Re: [F_MINOR] Brahms #1

[lstanwyk <lstanwyk@RYERSON.CA>]

I've always believed a true artist IS a person who defies convention,
thinks outside the box and hopes to transcend people's thinking to a
higher place - to a place where critic's, politician's and lawyer's
minds will never reside.  Glenn's genius represents the top 0.00002
percentile of the population, so how can anyone relate, wholly
understand and thus pidgeon-hole the interpretations of such a
singularly gifted talent? It would be interesting to find out the
background, or level of musical education, of these critics.  An
argument against their panning of Glenn could easily be found: Critic,
you're an idiot... stop pretending you're an expert when all you've got
is grade 8 RCM?  Critic, you're a fool since you're a faithful lover of
Brendel and could never possibly accept anything outside of this
style... etc etc etc.  Glenn never considered himself a romantic (he
certainly was in my opinion :o))  and even admitted in interview he
never felt comfortable playing the romantics - hmmm... Brahms was a
romantic...  His interpretation of the concerto was not for me, as
faithful as I am to the man and his music.  I'm from the
Ashkenazy/Perahia camp of enthusiasts when it comes to the likes of
Johannes and his compadres....  but bless Glenn for giving a romantic
composer a go, regardless of his reluctance to delve into the music of
the early 19th century.

Leah

barbara stagno wrote:
>
> I was not aware of the BBC music mag aspect but it doesn't surprise me, much
> as it does dismay me. The media has always liked to type-cast people and
> once done, they keep at it .. apparently ad infinitum. It seems Glenn has
> become sort of the whipping boy for unconventional artist personas. It's
> still fashionable to tear apart his interpretations, along with his personal
> qualities.
>
> Fragile as Glenn was, we have to give him credit for sticking to his ideas
> and his ideals because he paid a high price for that. I believe that was the
> cause of his departure into seclusion for the second half of his life. The
> only way he could continue to do what he wanted, and survive, was to
> construct a wall of protection around himself and his art. It's a shame,
> really.
>
> That doesn't say much for our societal conception of art. There should be
> room for an artist to deviate from the norm without being shredded to bits.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <fred.houpt@rbc.com>
> To: <bstagno@optonline.net>; <F_MINOR@EMAIL.RUTGERS.EDU>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 22, 2004 2:47 PM
> Subject: RE: [F_MINOR] Brahms #1
>
> > You know Barbara,
> >
> > Glenn still gets treated with disdain by journalists.  I read the BBC
> music
> > mag each month and it's a good deal with the CD they provide as well.  On
> > each occasion that one of their writers refers to Gould it's like they
> were
> > talking about a freak.  I hate it and have complained in letters to them.
> > It is unfair and snotty and snobby.  I agree with your impressions.  Gould
> > approached the somewhat stiff nature in Brahms with a loving but strongly
> > probing mind.  He certainly knew full well the depth of Brahms technical
> > prowess, being only second to Bach or Beethoven in architectural acumen
> and
> > ability.  He loved the depth of Brahms musical lines and similar to his
> > approach to Bach, he dug  out the inner textures, no matter that his
> > approach was new.  Gould took too many lumps for his musical excavations
> > (and extravagances) and received far too few plaudits for his discoveries.
> > I have argued before that Gould is easily misunderstood as a crank or
> maybe
> > a nut.  In judging his interpretive foibles we miss his inner targets and
> > these shed light and insights far beyond the scope of any contemporary.
> It
> > is here that I still revere his towering intellect and I forgive and allow
> > his foibles in style.
> >
> > regards,
> >
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