Re: how I discovered Glenn Gould (a sleep aid for insomniacs)

["David Peer" <davidpeer@hotmail.com>]

>     Why did GG bother to record the Mozart Sonatas? I don't think he was 
> the kind of person who would record something he didn't believe in just to 
> make money.  If he had wanted to make a bundle on them he would have 
> recorded them in a more orthodox manner.  This has bothered me for a long 
> time.  Any ideas?
>
>     Anne
>
>     P.S. I like GG's Mozart recordings.

    I'm tempted to believe that Gould made a point of recording all the 
Mozart sonatas due to the very fact that they were controversial.  He was 
vigilant when it came to defending his often unorthodox performance 
practices, and generally in Mozart is the dichotomy between his 
interpretations and those which are more conventional the most pronounced.  
After all he was a particularly solitary character, it seems quite likely 
that he enjoyed the unique quality of his Mozart playing.
    Having said that, I have quite a bit of sympathy with the opinion that 
Gould did indeed have a soft spot for Mozart's work, surely it's 
irrepressible charm must have had some impact.  It wouldn't surprise me if 
beneath the shell of his principles Gould did indeed enjoy those lush 
harmonies and delicate melodies, permitting the heart to revel in that which 
his brain could not condone.

David Peer
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