Re: Russia and Gould's influence on the mp3 controversy

[Juozas Rimas <JuozasRimas@takas.lt>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Vincent Vo" <Govincevo@AOL.COM>
To: <F_MINOR@EMAIL.RUTGERS.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, July 30, 2002 7:11 AM
Subject: Russia and Gould's influence on the mp3 controversy


> It's about time that there's a documentary account of Gould's journey in
> Russia!  An acquaintance of mine here in Los Angeles is the former principal
> violinist of the St. Petersburg Symphony. He has an expression in heavy
> Russian that goes something like... "In Russia, Gould is like God."

The god-like status of Gould in Russia and the whole former Soviet union is
artificial. In the SU, there was one recording company - "Melodya" (it still
exists, AFAIK). Perhaps by contract, perhaps by piracy, Melodya released most of
Gould's recordings on LPs. I think Gould was the only *foreign* keyboard former
of Bach released in the SU, with some exceptions (maybe a bit some other
pianists, a little of harpsichord Bach etc).
Anyway, Soviet citizens couldn't buy anything but Gould keyboard Bach from the
monopoly.


> I don't know how computer savvy the members of the f-minor digest can be, but
> in the file-swapping p2p software, Kazaa, the most downloaded classical
> musician by far is Glenn Gould. Sometimes, I would try to search for mp3's of
> Arthur Rubinstein, Mitsuko Uchida, and Sviatoslav Richter... and there would
> be absolutely none availible. However, mp3's of Glenn Gould are absolutely
> rampant.

:) In the interview about decreasing interest to classical music nowadays, the
CEO of "Deutsche Grammophon" says:

"Interviewer: The pop-music market is afraid of the internet and the pirating of
original media. Are you also afraid of this?

CEO: I wish I could share this fear with the pop-music market. It is ironic that
the general interest in classical music is not even large enough to attract such
copy-pirates. Unfortunately."

It's good Deutsche Grammophon is not releasing Gould's CD because otherwise the
CEO would have to change his opinion on this topic, IMO.


Juozas Rimas Jr (not the one playing)
http://www.mp3.com/juozasrimas (oboe, piano, strings)