Tag: Gould

Gould Recordings 11-15 – Brahms, Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Schoenberg, R. Strauss

This is a broad range of music; I've tried my best to devote a paragraph to each recording.  I also intend (soon) to write longer entries about Gould's Beethoven Concertos, and also the Glenn Gould record collection I've started.  Once again, just about all this music should turn up on Spotify or YouTube if you … Continue reading Gould Recordings 11-15 – Brahms, Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Schoenberg, R. Strauss →

Gould’s “Solitude Trilogy” – 3 Radio Documentaries

Surprisingly, these documentaries have nothing to do with music. The first, called "The Idea of North" (1967) documents the experiences of southern Canadians travelling to or dwelling in the extreme northern reaches of the country.  Next comes "The Latecomers," (about the province of Newfoundland.  Last is "The Quiet in the Land," about Canadian Mennonite communities. It's an overstatement … Continue reading Gould’s “Solitude Trilogy” – 3 Radio Documentaries →

Two Concertos (Concerti?)

The third major-release record Gould recorded again pairs Bach and Beethoven.  Gould selected Beethoven's 2nd, in B Flat Major, and Bach's D Minor Concerto.  They're both three-movement concertos, following the common three-movement tempo pattern of medium-slow-fast.  Gould was often quoted as saying he wanted to avoid the "competitive" aspect of concerto performance, where the soloist's … Continue reading Two Concertos (Concerti?) →

Gould’s First Two Columbia Recordings – Bach and Beethoven

It’s surprising how different these two recordings are – Bach’s Goldberg Variations and Beethoven’s 30th-32nd sonatas.  They both bear the mark on the same performer, and though I still don’t know that I’m qualified to say things like “this performer’s take on such-and-such piece is better than that performer’s” or “this performer is better at … Continue reading Gould’s First Two Columbia Recordings – Bach and Beethoven →

Gould the Hipster – Early Recordings and Composition

The one thing you'll find in any reading about Glenn Gould is that he "burst onto the scene" in 1955 with his first recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations.  He did, however, compose, perform and record music prior to then.  He was actually fairly well known (at least in Canada) prior to the first Bach recording.  … Continue reading Gould the Hipster – Early Recordings and Composition →