Re: Eine Kleine Digression

[Duncan Basson <dsbasson@students.wisc.edu>]

 HIP is a euphemism for intellectual snobbery. These
>people do not appreciate music for its own sake. They are caught up in the
vanity
>of emulation. 

 But it's all water out of the spout. I listen to music because it sounds
>good. Not because it's kosher. As Tuen says, "they're dead".
>
>Rober Kanuth is right. Bach is too pure to be restrained by formalistic
>considerations such as HIP.

I agree with the above points and I think that further, it seems ludicrous
to steal away from the performer the right to interpret the music as he or
she sees fit.  As was illuminated in other messages, at the core of the
debate about whether or not Gould's interpretations are valid are strictly
musical concerns.  Music's greatest power lies in the fact that at base,
its nothing more than a specific arrangement of tones.  Music is
fundamentally free from societal and cultural restraint in its purest form,
and as far as I'm concerned, the 'purest' interpretation of a work
concentrates solely on a study of the way the notes in a given piece relate
to each other.  Thus, a musician like Gould, who gave not a moment's
thought to historical accuracy or deference to the composer, did their
music a far greater service than he would have otherwise.  

On a somewhat different note, I'd like to come down firmly in favor of
Gould's habit of humming, squeaking, moaning, etc. on his records.  To me,
the decision to let these imperfections record along with the music feels
like a deliberate assertion of the humanity involved in the performance.
Despite the fact that I just finished expounding on the virtues of
interpretation of music on a strictly musical level, I don't exhaggerate
when I say that music is perhaps the greatest example of accomplishment by
the human race.  Gould's noisy playing subtly reminds the listener that the
piece being played isn't merely an abstract construction; it is a piece of
work, executed by humans for the understanding and appreciation of other
humans.  In some ways, Gould's hums and grunts are his greatest musical
contribution.

Duncan