Glenn Gould - Beethoven - Sonata Nr. 32 c-moll op. 111 - 1

[hymntonight]

It's interesting to note that when Gould made this recording (his 2nd studio recording), he gave no indication YET of not liking the music, as far as I know. The tempos are very much in the tradition of his 1st Goldberg recording, which was a huge hit, and I think Gould sincerely expected the same success for his late beethoven recordings. Why, after all, do we feel that this sort of approach "works" for Bach, but not for Beethoven? Something to think about.

[71lupenzo710]

for glenn is not important "sempre pianissimo"indicated from beethoven. true artist invented music art.

[3001st]

Amazing!

[100jllp]

Uuuhhh....Glenn,....the tempo is ALLEGRO....but at least it is very clean. :)

[fernandofariajunior]

If he wants to play this piece he really need to pick up the tempo...

[foodiste]

Wow, I see where Liszt picked it up from! starting at 1:55 to 2:11 sounds completely like a passage from Liszt.

[newFranzFerencLiszt]

lol

[desboy113]

Respond to this video... It seems that there is the composer's piece, and then there is Gould's piece. Both are different experiences. I wonder if Beethoven played this fast, streaming through all the sections like a fury... Gould's personality and mastery hit me right in the face, almost distracting me from the 19th-century composer. Do I want to hear Beethoven or Gould? Both are brilliant and capitivating.

[Frozentoes1]

@desboy113 Good point. Gould in fact always approached performance as a composer and not as an interpreter. He viewed a score as an opportunity to go beyond what the composer "intended". While there is such a thing as performance practice in the sense of its the historical/stylistice/esthetic­s of the music, Gould did not concern himself with these at the expense of his own musical idea and/or ideal. Ditractors need only not listent to him; there are plenty of other recordings available.

[nicklewisatx]

If your head does't explode between 5:20 to 5:35 you've probably never tried to play this.

[1Janny1]

@nicklewisatx My head explodes just listening to it, but yes I have tried playing it and will leave it at that..... "TRIED" :-)

[vinciano]

Yehudi Menuhin recorded A. Schoenberg Violin Sonata with G. Gould but he did really dislike it. Gould was not a troll but an istrionic genius. He admired Mozart in the construction of finali for each one of his operas, and he love his young composition but admired haydn the most because the older master was far more intersting (according to him) in the development of musical ideas. He recorded the Sonata n. 3 of Chopin in the attempt to emphasize some elements through is interpretation

[mario1994444]

Do you really think that teh period is classical? Beethoven died being romatic! and this is his last sonata.

[0561030]

To me Gould is not the best Beethoven interpreter... by not treating Beethoven as if he were Bach I think you can get more out of op.111...

[ProkofievRules]

Ugh, Glenn. Why? Just why?...because you're Glenn Gould. That's why.

[ppaolo2000]

provocatorio

[Sylverling]

I was very much looking forward to hearing Gould's rendition of this one. Thanks to you, Truthification!

[saintvingt]

so fantastic ...amazing...this is one of the best plays in my life.

[bencrom]

Has to be hist best sonata; I'm usually an Appassionata man or a Hammerklavier man but when I started to learn this the intricacies and the counterpoint made me love it more. This really is my favourite; hopefully a video will be up soon.

[vinciano]

@bencrom Lol, Gould hated both op. 57 and 106.

[yumpin]

@vinciano he said he did, but he also said he never recorded anything he hated. He stirred the pot alright

[vinciano]

@yumpin he argumented a lot about his ideas of Appassionata. And what emerge from his thoughts is that he really hated this sonata. He recorded Chopin, Grieg, Mozart and all these ones were not among his favourites.

[yumpin]

@vinciano Did you not read my comment? he liked to stir the pot, if he hated the appassionata he never would have recorded it (but it was one of his lesser favourites of Beethoven), he constantly contradicted himself when he spoke of such matters. For example he dedicated a radio show about how terrible a composer Mozart was, yet I have seen him tell of his admiration of Mozart in an interview. He also reviewed his own performances under alter egos and called himself terrible. He was a troll

[vinciano]

@yumpin the same work he did for Mozart. And i never found a moment in which Gould seriously contraddict his approach toward music and art in general.

[robtrodes]

I do wish he'd realize that his vocal accomplishments aren't up to the standards of his pianistic ones, though. :)

[Wahrheitization]

@robtrodes I don't think he even realized that he was singing in the process of playing. The way I see it is that Gould is a man of another world, we can't expect the same level of self-awareness and consideration towards the listeners from him as we do from other musicians.

[morvensky]

@Wahrheitization He did realize it actually. I think his Mom told him to sing while he was playing for whatever reason (I had a teacher who told me to do the same thing), and he got in the habit of doing it and could not stop.

[71lupenzo710]

@Wahrheitization thanks

[robtrodes]

Fastest tempo I've ever heard this. Interesting and unique interpretation, as always with Gould.

[nicklewisatx]

I can't really be the only one to comment on Gould's 111. Holy shit. Its Sonata 32... a very special one...

[PoopShitMario]

@nicklewisatx This is absurdly good. It is a travesty that only 252 people have heard this.