R: Re: GG 20th death Celebration

[madiva <madiva@working.it>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Theresa Chen <elisha-jt@JUNO.COM>
To: <F_MINOR@EMAIL.RUTGERS.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, October 09, 2001 7:36 AM
Subject: Re: GG 20th death Celebration

> GG's habits reminds me of a story: When Sylvia Plath's father, How can a
>man so brilliant be so stupid?"

About theGG's  habit and health  :
Glenn Gould was extremely careful and not inattentive.

>I must say that I am somewhat disappointed at how the disc was
designed-->with all the powerful features that DVD has to offer, whoever
designed this >disc really didn't do much justice.  But, for GG, it was
worth the buy.

> Cheers, Theresa/Elisha
> --
About the GG's DVD "Goldberg Variation"  why you are disappointed?
The GG's DVD "Goldberg Variation"  is fascinating.
I send You my translation of an italian article about this release:
There is a flattering  GG's portrait into these notes :
FROM " MUSICA, ROCK ED ALTRO!" MAY,3     2001
 a translation from an article by Luca Damiani
"GOULD, A FULL LIFE BETWEEN THE 'GOLDBERG VARIATIONS'  "
IN DVD THE PERFORMING OF BACH'S WORK THAT CLOSED THE MYTHIC PIANIST'S
CAREER"
"The release of dvd "Goldberg Variations" that J.S: Bach composed for the
Count "Von Keiserlingk" in 1742 and that  Glenn Gould recorded in 1981
offered a beautiful opportunity for to talk again about a performer who is a
real myth: If bach is God, Gould was his Messiah.
In his revolutionary conception of flow"author-performer-public" the greath
Canadian, related to Edward Grieg through his mother in less of 30 years of
carreer he had draw again the conception of Bach's interpretation by Piano
keyboard.
The film that Bruno Monsaingeon shot between April and May 1981 is about
recording seance of second Goldberg Variations that Glenn Gould decided to
performing once again 26 years later the first Goldberg recording that
marked his record debut at age 23.
The recording of second Variations showily more thoughtful and mature than
the first as well as recorded in digital system  and so more different than
the 1955 mono recording ( 51' 15 '' 1981 - 38' 27''  1955).
Gould himself explained this enormous difference in an interview:
"I would listen a large part  of Music that moving me in a time more slow
and meditative ( and to play it so me too ).
In the past the rythmical stimulus was for me extremely, but in the years I
had the sensation that many interpretations (also my performing ) were too
fast.
I think that  the reason of it is  that the full Music who interested me
have the counterpoint  and the music  with counterpoint required a slow,
carefully time.
It's the lack of slow time that irritate me in my old Goldbergs recording."
Over the performing matter in this film we can see Glenn Gould crouched in a
fetal position, with the lip that to skim over the keyboard, at age fifty,
suffering but with a reflection of his young beauty, the long whiskers,
fashion of the time, and a subtle anglo-saxon irony in his smile ; the
continuous sing.song that to despair the recorder technicians but, in
reality to create a medium melodic line; barefooted , with the foot  over
the mixer  during the conversation  with Monsaingeon.
This is the Gould who astonished and fascinated us with his consciousness of
his greatness and uniqueness and nor his rickety chair, nor his clothing,
nor his attitude to distract us.
The Goldberg Variations marks the beginning of Gould's carreer and his
death, after the second Goldberg Gould recorded Brahms and, as conductor,
the Wagner's  Siegfried Idyll, this fact to add emotion  in this document.
Also the NewYork Studio recording at 207 of 30th Street in Manhattan, after
the last Glenn Gould's recording closed for  new structural company  to
close tight Glenn Gould in our mind forever."

I hope that this piece  are interesting for all of you
Best
Valeria Massari