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Re: GG "Moscow" live of Bach Sinfonias
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On Wed, 9 Oct 1996, Junichi Miyazawa wrote:
> In January 1994, Sony Classical in Tokyo
> asked me to write a linernotes for
> the Japanese issue of
> "Glenn Gould Live in Salzburg and Moscow"
> of the GLENN GOULD EDITION
> (the world-wide catalogue number is SMK 52685;
> the number of the Japanese issue is SRCR 9500)
>
> As for Bach's Sinfonia 2-15,
> I had my doubts about the date and place
> of the recording.
>
> Though the main office of Sony Classical
> (and Michael Stegemann) declared
> that it is a live recording from Moscow 1957,
> I had a different info: it is a live recording from
> Wien.
>
> So, I wrote a fax to Walter Homburger, the impressario,
> who had been with GG in Moscow on the tour of 1957,
> to make sure of the facts.
> Here I quote the main body of my latter to Walter
> dated January 21, 1994:
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> [Subject:] Glenn Gould's live recording: 14 Synfonias.
>
> Dear Mr Homburger:
>
> Here, I am writing down the notes on the issue.
> If you have any facts for/against my conclusion,
> please let me know.
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Junichi Miyazawa
>
> --
>
> (I) The recording credit from the compact disc
> (Sony Classical SMK 52685)
>
> Bach's Three-Part Inventions (Sinfonias) Nos.2-15
> Produced by Moscow/Melodiya
> Live recording: Moscow, May 7, 1957; Mono
>
> (II) My conclusion:
>
> Recording place and date:
> at least not May 7, 1957;
> possibly Wien, June 7, 1957.
>
> If it is a Wien recording, the source is:
> Broadcast tape made by an Austrlian radio,
> which was sent to the Moscow Radio and once made
> into an LP by Melodiya.
The appendix of Gould's concerts in Otto Friedrich, _Glenn Gould: A Life
and Variations_ (New York: Random House, 1989) lists a Vienna concert on
June 7 which includes Bach fiftten Sinfonias; Webern variations. He
concertized in Berlin on May 24,25,26 (Beethoven PC 3, Carry-On, BPO)
and after June 7 in Montreal on August 20 (Brahms PfQn, with the Montreal
Quartet).
Note: The appendix does not pretend to be completely accurate
> (III) Reason:
>
> (1) There was no recital of Gould found in Moscow
> (and in Leningrad) the program of which included
> Bach's Sinfonias. In fact the May seventh recital
> carried not Sinfonias but The Art of Fugue
> (according to the two articles: one is the report
> by Mr Homburger for Toronto Star, the other is the
> review article of a Russian newspaper Sovetskaya
> Kul'tura, May 9, 1957, written by the late pianist
> Tatyana Nikolaeva).
Friedrich says Partita #6; Op. 109; bERG
> (2) an testimony by Professor of Gnesin Music
> Institute (Moscow), Vladimir Tropp, who wrote
> the liner notes for the Melodiya original LP record of
> Gould's Moscow Conservertory recital (May 12, 1957):
>
> According to Mr Tropp, the Sinfonias were not
> performed in Moscow; Melodiya got the Sinfonia tape
> from the Moscow Radio, and the Moscow Radio got the
> tape from an Austrian radio, which was recorded at the
> recital in Wien, on June 7, 1957.
>
> The Moscow Radio broadcasted the Sinfonia tape many
> times.
>
> With the Sinfonia, Beethoven's Sonata No.30 was also
> broadcasted, which was also recorded in Wien at the same
> recital.
>
> Eventually, Melodiya made it into an LP record.
> (Mr Tropp has a copy).
>
> (IV) facts (for reference):
>
> Gould's 8 concerts in Russia:
>
> *May 7 (Moscow): Bach's The Art of Fugue, Partita No.6,
> Beethoven's Sonata No.30, Berg's Sonata,
> some variations from the Goldberg (bis).
Friedrich: Partita #6; Op. 109; Berg
> *May 8 (Moscow): Beethoven's Concerto No.4 with
> Moscow Philharmonic conducted by Samuel Samosud.
Friedrich has Bach #1 also.
> *May 11 (Moscow): Bach's Goldberg, Brahms' Intermezzi,
> Hindemith's Sonata.
No conflict with Friedrich, who says that there were two Brahms'
Intermezzi and the Hindemith was #3.
> *May 12 (Moscow): recital with lecture at the Moscow
> Concervatory.
> No Bach except some from the Goldberg (bis).
My disc also has Art of the Fugue nos. 1,4,2
> *May 14 (Leningrad): the same as in May 7
Friedrich repeats his own May 7.
> *May 16 (Leningrad): the same as in May 11.
Friedrich says Berg Sonata (rest unknown)
> *May 18 (Leningrad): Bach's Concerto No.1 and
> Beethoven No.2 with Leningrad Concervatory Orchestra
> conducted by Vladislav Slovak.
Agrees with Friedrich
> *May 19 (Leningrad): recital with lecture at the Leningrad Concervato
> ry.
Friedrich: "Informal student concert; program unknown"
> *Gould's recital in Wien, June 6:
> Bach's Sinfonias, Beethoven's Sonata No.30,
> Webern's Variations.
Friedrich says June 7 but agrees on the works. June 7 was a Friday.
> *The number of the original Melodiya LP record of Gould's
> Sinfonias: D 7133/4
>
> The recording is supposed to have been released
> in 1961. Melodiya's monthly announcement Sovetskie
> dolgoigrayushie gramplastinki(No.3, 1961) covers the
> new LP's from 7101 to 7391, although 7133/4 doesn't
> appear on the page because the record was an
> unauthorized source.
Possibly, but record companies frequently issue them out of their catalog
numerical order.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> To my fax, Walter Homburger answered that
> he did not remember, so he could not
> say either yes or no, but my conclusion might
> be correct. He said he would tell this matter
> to the people of Sony and GG Estate.
> I did not make sure if he did so or not.
>
> I made a phone call to Vadimir Tropp and
> made it sure again.
> He told me some additional info:
> 1. The person who released the illeagal Melodia
> recordin of the Sinfonias was a director
> named the late Gendadi Kavalevski.
Melodiya issued many, many illegal recordings. I will list those with
Gould later.
> 2. Professor Tropp saw the tape of the
> recording in the archives of the
> broadcasting station with a credit of
> a recording of a festival in Wien 1957.
>
> Anyway, I reported my research to the Sony Tokyo.
> The person in charge of the disc told me I might
> be right and allowed me to slightly mention my
> hypothesis of the recording on the linernotes.
> I don't know if he told the matter to the main
> office of Sony Classical.
>
> Junichi / junichi_miyazawa@msn.com
Thank you for your research. The differences are all resolved, except that
the Vienna concert may have been on June 7, not June 6.
Frank