Re: Gould's heart in Baroque period?? oder ASCH?

[Bradley P Lehman <bpl@umich.edu>]

On Tue, 8 May 2001, Jim Morrison wrote:

> And let's not forget he did a radio show on Schoenberg as well.  Was anyone
> recording those works when Gould made his records?  Anyone put out a
> complete solo Schoenberg set before Gould?  Was Gould the first?

Nah, Gould wasn't first there.  I've got Edward Steuermann's LP (Columbia
ML 5216) from the early 1950's, soon after Schoenberg's death.  It's very
well done, as is Gould's.  Same five items: Op 11, 19, 23, 25, and 33a/b.

The jacket proclaims: "Edward Steuermann was a composition student and
disciple of Arnold Schoenberg, but more than that he was his friend and
musical confidant.  During rehearsals of _Pierrot Lunaire_ and other of
Schoenberg's major works it was Steuermann who, officiating at the piano,
was the composer's first assistant.  The first performances of all the
Schoenberg piano works and chamber music with piano were Steuermann's.
He has, in addition, transcribed for piano Schoenberg's _Kammersymphonie_
Op 9, and made piano scores of Schoenberg's orchestral works.  The
relationship here between composer and performer is, consequently, one of
closest historical and artistic rapport."

That's not only a bunch of words: his playing comes across as deeply
convincing.

I don't know if there was an earlier integral recording.

I also don't know if anyone did a *stereo* recording of these before
Gould...but with solo piano music does it matter much?

The Steuermann record has notably dim sound, but the playing is so
riveting....  I don't know what I would do if ever forced to choose only
one, this or Gould's.  They're both so good.


Bradley Lehman, Dayton VA
home: http://i.am/bpl  or  http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bpl
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"Music must cause fire to flare up from the spirit - and not only sparks
from the clavier...." - Alfred Cortot