RE: GG: Curious about Sony Recordings

[Cynthia K Harris <ckh0003@jove.acs.unt.edu>]

Though I've been an ardent admirer of Gould for many years, I've only
recently (in the last couple of years) acquired most of his recordings.
In the late 60's/early 70's I was a young, poor student and had only 10 or
so LPs.  My two favorites were GG's Two and Three-Part Inventions and the
Beethoven Sonatas (Pathetique, Moonlght, & Appassionata).  I listened to
them hundreds (probably 1000s) of times. Then, in search for a replacement
for my worn out "Inventions" LP, I found the double CD which also included
the Toccatas and fell in love all over again. That sent me on a quest to
get every Gould CD I could get my hands on.  I think I have every one of
them now, and I treasure them all. 

Some are "Odyssey" CBS-Masterworks -- really inexpensive. But most are, of
course, Sony Classical.  It appears that in the last several years Sony
acquired all of the old recordings and has done a major re-release of them
all (or almost all).

What I'm wondering is if, because of this re-release, Gould recordings
have found a larger following than his recordings had before his death.
Judging from the Gould CD's available at the used-record stores -- which
I've found to be a very small number of "Odyssey" recordings -- there must
have been a lull of 10 or so years when almost no Gould recordings were
being distributed.    

If not for the Sony re-release, I would probably never have heard most of
the recordings.  What a sad thought -- I enjoy them so very much.  

BTW, I just received, from the CBC, the 3 disk Solitude Trilogy. After
reading so much about them, I shouldn't have been surprised at how
wonderful they are -- but I was really amazed at how much I enjoyed them.
I've read that Gould considered them compositions, almost as music
("contrapuntal radio").  There is an artistry about them that goes well
beyond any that of a standard documentary.  I especially loved Wally's
answer about the moral equivalent of war as the Sibelius
concluded in the background.  And I loved the people's voices -- so
lyrical.

Cyndie....