Re: Gould Bias Becomes Wanda

[Bradley P Lehman <bpl@umich.edu>]

>     know the one I mean - the only one who recorded the Goldbergs before
>     Gould... it was a woman... oh, well, it's gone now) and found Gould's much
> 
> I'm not sure she was the only one, but it was probably Wanda Landowska,
> one of the foremost Bach interpreters in the first half of the century.

Yes, probably.  Landowska's version is a classic, one of the greatest
Goldberg recordings of all time (IMHO), and it's certainly not "gone." 

Claudio Arrau also recorded the Goldbergs on piano before GG did;
there may be others I haven't heard of, as well. 

> 
> She had an enormous influence (positive IMHO) on Bach performance,
> getting away from the truly romantic interpretations rampant before and
> during her time, i.e., banging on the piano for maximum effect.
> 
> She recorded on the harpsichord, and was extremely knowledgeable of and
> interested in authentic performances.  Of course, as a ground-breaker,
> we now have the benefit of another 50 years of research to make
> performances more truly authentic than hers, but for her time ...
> 
> I'm sure others (Bradley?) will correct me where I've erred, and add
> info where I'm lacking.  This is from memory of reading her liner notes
> to the WTK recording I have (*six* albums, a big fat box :-).
> 

The only real "correction" I'd offer is to amend your sentence to say,
"She had an enormous influence on *music*" and not just Bach performance. 
Performer (on both harpsichord and piano), teacher, scholar, commissioner,
etc. of not only Baroque music, but 20th-century music.  She was also a
composer. 

In addition to her own writings, there's a good chapter about her in Larry
Palmer's fascinating book, _Harpsichord in America_.  And Virgil Thomson
once wrote of her, "She plays the harpsichord better than anyone else
plays anything." 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bradley Lehman, bpl@umich.edu       http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl/  
"It doesn't really matter if the color's exactly right 
   if the picture feels right when you finish the print." - G. O'K.