[CanadianMaestro]

RE:  Glenn Gould

On April 10th 1964 I was very fortunate to hear Glenn Gould in concert at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles. I got to experience his well publicized eccentricities of using an old chair made by his father instead of a piano bench and hearing him hum audibly as he played. I went with a friend and his father. While we were waiting for the concert to begin the father observed that Arthur Rubinstein played as if he was in control of the music but Glenn Gould played as if the music was in control of him. This turned out to be Glenn Gould’s last public performance. I will never forget it.


https://www.scpr.org/news/2009/04/10/485/45th-anniversary-pianist-glenn-goulds-final-concer/

 

Envious. I missed out a lot on live concerts by legends like GG and others. Timing, I suppose. Came along to classical musik rather late, in my mid-30s. Missed conductors like Bernstein, Karajan, Bohm, and too many others.

As for GG playing Beethoven's sonatas, he's not my first go-to for LvB's masterworks in solo piano, but he's always interesting. oth, I generally avoid Gould's Mozart sonatas. Ugly, to say it politely. But not surprising from a performer who once stated that Mozart "died too late". Wow.

cheers

[gberger]

maestro,

Going to have fun over the next couple of weeks, comparing complete sets of the Beethoven symphonies: Szell / Cleveland; Solti / Chicago (second series); and Bernstein / Vienna Philharmonic.   Yes, I have copies of individual Beethoven symphonies by various artists; however, comparing these three conductors and orchestras will be fun.

As my neighbor has "bat ears" and doesn't care for my classical selections, I'll be using Stax 008 and ennheiser 800 cans rather than my speakers.   

[CanadianMaestro]

george,

glad you're getting into the Beethoven groove! 2020 is the 250th anniversary of His birth, and much of Europe will be marking it with various events.

check this out too:
https://www.beethoven.de/en/digital-archives


cheers

[gberger]

Maestro

Really appreciated the PMs!

You may have seen this. It's Bernstein remarking about Beethoven's personality prior to a performance of the 7 th Symphony by the Vienna Philharmonic in the Great Hall, Bernstein conducting.  There's an awful lot of Bernstein; however I found it both informative and entertaining.   (Bernstein takes up the first 7+ minutes before the concert begins)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO0FdAwNm6U
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[sweetspot]

WOW, Did this topic ever get off track!!