BWV 54 conducted by Glenn Gould

[jerry <jerbidoc@zianet.com>]

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In a message dated 8/11/00 2:57:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
oron-a@INTER.NET.IL writes:

 <<
  BWV 54 conducted by Glenn Gould

  I found out that the famous pianist Glenn Gould recorded a Bach cantata
  as a conductor! Here are the details:

  Johann Sebastian Bach: Cantata BWV 54, Overture BWV 831, Fugue BWV 552,
  Concerto BMV 1052 & 1054
  Glenn Gould, Russell Oberlin and others
  Music and Arts 654

  I wrote to Music and Arts label and asked them if this recording is
  still available, or if it is expected to be available again. Their
  answer was as follows: "NEVER" because Sony asked us to destroy all our
  unsold Gould recordings about 5 years ago (which we did)..." >>

I took the liberty of forwarding this exchange of e-mails to an old friend
who is an advisor to the Gould Estate, and he asked me to let you know that
he is urging the Estate to permit the official release not only of the
recording of BWV 54 but also of an extraordinary performance of the
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 that Gould gave with the Detroit Symphony.

Best regards,

TNT

oron-a@INTER.NET.IL writes:


 Cantata BWV 54 was discussed in the Bach Cantatas Mailing List couple of
 months ago (the discussion can be seen in the following address:
 http://freespace.virginnet.co.uk/simon.crouch/BCArchive/BWV%2054.htm)
 and nobody mentioned this recording during the discussion. Has anybody
 ever heard this recording? I am curious to hear his (or her) opinion.

 Enjoy,
  >>
 The disc also contains the first of the 3 sections of the so-called "St.
Anne" Fugue, with Gould at the organ.  He was an excellent organist, and it
is a pity that all we have is that wonderfully eccentric and deliberately
provocative recording that he made of the first 9 Contrapuncti from "The Art
of Fugue".

The BWV 54 is downright weird.  Gould's realization of the continuo is
bizarre.  I am not myself a keyboard player, but all of the activity seems to
be in the right hand, with little realization of the figures in the left and
a complicated and sinuous, almost melodic realization in the uppoer voices.
The instrument is even more bizarre, and I think it must be one of those
doctored "harpsipianos" with which Gould was enamored at one point.  The male
alto is the unique and remarkable Russell Oberlin.  Unfortunately, his German
accent is appalling.  The performance, however, is impassioned in the best
sense of the word.

The disc turns up from time to time on a second hand basis in stores like
Academy in NYC, so you may be able to turn up a copy.  I would not be
surprised, however, if the performance is not issued "legally" by either Sony
Classics or the CBC at some point, since, with good reasons, the collectors'
desire for more Glenn Gould seems to be insatiable.

TNT