[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

The thrill of Glenn Gould

Dear Lluis and other F Minors,

I suppose one reason I have been loyal to GG is the fact that his recordings
were my first real exposure to fine music.  At the risk of being thought a
hick by the rest of the group, I will confess that in my family Elvis ruled.
 We just did not listen to classical music.

The poor lady who taught me to play the piano tried her best every once and
awhile to coax something that sounded like Bach out of the second-hand
electric organ in our little church.  It was always breaking down and was
most certainly not up to choking out Baroque organ music!

I will admit that I did not even know GG was playing Bach until I was told.
At that time I was as blank as a person could be!  Now I have heard other
great pianists play.  I would say it is Glenn's passion which attracts me.
He loved to play the piano.

I will look for Michael Scheider's book.

James

From: Lluís Manent (Teleline)              <manent@TELELINE.ES>
Reply-To: Lluís Manent (Teleline)              <manent@TELELINE.ES>
To: F_MINOR@EMAIL.RUTGERS.EDU
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 10:07:54 +0200

Welcome to the List, James!

Nice to read your story!

Here an interesting question: What makes the difference between GG and many
many other world famous pianist that specially in the case of GG makes the
listener (me, you, etc.) deeply thrilled while listening for the first time
at GG performance?

Let's take an example: Imagine you're blank in the sense you've never
listened at Bach's WTC, the English Suites or the Golberg Variations.
Supose
you listen at WTC performed by Maria Joao Pires, the English Suites
performed by Dubravka Tomsic or the Golberg Variations performed by Andras
Schiff. You will never get the impression you will get by listening at the
same Work performed by GG.

This fine but important fact makes the difference between being fan of
Claudio Arrau, Pollini, Brendel, Pires, Pogorelich, Argerich, etc. and
being
"fan" (what a horrible word!) of GG. In the first cases "to be a fan"  is
more concert and glamour-related. In the case of GG is a love story which
has to do more with self-introspection.

And once again (as often commented in the list) : Michael Scheider's book
(Glenn Gould, piano solo) explains this fine feeling in a very accurate
way.

Regards,

Lluís Manent



_________________________________________________________________
Join the world?s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail.
http://www.hotmail.com