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Re: GG, or How I learned to stop worrying and love Glenn Gould
- To: F_MINOR@email.rutgers.edu
- Subject: Re: GG, or How I learned to stop worrying and love Glenn Gould
- From: "Harding.Matthew" <Matthew.Harding@CIC.GC.CA>
- Date: Wed, 7 Aug 2002 11:37:08 -0400
- Delivered-to: f_minor@email.rutgers.edu
- Reply-to: "Harding.Matthew" <Matthew.Harding@CIC.GC.CA>
- Sender: "Mailing list devoted to the discussion of Glenn Gould's work and life." <F_MINOR@email.rutgers.edu>
- Thread-index: AcI9yDzzuU3ywiZcTAiMFP8rSLVUugAWyfxw
- Thread-topic: GG, or How I learned to stop worrying and love Glenn Gould
Title: Message
Well,
I'll be honest.
At
first, it started out with the Goldbergs and a little tape cassette I had called
the Little Bach Book (mostly 2-3 part inventions, now I know the screeching
sound I heard was the Chromium Dioxide being scraped off the magnetic tape
because I played it so many times). I got away with that. I would describe
counterpoint, hum the quodlibet, talk about Count whatever his name was. So far,
so good. My wife wasn't happy, but tolerant.
Next,
we progressed to Beethoven Piano Concertos. I got away with _that_ because,
well, it's Beethoven. I would explain how the 5th was a tribute to Napoleon (but
later rescinded), written in the turbulent 1800s, etc. etc. I was pushing my
wife's limits, but I thought, what the heck.
But
THE FINAL STRAW was when I started playing The Idea of North in the living room.
I think that is what got me banished from the stereo system. It was a little
hard for my wife to follow along with all the voices. Or maybe she was getting
sick and tired of me jumping and down excitedly on the couch and saying "Here
comes Wally again! And then the Sibelius!!!". AND she would make me promise
never to play Schoenberg or Hindemith in front of house
guests.
Either
way, the breakthrough came when my wife pointed out that I spend approximately
15 minutes a month sitting and listening to the stereo (I have 4 kids), and
approximately 2 hours a day in my car going to and from work!!! So now I prepare
my 15 or so CDs at the beginning of the week, and I'm a happy man!!! (Not woman,
for which I apologize deeply).
Anyway, anyone who has never heard the Strauss
documentary on the Hysterical Return hasn't lived. They're GG at his finest,
music and yet oh, so clever. And that Duncan Haig-Guiness, WHAT an
actor.
Regards,
Matthew
The marriage problem is a problem here also. It is difficult to
wait sometimes until ones mate is out of the house or at least out of the room
to enjoy listening to GG recordings but maybe that makes listening to them
that much more precious.
--- Fred Stubbings
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