Re: GG: Saint Glenn

[kimmoor@mindspring.com (Kristen Immoor)]

>    ...there seems to be a disappointing amount of hagiography 
>     at times.  I find this particularly distasteful when other artists are 
>     denigrated in the process.  I refer to the sneering comments about 
>     Byron Janis and Lord Menuhin in recent posts...

>    ...GG's personal foibles are a lot less interesting than his musical 
>     ones, however.  (and who cares about the stupid chair??)

>     ...OK - I am standing still - ready, aim fire!!!

Peter,
        Ok, I know when I'm being called out, and I'm sorry if my slight at Byron J. upset you, I assure you it was all in good fun. I have nothing personal against Janis, Horowitz, Barenboim, Menuhin or any other musician (though I do have doubts about whether I would get along with Bruno Monsaingeon.) I like to have a sense of humor about music, and I sincerely hope this comes across in the majority of my posts (and I'm not really suing the GG estate, either.) 
        I also have a tremendous sense of humor when it comes to GG, and I like to think that I have a very well-rounded and realistic image of him. I have no wish to elevate him to sainthood any time in the near future, despite his kindness to dogs, parakeets and Lucas Foss' wife, I doubt he'd pass the martyrdom exam. Though I am not quite as hostile as Andrew Kazdin on the subject of Gould's social ineptitude and annoying or impolite manner, I do recognize that the ratio seems to be that for every two people who remember him as being a warm and generous person, there is one with whom he was rude and disrespectful, or just plain obnoxious. This can be attributed to the artist's temperment, his sparse socialization as a child, or his early abduction by aliens, and in none of these cases would it matter. We gather to have a forum for our appreciation of the tangible product Gould left behind (music, writing, tv program,) but if on a given Monday one of us happens to be thinking "Hey, wasn't that chair thing weird?" Then so be it. Can't be lofty all the time, right?
        Also, I think that one of the reasons the conversation on this list tends to range toward the entertaining or non-musical theorist is that Gould's music appeals to people who have no background in music as much as it does to those who play or teach. Perhaps some of the more technical discussions hold no interest for these readers. Still, I enjoy the fact that everyone can contribute, no matter where their Gould interests lie.
        Keep posting, your letter was very interesting!
Regards,
Kristen


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Elyse Mach: "But do you think that if Beethoven came back to life he'd go along with these notions of motif and tempo?"
Glenn Gould: "I don't really know, nor do I very much care..."