RE: GG: Beethoven/Liszt SIXTH Symphony

[jerbidoc@jaws.greatwhite.com (jerry and judy)]

>Gould also goes out of his way (in the liner notes of his recording) to
>criticize Liszt's use of double octaves in his transcription of
>Beethoven's Sixth symphony.  He notes correctly that doubling notes on the
>piano does not capture the texture of, say, a violin and a cello playing
>the same note at an octave interval.  I don't have the quote here in front
>of me, but I think he says something funny about double octaves sounding
>like the "worst excesses" of somebody's "aunt" banging away at the family
>piano.
>
>The irony of this is that despite the shortcomings of Liszt's
>transcription of the sixth symphony, Gould gives - in my opinion - one of
>his most astonishing and beautiful performances; my personal favorite of
>all his non-Bach recordings.  We all know how Gould tended to treat
>material he didn't like (Mozart, anyone?), but here, in a live recording,
>he gives a nuanced performance that entirely transcends the limitations of
>Liszt's score.
>
>Does anyone else have an opinion about this recording?
>
>-Tim Solomon
>
Yes, I've been amazed since the Silver album with his apparent transcending
of the limitations of the instrument in his performance of the Pastoral.  I
remember checking the record out of the library and playing the track over
and over!

That amazing record encouraged me to purchase three CDs by Cyprien Katsaris
of the 3rd, 7th and 9th symphonies.  I admit that I only found them because
of your request for an opinion about the rerelease of the GG Pastoral.   I
hadn't played them in years and had mainly purchased them as a reference in
studying the symphonies as piano broiler plates(?).  Which is irionically
the opposite of Liszt's purpose when he began in 1837, he thought that they
would bring himself increased respectability as a musician (as well as
acquaint the public to Beethoven's, then neglected, difficult works ).

I can relate to everyone my opinion that these recordings, if given a
chance, do grow on one!

 The 3rd and last movement of the Eroica are interesting on the piano.  I
heard things that I should have heard before.  I have to admit that the 3rd
is not one of my favorites, so that might have something to do with my only
now becoming aware of some of the intricacies in the work.

 The 7th is quite a new and pleasing, invigorating experience with fine
playing.  The last movement is played  a very fast Allegro con brio and it
works. Included on this CD  is a reconstruction of the Schumann (age 21)
study in variations on the 2nd mvmnt.  This set of variations shows (in
embryo) what musical directions the generation after Beethoven would
explore using the Masters older vision of musical expression as a platform.

The 9th, what can I say?, not only is the piano an inadequate substitute
for orchestra, but it can't begin to approach the expression of the voice.
Beethoven's aims in the 2nd and 3rd movements are adequately communicated
on the piano. The last movement is downright comical in certain passages,
IMO.  Liszt hesitated about whether to publish the finale. In 1864 he
wrote,"After a great deal of experimentation in various directions, I was
unable to deny the utter impossibility of even a partially satisfactory and
effective arrangement of the fourth movement. I hope you will not take it
amiss if I dispense with this and regard my arrangements ( )... complete at
the end of the third movement of the Ninth. -"  Simple piano scores of the
4th mvmnt had already existed for the use of choir leaders etc.  Yet, a few
months later, he finished the chorale finale and the set was published in
1865.

Imagine the acrimony if Glenn had seriously recorded the Ninth!?!  Anybody??