Piano Sonata K 331 (Mozart) - 1st mvt. Glenn Gould

[kanerio1x1]

I love Gould, but the theme and some of the fewing following variations are not "grazioso".

[MaxWorm1]

Thats great !

[adams82683]

Gould put forth a great deal of thought into all of his interpretations and there is no doubt he was aware of the unconventionality of many of his interpretations, as is evidenced from his many interviews. Although I wouldn't play or teach this piece the way he plays it, I greatly admire Gould for the freedom and creativity he injected into his interpretations, something I feel is sorely lacking in this day and age of classical music performance. His playing is always thought provoking to me.

[HoRavYehoshua]

I'm looking at the music as I listen to Glen's rendition and it makes no sense. He sounds like someone who is picking out the melody for the very fist time. Slow and unsure of what's going on.

[ninalisann]

This interpratation is like dewdrops on autumn leaves.. Fresh and diaphanous. Every note fills my heart with joy. Thanks Glenn!

[progressivelife]

as someone who loves a lot of Glen Gould's work I find it very hard to believe that this performance would get so many likes if it wasn't branded "Glen Gould"

[dim19f]

There is no sense in trying to figure whether this is a good interpretation of mozart's sonata or not, simply because this is a different piece . Gould is a very strange and unique artist. I dont know whether he is doing this alteration of tempo naturally or not, but he must be treated as a complete different case. He is using the piece and develops his conception of music in it. He is not interested in Mozart. The piece becomes completely different in the end.

[cerberusdest]

@dim19f wow well said

[haidisemirychan]

i love glenn gould, but this recording comes off as unprofessional, especially from the third variation on. in the fifth, it seems he forgets his tempo in the middle of it. interesting ideas here, but not my favorite. thanks anyway glenn!

[truBador2]

Even Gould's misfires are cool.

[Totennebel]

Hilarious interpretation.

[BassicStorm]

@Totennebel Gould is genius, if u dont understand him im sry ;/, u dont know what are u missin' ;)

[Totennebel]

@BassicStorm

Dude, you are 17 years old.

[BassicStorm]

@Totennebel So what ?

[Totennebel]

@BassicStorm

How can you even dare to claim that I wouldn't understand Glenn Gould, but you absolutely do? Just because you "like" the way he plays and I don't?

[BassicStorm]

@Totennebel Well sorry your majesty ;)

[Totennebel]

@BassicStorm

I shall forgive you.

[pdmackey]

Brilliant! An oasis in a dry and thirsty land. Drink deeply!

[IBRAHIMpianist]

Mozart would hate that interpretation!!!

[TheShumena]

This is awful

[TheShumena]

Sounds like he is trying to figure it out for the first at home.

Pretty slow sight reading if you ask me.

[TheShumena]

what is wrong with him?

Who would do that?

[TheShumena]

at best

[TheShumena]

This interpretation is laughable.

[SelanikliSuleyman]

And oh! I forgot to mention what a clean and crisp recording this is! I can and have probably listened twenty times a day and each time it sends shivers down my spine. This surely must be perfection!

[SelanikliSuleyman]

I just can't get over it. This is an exceptionally simple but yet exceptionally beautiful piece by Mozart exceptionally well played by Glenn Gould at what looks like one of his exceptionally inspired moments, on an exceptionally good piano, exceptionally well tuned by a master tuner. Ab-solutely incredible! I can listen to it all day long!

[SelanikliSuleyman]

Incredibly beautiful playing of an incredibly beautiful piece by Mozart.

[kaitoxxjeanne]

now i know why Lang Lang made Gould as one of his favourite pianist!

[SelanikliSuleyman]

This is really beautiful, unlike some of his later recordings I have watched on YouTube in which the sound is rendered harshly, unmusically. But this recording, like a faded photograph, contains more than the sum of its parts. Absolutely beautiful. I feel like crying. In fact tears are streaming down my eyes and there is a tingling sensation running down my back as I write this. And this doesn't happen often to me at my age. Incredible. I feel so happy listening to this!

[tarquin161234]

oh, the clarity

[resultant64]

he should have played avant gard music..the beauty is lost with this erratic playing.... as if a cassette is being played and getting stuck......

[SelanikliSuleyman]

@resultant64 You can't see beauty, mon ami!

[resultant64]

@SelanikliSuleyman

beauty.. ha..ha mon ami ... Did Mozart play like this do u think.. u feel like its some cartoon show...the seriousness is lost.. Of course i listened to the begining an got board..its somewhat a little better later..

Glen should hve played his own music and improvised....

I REALLY WONDER WHAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU UNDERSTAND OF MUSIC...SIGH

[SelanikliSuleyman]

@resultant64

Did Mozart play like this? I am sure he did in a pensive mood. Or do you think that there is only ONE and only ONE way of playing any music? In that case why did famous composers write variations? Good question, no? "Fakat e$ek ho$aftan ne anlar?" as they say in one language I know. Taste, mon ami, is something you either have or don't have. "Eisai magalos gaidaros" as they say in another language, I know. It seems that this is just beyond you! Ain't I just being sarcastic? ;-)

[resultant64]

@SelanikliSuleyman

U r a dumb instrumentalist... ( certainly NOT a musician )...Of course you can play a little different from each other but not SO different... then you should play Bach like Chopin and the romantic composers with a metronome...

