Re: Gould's 1st contrapunctus

[Jim Morrison <jim_morrison@sprynet.com>]

Brad wrote

>
> If Bach's metric notation is to be believed, though, this piece should be
> felt at the level of the half-notes (cut-C meter in both the manuscript
> version and the print).  Gould plays it at the level of the
> eighth-notes.  To play it at the quarter-note level would be "to miss the
> forest for the trees," so I suppose Gould's performance at the eighth-note
> level is "missing the forest for the bark on the trees."  Hummm, what
> interesting bark these trees have!  Hummmmmmm!  Hummm hummm
> hummmmmmmm!  Who else but Gould would take a piece that has two beats per
> measure and play it with eight beats per measure and at half speed?
>

Not only is that a very funny passage from a terrific email, but it also
points out one of the great joys of buying and listening to Gould's
recordings.  In them there is almost always some kind of adventure,
something new, something fresh, something surprising.  The man took a lot a
risks.

Jim