Re: [BACH-LIST] gould

[jerry and judy <jerbidoc@zianet.com>]

>At 03:04 PM 4/20/98 -0600, jerry and judy wrote:
>>
>>Mozart was composing for an early, rudimentary pianoforte, while Glenn
>>Gould had presumably the best technology available to him.
>
>
>Oy vey!!! Au contraire!! Mozart was writing for a highly perfected
>instrument, the Viennese fortepiano, which expressed to perfection the
>musical aesthetic to which it belonged.

I stand corrected, but isn't that finally the point?  GG wouldn't have ever
been  satisfied recording on a fortepiano because he didn't share the
limited aesthetic?  He was always trying to expand and record even the best
known composers and pieces "differently", in a new way.

>Mozart sonatas don't work properly
>on any modern piano.

Are you saying my Mozart fortepiano CDs will grow on me?  Is it an acquired
taste??  I dunno...  They've been put away for so long that I couldn't even
tell you what or who I have.

>Moreover, Gould played a tricked-up old Chickering that
>he had modified to produce a special, jangly, percussive effect for Bach
>playing. Finally, Gould's recording technology at Columbia was crappy, to
>boot.

>>  GG could play
>>them in what he  probably considered to be the most "idealized" manner.
>>Or, as you say, he might have intended to trash them (but I don't think
>>you'll convince his true fans of that), in any case, he probably wanted to
>>finish the project as soon as possible and go on the something more to his
>>liking.  I'm glad he gave us a very different set (even though I can barely
>>stand to listen to some of them!) and I'm glad that he quickly moved away
>>from WAM for his last years of recording.
>
>Gould admitted in interviews that he was defacing the music, and that he
>didn't respect Mozart as a composer. No composer suffered as badly at
>Gould's hands as did Mozart.

The mythical *they* will argue about that for a long time   I tend to agree
with you, unless I'm in one of my rare moods, ;-)  and at those times I'm
very much indebted to Glenn for his eccentric experiments!  Where else can
I turn?  Is there someone recording today that is so far from the pack that
you absolutely hate him/her or love him??

>For his part, Gould should perhaps be
>remembered for his Bach, and can at best be forgiven for his sins against
>Mozart.

Don't forget the Appassionata (1st mvmnt).  Sorry, I can't forgive him for
that, but I kinda understand it (what am I saying!?!).

Jerry

>dbk