And hoe do YOU know how mozart must have played? Did you go back in time?

For people ( like You ) just because he is a known pianist whatever he does is accepted...And variations ( ( of other people's ) show your creativity not authenticity..

[sejskk]

@resultant64

Actually, Chopin was known to be rather strict with time, and played with a metronome. Gould played like this because, as he stated in an interview, he came up with an idea of how this piece should be structured, i.e. building up as the variations go. Also, any real musician knows that new ideas are to be considered, if not embraced. Who are you to say that he is wrong? Perhaps being a bit more open-minded would help you to better appreciate music as a whole.

[resultant64]

@sejskk

U DONT play in strict time in the Romantic period.. The metronome is just a guide.Western Classical music is meant to be played in the period the piece was composed...The problem like with people like you is that you accept anything under the pretext of being 'new' just because the person happens to be known.. I' m certainly open minded than you think because I play jazz and other popular forms too....

There you can play in your style and improvise...

[sejskk]

@resultant64

What I mean is that having a different idea from the norm is perfectly fine. As long as you can justify your conception or interpretation of a piece, i.e. with actual reasoning rather than just laziness, than I can accept your interpretation, regardless of whether or not I like it. Fame doesn't factor into this at all. Discounting the validity of an interpretation simply because it doesn't follow the general guidelines of the period the piece was written in is ridiculous.

[resultant64]

@sejskk

You can't play a composer's work of a certain period they way you want..... better if you compose and play your own work... there are so many interpretations and not all are good why?One has to study history and other forms of non piano music to understand the period.I have a dvd of Bach in swing style.Do you think you could play like that for a classical recital?Try playing the way you want in a conservatory exam...

I don't know you or your musical background... Need to hear you play

[SelanikliSuleyman]

@resultant64 You can't see beauty, mon ami!

[srte758]

I like the fact..that some members of the mozart-police....

now...are vomiting ;-)

GG forever !!

[SelanikliSuleyman]

@srte758 Sour grapes! You can't see beauty even if it is staring at you in the face! 

[Zoldilol]

*cries*

[Zoldilol]

Awesome.

[maxtanz]

a trascendental sound (emission)

[CaptainBluebear08]

Loved every note. Thanks.

[bekiof]

After listening to this I cannot listen to many other interpretations.

I was very impressed.

[galapz]

This is not Gould at his best.

That's all I am going to say.

Thank you.

[GKCG96]

Why the fuck does everyone say so much shit about this guy. Everyone looks at music in different ways, Gould's interpretations may not be what is expected, but they are his, and they made him feel more connected to the music, and thats what matters most. Look at Gould as a person to learn from, that many musicians have different interpretations from what you have, and we must study these people to realize what Mozart or Bach could also sound like, rather than the normal interpretation.

[VONHIMMELBACH]

@GKCG96 Im loving you so much right now! That's exactly what it is. Music is such a subjective art that is up to everybody's interpretation. :)

[PsanterShelZahav]

@GKCG96 The problem is that Gould didn't like this music.

[wetering777]

@GKCG96 I agree totally with you.

[CichuniecFamily]

@GKCG96 I couldn't have said it any better!

[The55555SSSSS]

slower please !

[kinako0728]

When Mozart made this sonata, others made 1st mov. fast. But Mozart tried to interest listeners by slow 1st mov. So, I like Glenn's understnadings on this sonata.

[suekuh]

@kinako0728 I like your theory, I always like to try to imagine the intention of the authors towards a certain piece... but how can you state that "Mozart tires interest listeners by slow 1st mov"? I mean, from where did you got that statement? (not critizing, this is a real doubt! ;) )

[juanmlleras]

This is a very peculiar interpretation or perhaps better said, 'reinvention'. Hideous.

[AliceArts]

This is Mozart not played but constructed, that's excellent for Bach but to play Mozarts music, there must be love to interpretation of Mozarts music as a classical conception not to put it in a bachian manner. It's a study not an interpretation.

Meist lassen sie Mozarts Musik dahinplätschern, GG tut das eben gerade nicht.

Der Unterschied ist: Wo Bach Technik und Disziplin verlangt, braucht es für eine Mozartinterpretation Mut zur (geistigen) Freiheit.

[bekiof]

@AliceArts Ja, das ist so wahr! Kunst ist unter Umständen das, was uns alltäglich und gewöhnlich geworden ist, neu entdecken läßt und dadurch erst inspirierend wirkt.

[Spiritakis]

Horrendous! Disgusting! Revolting!

Apparently Gould thought that when he plays something five times slower than it should be played he would sound profound. Well, if anything, this is a very strong candidate for the worst Mozart recording ever.

[rinforzato]

Noooooo, is not slow much! Just taking the 1/8 as Andante... -

Some german critic called Gould's interpretation of Mozart a "Sachbeschädigung", especially Var. 5, and Var. 3, 1, 2 and 6!!! And the Theme, off course... -

ROFL!!!!!!!

[barscotch]

Slow much?