[Fwd: Re: GG: Mozart]

[Gregory Barton <barton@mozart.inet.co.th>]

Cynthia K Harris wrote:
> 
> I've been listening to the 4 CD's of Mozart Sonatas a lot lately, and I've
> enjoyed them very, very much.
> 
> As a lifelong amateur pianist, I REALLY disliked these sonatas.  I found
> them boring, uninspired, without much substance. 


I am relieved to read this. I thought I was the only one in the world to 
have this lowly opinion of these works. So much so that I thought that 
perhaps some part of my musical brain was missing.




 I would try to take time
> to learn them, but just found no pleasure in playing them.  Then I heard
> the Gould recordings and heard something in them that I never recognized
> before.
> 

A recommendation indeed.



> My understanding of Gould's opinion of Mozart is that his music is
> over-rated 

The problem is that there are so many great works, such as the operas, 
the string quartets, and it's such cute music, with mass popular appeal, 
that few would dare to be critical of the dross. Editing was not Mozart's 
strong point. Perhaps also his desperate financial situation encouraged 
him to publish dross.



and that it got worse as Mozart developed his own style -- that
> he preferred the earlier works (I can understand that).  In fact, I wonder
> how many other pianists have the same opinions of Mozart held by Gould.  I
> remember, when I first started playing these sonatas, I looked everywhere
> for a recording of them and couldn't find them anywhere.  Even now, there
> are many more recordings of Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn sonatas than
> Mozart's.
> 
> Gould said that he enjoyed playing the Mozart sonatas, and this is so
> evident in the recordings. They are so joyous!  Yes, he made them his own.
> Some are incredibly fast, some are unbelievably slow.  He arpeggiated
> chords, didn't necessarily follow the dynamics as indicated.  But what he
> did was make them interesting, fun. (Something I didn't know they could
> be.)  He did exactly what needed to be done. What was it he said?  --
> "gave them some vitamins"?????
> 
> So, last weekend I pulled out my book of these Sonatas and played through
> some of them again -- this time with Gould's interpretations running
> through my mind.  For the first time, I enjoyed them!  Thanks Glenn!
> 
> Cyndie...



Does anyone know of the recordings of Jeno Jando of the said Mozart 
sonatas?