More on Gibbons; GG and Mozart

[aq094@lafn.org (Eugene Selig)]

It has been suggested that GG was being "mischievous" when he said that 
composer was one with whom he "most identified." That notion could be 
supported by the humerous tone of the "Silver Anniversary" album from 
which it came, i.e., GG playing all the male roles. However, when asked 
by one the "interviewers" about his known affinity for Gibbons, GG 
answers earnestly, using his real voice. Also, in the "Concert Dropout" 
recording, when asked about his activities since retirement from public 
appearances, he responds by describing the four years since retirement as 
the "happiest" of his entire life, because of his newly-acquired freedom 
to read through a great deal of the literature purely for pleasure, and 
not for the purpose of repertory practice. Then he plays some Gibbons, as 
an example of a composer whose works he had been reading through "with 
great delight."

As regards Mozart: GG was eager, actually insistent that he record the 
sonatas. But his motive was not to produce a definitive set, but to use 
the opportunity perversely to point out M's faults. Some years before 
undertaking the set, he wrote an article for the now-defunct magazine 
"Piano Quarterly" with the title "Why Mozart is not a great composer."
In it, he used examples from one of the piano concertos actually, showing 
some modulations that would have given a harmony student a poor grade. GG 
was right! Keep in mind, the concertos contained far loftier writing than 
the sonatas, which were created mostly for M's students, while the 
concertos were written as perfomance vehicles for M. himself.

GG recorded the sonata K. 330 twice (the only one of 2 times when he 
re-recorded the same work, the "Goldberg" being the other). The first 
time he played it with few eccentricities, but for the rather slow pace 
("funereal" tempo, as referred to in the "Anniversary" album). Several 
years later, GG's tempo in the second version is appallingly fast. It was 
his approach to some works, even those of J.S. Bach, to experiment. 
Since Bach seldom gave tempo and dynamics indications, such experiments 
often yielded fascinating results. With M., it represented on GG's part, 
an attempt to uncover compositional weaknesses, and to point out that the 
reverent performances given the sonatas by major pianists were 
unwarranted and undeserved. Needless to say, the Mozart set was not received 
with favor by the critics, but certainly belongs in the collection of all 
us GG "junkies." He did record the C minor concerto with beautiful 
results, so his relationship with M. has been aptly referred to as one of 
love-hate.