Re: GG FW: <inquiry> Bernstein/Gould pfm in April 1962

[pbm972+@pitt.edu]

Junichi Miyazawa wrote:

> I have just sent the following inquuiry mail to
> the archivist of the New York Philharmonic
> on the Gould/Bernstein legendary performance
> of Brahms D minor.
>
> The crucial question is the date of the survived recording:
> April 6 (Friday), 1962 (the notorious snail performance) or
> April 8 (Sunday), 1962 (relatively faster perfromance).
> (There was also one on April 5,  as the "Thursday
> night preview", but the recording is not from April 5 definitely.)
>
> I am not sure if the archivist will give me a verified
> information.
>
> If anyone knows something to decide the date,
> do let me know.
>
> Thank you in advance.
>
> Regards,
>
> Junichi
>
> P.S.  Bernstein says in the speech:
> ". . . and I can assure you that it has been an
> adventure *this week* collaboration with Mr. Gould on
> this Brahms concerto, . . ."
> Can "this week" be a key word to decide the
> speech and performance were made on Friday or on Sunday?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> $B:9=P?M(B : Junichi Miyazawa <walkingtune@bigfoot.com>
> $B08@h(B : nyphlarc@panix.com <nyphlarc@panix.com>
> CC : $B9)F#63;R(B $BMM(B
> $BF|;~(B : 1998$BG/(B4$B7n(B27$BF|(B 10:07
> $B7oL>(B : <inquiry> Bernstein/Gould pfm in April 1962
>
> >Dear Barbara Haws,
> >
> >I am a music critic in Tokyo.  Being a consultant of
> >Sony Classical Japan for their new releases of the
> >performances by Glenn Gould, let me ask you
> >some questions for the New York philharmonic
> >activities.
> >
> >Soon, Sony is going to release officially the legendary
> >performance of Brahms' D minor Concerto by
> >Glenn Gould with Leonard Bernstein in April 1962,
> >for which the conductor did not agree with the
> >interpretation (an extremely slow performance),
> >so that he made an introductory speech
> >expressing the discrepancy.
> >
> >Let me ask some questions on the performance(s).
> >
> >1.  The dates of the concerts.
> >Was the collaboration made *three* times?:
> >April 5, Thursday;  April 6, Friday;  April 8 Sunday?
> >
> >2. What time did they start respectively?
> >
> >3. What orchestral works were performed besides
> >the concerto?
> >
> >4. One of the performances was recorded and broadcast
> >on April 9 (Monday).  Is it possible to decide which one was
> >recorded?  Probably it was not the April 5 (Thrs) performance,
> >for in the speech, Bernstein says "I'm not ... in the
> >habit of speaking on any concert except the Thursday
> >night previews."  Accordingly, the survived performance
> >is either from the April 6 or April 8 concerts.
> >
> >The previous CD release of the performance by Music & Arts
> >was credited as "April 6".  If it is the case, are you able to
> >verify the date?
> >
> >The performance in April 6 was an extremely slow one,
> >which was attacked by Harold Shoenberg in the review.
> >Gould was so upset that he played a faster performance
> >in April 9.  Sony and I would like to know the survived
> >recording is the slower one or the faster one.
> >
> >As a matter of fact,  Leonard Bernstein once said
> >the broadcast performance was the faster one,
> >that is, the April 9 version (Otto Friedrich,
> >*Glenn Gould: A life and Variations, Random House,
> >1989, p.105), but his words have not yet been verified.
> >
> >I am looking forward to hearing from you ASAP.
> >
> >Thank you in advance.
> >
> >Yours sincerely,
> >
> >Junichi Miyazawa
> >
> >cc. Kyoko Kudo, Sony Classical, Tokyo
> >
> >
> >****************************************
> >  Junichi Miyazawa, Tokyo
> >  walkingtune@bigfoot.com / junichi@poetic.com
> >****************************************
> >  http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/3739
> >
> >

   Junichi:
hi.
how are things in japan?
i have a recording form MELODRAM , an italian lable.
it says that the recording was made on april ninth 1962.
i think it is the same recording that you have because of duplications
in the text of the speech on the record and in your quote.
this probably does not help you as any recording made by the italians is
not trustworthy.
just kidding.
in any case, just to tell you.
Sean Malley