RE: [F_minor] popularity contests and conversations

["Houpt, Fred" <fred.houpt@rbc.com>]

For me, one of the hallmarks of Glenn's genius is his unsettled
acceptance of so-called "normal" ways of interpretation.  From an early
age, it would seem, he had a restless desire to penetrate deeper into a
piece of music, turning it over and over like a jeweler would to a
sapphire in the sunlight, examining the way the occlusions splinter the
light in different ways, depending on the way you position your fingers.
Like that, he took familiar pieces (Bach, Mozart, Beethoven) and
breathed freshness into them, making it sound (at first blush) to be
entirely new to our ears.  He took very unfamiliar pieces (Richard
Strauss for example), unknown miniature masterpieces, and revealed some
of them for us...for the first time on record.  He enjoyed extremely
dissonant music and by playing them (sometimes with big names like
Menuhin) he brought to our ears a remarkably challenging sets of sounds.
For some of us we never quite got to enjoying dissonance and for others
it was a welcome addition.  Glen reveled in revelation and that's always
going to be one of his most attractive traits for me.

Happy Robbie Burns day to all....not sure if Glenn had much interest in
Scottish music...?

Regards,

Fred Houpt
Toronto 

-----Original Message-----
From: f_minor-bounces@email.rutgers.edu
[mailto:f_minor-bounces@email.rutgers.edu] On Behalf Of Sam Cronk
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2008 1:26 PM
To: f_minor@email.rutgers.edu
Subject: [F_minor] popularity contests and conversations


I completely agree with all my colleagues - art has a meaning far beyond
record sales and exhibit attendance, and Gould most definitely did not
value competition. 

And yet: he released a prodigious number of recordings, created radio
specials and television programs intended for some sort of audience
because, I believe, he felt all this music and all these conversations -
however mediated - were important.

Perhaps we could reframe this thread, thinking more in terms of "ongoing
conversations", and whether there is still value in maintaining and
expanding Gould's presence in order to keep these conversations dynamic,
rather than simply thinking in terms of marketing, branding and
consumerism   

Make sense?

Thanks,
Sam
Canadian Museum of Civilization  


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