re: GG: influence of harpsichord

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

Comments to several of the postings, which I've digested here: 

> From: Rohan Masilamani <romasi@leland.Stanford.EDU> (...)
> my question concerns the influence of the harpsicord on glenn gould's
> playing. i'm currently being audacious enough to attempt to learn the
> "goldberg variations" on harpsicord, hence i've been paying attention to new
> details in  the gould recordings. even though gould confined his bach
> playing to piano, i've noticed some influences of the harpsicord in his
> playing. his articulated phrasing and use of rubato are not unlike
> techniques used on harpsicord. does anybody know if gould ever made any
> definitive comments on this subject?

Hi Rohan, congrats on working on the GV, which is one of the Everests. 
You might also enjoy checking out Hassler's 30 variations on "Einmal ging
ich spazieren," which is a marvelous harpsichord piece (about 35 minutes
long) that is still pretty much unknown. 

> From: Rob Haskins <rh@wozzeck.esm.rochester.edu>
> I think that Gould's articulation is in many ways 
> totally antithetical to what a harpsichordist would
> do.  GOuld's characteristic non-legato is quite
> uniform, whereas a good harpsichordist would vary
> his/her note lengths from anywhere around 1/4
> length to over-legato.  It is unfortunate that
> Gould's non-legato playing has encouraged some
> harpsichordists to approach articulation in the
> same way.  
> 
> By the way, as much as I love Gould, I find his
> harpsichord recordings the least satisfying
> musically and technically of his legacy.

I agree 100% with Rob's comments here.  As Our Hero GG tried to be a
harpsichordist, he really had no clue about how to play a harpsichord as
if it were a harpsichord.  He played it as a generic instrument, and (on
the evidence of the recordings, anyway) didn't employ any of the normal
expressive techniques in his touch.  He consistently rammed the jacks into
the rails, with far too heavy a finger action.  And his arbitrary/weird
way with registration in the Handel suites is more reminiscent of certain
organ schools than with any harpsichord traditions. 

Didn't GG comment about the Handel recordings that he deliberately tried
to play "against the grain" of harpsichord technique?  I'm wondering if
that comment is not partially a cop-out...he might have been saying that
in part because he frankly couldn't make it sound as if he had harpsichord
technique.  A good harpsichordist plays gently enough on the surface of
the keys to feel every pluck, and has a great variety of release styles
(both with individual notes, and ways to release chords) to fit the music. 
On the Handel recording and the WTC excerpts, it sounds as if GG is
pounding away from above the key surface, and he doesn't demonstrate much
variety of release speed.  His particular style of staggering note attacks
(on either the harpsichord or piano) is more a property of GG mental
technique than harpsichordistic technique, where the staggering is done
differently. 

> From: Mark Williamson <mwilliamson@alston.com>
>      (...) There are also some 
>      "harpsipiano" recordings which I don't own and an organ 
>      recording of the Goldberg Variations which I don't own.  

Art of Fugue (I-IX only) on organ, not Goldberg Variations. 

> From: David Daniel <DanielFamily@worldnet.att.net>
> I don't think GG had any knowledge of "traditional" harpsichord 
> articulation/technique, and he had no formal training on the instrument.   
> 
> He did admit (I think to Kazdin) that he "loved the sound of the instrument."
> I think he probably liked it for its lack of resonance (the sound dies away 
> _much_ faster than a Steinway) which probably worked well with his non-legato 
> style, and also for its quick touch, or "tactile immediacy."

I wonder if GG ever heard or played a *good* harpsichord, one with real
resonance.  The Wittmayer he recorded on was a factory model, not a
hand-crafted instrument.  For some great articles on the sound of 
a good harpsichord, see http://www.dioptra.com/khill/articles/bloom.html 
and http://www.dioptra.com/khill/articles/chapone.html

Also, I have a website that compares the sounds of various harpsichords,
including Gould's Wittmayer.  The samples aren't great, but at least
they're all equally discolored by the same sampling program, and I think
some of the variable instrument quality is audibly evident. 
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl/hpsi.html

In addition to a resonant sound, a good harpsichord has an action that is
sensitive to variations of touch and release, much more than most people
realize.  From GG's Handel recording it sounds as if his Wittmayer has an
"either on or off" touch and nothing more.  Or maybe at least part of that
is just GG's lack of harpsichord techique. 

> From: Jeff Dods <jdods@alchemy.chem.utoronto.ca>
> Yes, let me second the complaints about the sound of the recording.
> The voice if the instrument is weak and dry, typical of the early
> 20-th century "lets build the harpsichord like a piano" school.
> I beg people not to judge the sound of harpsichords by this recording.

I third the complaints.  :)

Bradley Lehman ~ Harrisonburg VA, USA ~ 38.44N+78.87W
bpl@umich.edu ~ http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl/