Re: GG: Humming - Lichter's Vermeer argument

[jv <bardolph@home.com>]

Russell Lichter wrote:

>...A pianist is not a playing machine. What he conveys is
> a totality of his experience, skill and personality. What's next, touching up
> Vermeer's brush work? Either listen on the pianist's terms, or choose another
> pianist.


	The situation is different.  We don't need an interpreter of Vermeer -
we simply look at his painting.  Composed music, where the composer
himself does not play, requires a second party to interpret and then
play the work.  The analogy would be somewhat closer if Vermeer could
only feel inspired by smoking big cigars and coughing messily while he
painted, staining the results; would we be justified in cleaning off the
smoke stains, saliva water-marks, and bits of tobacco?  Yes, we would.

	When a musician interprets a composer's music, two artists are
collaborating; we don't permit painters to add brushstrokes to the works
of Vermeer, so why do we tolerate Gould adding music to the works of
Bach?  And I don't think we need to argue over whether or not Gould's
sounds were music or not - humming is a form of music, however out of
tune it may be at times, it is obvious that Gould is humming or singing
actual notes found in the music, or notes that complement the existing
ones in various ways.  The sounds he produces from his throat are
MUSICALLY INTENDED - but were not part of the original scores.

	Again, this would be fine if he called the results "Music inspired by
-- "; but to play Bach and add vocal notes Bach didn't write is
inexcusable, IF the results are to be given to the listener as "Music by
Bach, interpreted by X", which is the clear and unambiguous form and
spirit of the GG recordings we're talking about.  I trust that's another
given we don't need to debate.  

	If Gould is permitted to interpret Bach and add humming, why must the
buck stop there?  Why can't I, the listener, "interpret" Gould
interpreting Bach - and remove the humming?  If Gould refused to PLAY on
the COMPOSER'S terms, why must I LISTEN on the PIANIST'S terms?  I,
inspired by the example of the iconoclastic Gould, will also refuse to
conform to the Establishment's rules, one of which is expressed by
Lichter's "Either listen on the pianist's terms, or choose another
pianist."  I say, NO.  Gould's choices affected all his listeners; my
choices in this regard, should I succeed in my editing goals, will
affect only myself and individuals who actively seek to emulate me.

	Although I've already received a few emails from people interested in
obtaining hum-free GG recordings (should I succeed in producing them), I
don't think I'm likely to find overwhelming support in this particular
discussion group, for obvious reasons; can anyone think of any
newsgroups, chat lines, other discussion groups, etc., where I might
drum up more interest?


Bardolph