RE: [F_minor] Beethoven sonatas (was Gibbons on piano)

["Robert Merkin" <bobmerk@earthlink.net>]

My tag-sale treasure, a vinyl collection of 1960-1961 recordings made from
surviving rolls cut by European keyboard masters before World War One from
the Welte mechanical piano record-playback system (the Welte finger robot
plays them back on any desired piano, in this case Steinway Concert Grand
No. 61), had some great documentation, which contained this circa-1962
quote from Glenn Gould:

[listening to] the Welte rolls are

"... both enormously rewarding and deeply disturbing ... because many of
these performances are hard to reconcile with the architectural notions
which our own generation prize most highly ... one is made deeply aware of
the transitory nature of interpretative ideals, and one is even led to ask
fundamental questions about the nature of stylistic concept as viewed by
the performer."

So Gould, listening to near-perfect piano classic reproduction performances
played by the Euro-Goulds of the era around 1905, was beginning to think
all doctrinaire rules about interpretation and tempi of the classical
repertoire were simply unfounded in the actual history of performance. So
he might as well play these pieces entirely as he and his ear thought fit;
they in fact violated no clear instructions from the composers.

As a kid, my wife studied and achieved a lot on the piano. When she first
heard my Gould Mozart piano sonatas, she went to the CD player to find out
if its speed motor was broken.

The Welte recordings booklet shows a historical lineage of the pianists and
their teachers and schools going back to classical times. These recordings
are echoes of interpretations that can be traced directly back to the 18th
century.

Bob /Massachusetts 


> [Original Message]
> From: Houpt, Fred <fred.houpt@rbc.com>
> To: Charles McElwain <charlesmcelwain1@verizon.net>;
<f_minor@email.rutgers.edu>
> Date: 3/17/2008 11:02:35 AM
> Subject: RE: [F_minor] Beethoven sonatas (was Gibbons on piano)
>
> This brings up a very important point.  Who is to say that the composer
> is correct 100% of the time when he/she indicates speed of playing?  
>
> Regards.
>
> Fred Houpt
> Toronto
>
>
>  
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: f_minor-bounces@email.rutgers.edu
> [mailto:f_minor-bounces@email.rutgers.edu] On Behalf Of Charles McElwain
> Sent: Friday, March 14, 2008 5:02 PM
> To: f_minor@email.rutgers.edu
> Subject: Re: [F_minor] Beethoven sonatas (was Gibbons on piano)
>
> At 12:01 PM -0400 3/14/08, Brad Lehman wrote:
> >
> >The one Gould performance of Beethoven that I'd say is at "ludicrous 
> >speed" (thank you, Mel Brooks's "Spaceballs") is the finale of the 
> >sonata #5 in C minor.  It's so fast that in at least one spot he really
>
> >DID NOT even play the notes.  I slowed down a tape of it once, to check
>
> >it.
> >
>
> When Gould's recording of the Hammerklavier was released, in comparison
> to the recordings I then had of the sonata, it seemed that Gould
> actually had internalized the passage in Fred Hoyle's classic science
> fiction novel, "The Black Cloud", where an alien (super) intelligence
> establishing communication with scientists on Earth hears a recording of
> the first movement, and sends a message back:
>
> "Very interesting.  Please repeat the first part at a speed increased by
> thirty per cent."
>
> Beethoven's metronome advice for the first movement was a half note =
> 138.  Gould's timing for the first movement was 11'04".  In comparing to
> what I currently have on hand, Nikolayeva's first movement is 14'30".
> The cloud would probably have approved of Gould's version. 
> On the other hand, even Gould's pales in comparison to Badura-Skoda's
> 9'47" (on an 1824 Graf).
>
> Myself, I'm not sure I'd use the Hammerklavier, or even Beethoven, as an
> introduction to an alien super intelligence.  I'd go with Lewis Thomas's
> advice here, even if it was bragging.
>
> Charles
> -- 
>
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>
> Charles McElwain
> 33 Vernon Street
> Somerville, MA 02145
> 617-628-5542 (home)
> 617-501-1591 (cell)
> charlesmcelwain1@verizon.net
>
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