Gould Interview
Thu, Mar 28 2013, 9:24PM
Have you have a chance to read the "Classic Interview" with Gould yet? It's on the main page at the moment under the heading "Classic Interviews from the Gramophone Archive".
But where the hell is the interview? There are only about four sentences from Gould in the entire article. The rest is a just fluff and stuffing about his career and opinons. Worse than that, you can't tell which bits are summaries of things he said during the interview and summaries of things he is know to have thought or said over the years. As an interview, it is just appalling.
If that is a classic interview, what in God's name are the non-classic ones like?
Fri, Mar 29 2013, 11:24AM
#2
RE: Gould Interview
Oh come on, they did really well getting any sort of interview with Glenn Gould, no one has managed to get him to talk since 1982, well done the Gramophone. Credit where credit is due.
Fri, Mar 29 2013, 12:45PM
#3
RE: Gould Interview
People interested in Gould's view on music are better off with "The Glenn Gould Reader", a collection of his essays and short writings.
An interesting read, even if it shows Gould as an obsessed musician with sometimes extremely eccentric views, which he pretended to be objective and scientific but which were often far from that.
Fri, Mar 29 2013, 6:08PM
#4
RE: Gould Interview
And there are at least three fine documentaries, which are easily obtainable (as DVDs) and include enough of his "eccentric" views on music and life as well as anything (more or less) that one would love to know about this "reclusive" artist, albeit a great musician.
Parla
Sat, Mar 30 2013, 8:55PM
#5
RE: Gould Interview
The best what I have found is here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkc8LjmKKMw - It's a documentary from 'Arts Of Piano' . Great info regarding Gould's personality and his thinkingway.
Regards,
Rihards
Sat, Mar 30 2013, 9:14PM
#6
RE: Gould Interview
I thought Horowitz was the most over rated pianist of the 20th century until I heard Glenn Gould. What a joke this pseudo intellectual is. At least Horowitz knew he was stupid.
Sat, Mar 30 2013, 9:33PM
#7
RE: Gould Interview
Thanks, Rihards, I will have a look at this later tonight.
Over the years, I think all the major Gould films have appeared on youtube. Someone puts them up, then they get taken off. Then someone puts them up again.
One of the better ones is about his Russian Tour (here) - a really adventurous undertaking for 1957. Interesting in its own right, but it also gives a good insight into the impact Gould made when people first heard him. His first concert (if I remember the film correctly) was only half full, but during the intermission everyone ran into the street looking for a public telephone so they could tell their friends to hurry down for the rest of the concert. No-one had ever heard anything like it. After the intermission, the hall was packed to the rafters.
Sat, Mar 30 2013, 11:14PM
#8
RE: Gould Interview
Yes Jane, of course. Most of Glenn Goulds reputation relies on gossip and old wives tales.
Sat, Mar 30 2013, 11:53PM
#9
RE: Gould Interview
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Thanks for the link - very interesting!
Regarding his first concert - Your mentioned fact that people ran to his
performance only at the second half definitely does not surprises me! it's
Russia and I must admit that if they will hear value they will definitely know
how to appreciate it! Newer felt so many deep musical soul's around any concert
halls in the world then in St.Petersbourg Philharmonic.(especially when J.H.
Temirkanov conducting) Just one word - Magic!
Regarding gossips around Mr. Gould - I still think that he deserved
everything that he have got! I'm not a pro in piano music but he has my respect
for being complete fanatic of J.S Bach music and his recordings of d and f
minor concerts with orchestra was among my favorites for many years.
Sat, Mar 30 2013, 11:54PM
#10
RE: Gould Interview
Thanks for the link!
That's definitely does not surprises me! it's Russia and I must admit that if they will hear value they will definitely know how to apprecciate it! Newer felt so many deep musical soul's arround any concert halls in the world then in St.Petersbourg Phylarmony.(espechialy when J.H. Temirkanov conducting) Just one word - Magic!
If you try hard enough you can fool yourself into believing anything, well you can obviously.
Sun, Mar 31 2013, 12:01AM
#11
RE: Gould Interview
Sidney,
There is a saying - Good bluff is better than bad truth! And I definitely agree with that ;)
Sun, Mar 31 2013, 12:03AM
#12
RE: Gould Interview
Truth and bluff are best left to journalists and politicians. Deal with facts.
Sun, Mar 31 2013, 12:07AM
#13
RE: Gould Interview
Yes, I do. And the fact is - I like what Mr. Gould did and how he did.
Sun, Mar 31 2013, 12:18AM
#14
RE: Gould Interview
Mythology.
Sun, Mar 31 2013, 9:33AM
#15
RE: Gould Interview
Sidney!
Mythology perhaps, but never forget that one of the defining characteristics of mythology is that it illuminates truths that are greater than the individual components of the myth.
Rihards, I'm by no means a Gould enthusiast but the dilemma for me is summed up in your comment "[Gould] has my respect for being complete fanatic of J.S Bach music". As a Bach fanatic myself he has to have earned my respect for that too, even though I do not enjoy his playing of Bach so much! Am I the only one for whom, in his unusual choices of tempi, in some ways he brings to mind the conductor Hermann Scherchen?
Chris
You're right Jane it is a curious 'interview'.
I suppose it has a certain 'classic' status arising out of the fact that the interviewer did manage to get three or four sentences (by 'phone) out of the reclusive pianist. There are not many interviews with Gould around. I take it that the only bits he actually said are those given in quotation marks. Not much! The rest is, well, if not noise, padding as you say! I suppose I must have read it when it first appeared but it's telling that I've no recollection of that, unlike the Boulez interview.
All these re-runs leave me more convinced than ever that the priority for valuable space in The Gramophone should be for more thorough, longer first reviews!
Chris
Chris A.Gnostic