Re: GG's "Italian Ground" as a wedding processional

[Bradley P Lehman <bpl@umich.edu>]

On Mon, 20 Jan 1997, Kristen Immoor wrote:

> The Italian Ground Rules! I am considering using GG's recording of it in
> place of the standard wedding march when I get married (someday). I guess
> I'll have to pick a hall with a long entryway so the recording has time to
> get to the really good stuff. Either that, or I'll have to make it an
> extremely leisurely stroll down the aisle... :-)

I'd been playing the Italian Ground for several years as a
wedding-processional piece, on organ, harpsichord, or piano, before
learning there was a Gould recording of it.  It does work well.  Simple
harmonic patterns, regular phrase structure, friendly-sounding, and the
sections can be repeated several times if it becomes necessary to make the
piece longer or shorter (modular music like this is awfully useful in
situations that could force a performance to be of arbitrary length). 
Things rarely go exactly the same length as they did in rehearsal. 

As for strolling to make it end right, just start later after the piece is
underway.

My opinion of the Gould performance of it: it's a bit too fast (but
intellectually clear).  The sixteenth-notes don't have to sound so driven
as that, and they especially don't if one uses period English
virginal-style fingering that can make the piece more graceful (mostly
3-4-3-4-3-4 in ascending RH scales, and 3-2-3-2-3-2 descending, opposite
for LH). 

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Bradley Lehman, bpl@umich.edu       http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl/