Bach

[Juozas Rimas <JuozasRimas@takas.lt>]

>His personal touch and swing give "modern form"to Bach's interpretation

Yes, B. Lehman would say it was "Bach through Schoenberg" or something like that
:)) It might be true although I can't help thinking that Gould's style of
playing Bach was formed in his early youth when he wasn't exposed to Schoenberg
strongly. Or was he? It would be really impressive to see a youngster
concentrating on Schoenberg's atonal abracadabras eagerly while practising the
"obligatory" composers at the same time. So if he accessed Schoenberg and saw
him as a base for his play style already being an adult, then it's hard to
believe Gould's style is *based* on Schoenber, although certain influence could
be present.

> pulled the piano Bach interpretations
> out of that [allegedly] very mawkish
> ditch into which it had fallen.  Before his dazzling and original
> interpretation were heard, apparently, individuals tended to play Bach in a
> "romantic" style (if they performed him at all).

The romantic Bach is something that I wouldn't want to eradicate whatever,
although I thank Gould we're out of the mawkish Romantic ditch. I cherish a tiny
fraction of Bach's keyboard oeuvre interpreted in the Romantic way, eg by
Brandel.

Although more than a half of my Bach' keyboard favorite renditions are by Gould,
I start to increasingly hate some of his lightning-fast or over-staccato'ed
preludes, some of the too-rigid sarabandas from the Partitas etc. Other piano
interpretations are necessary as well as the authentic harpsichord renditions.
So my Bach keyboard is 60% Gould, 10% of other piano guys and the rest on the
harpsichord. I find it to be a good mix.

Bach's music is too multi-faceted to constantly listen to one performer, even
GG. I can't play piano and, hence, to analyze Bach myself so I'm forced to
accept his emphases all the time (that is, he emphasizes one voice and I can't
hear some details in the background, although GG is hands down the best in the
separation of voices). So it's vital not to stick to Gould fully to ensure that
you get a "stereoscopic" view of Bach's music.

Juozas Rimas Jr (not the one playing)
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/141/juozas_rimas.html