Glenn Gould Strauss

[sofronitzky]

Le jeune Strauss avait montré deux opus de pièces pour piano à son maître Hans von Bulow, et celui-ci avait conseillé à Strauss d'abandonner définitivement l'écriture pianistique. L'imbécile...

[vinciano]

Papillons played by Richter is a show. I can not say the same of the famous Carnival, Op. 9 showing a perfectly dichotomous Schumann (Florestan and Eusebius), but  leaves me rather indifferent in his vague and harmless melodic and harmonic miniaturism. Much better the miniatures of Chopin, in this sense. However I think the Fantasia for piano represent his piano composition more ambitious (and owes much of Beethoven)

[iamalittlespy]

@vinciano I guess will have to agree to disagree. You are certainly informed and entitled to your opinion. Fantasy does owe something to Beethoven, but I would argue it owes more to Bach, with all the hidden counterpoint and Bachian figuration. I don't think its fair to compare Schumann to Brahms, since Brahms represented a later generation of composers. Brahms himself held Schumann's music in high regard and learned a lot from him.

[vinciano]

I heard some of Schumann's composition (but not his Lieder, which, however, I do not seem to differ from those of Schubert) for piano and symphonic music. The concert op. 54 is the composition for solo instrument, perhaps for antomasia of musical romanticism, but, although its being emblematic in his genre, certainly does not make me cry out to the masterpiece. Nothing comparable to the two piano concertos of Brahms, or the fourth by Beethoven, just to be clear.

[iamalittlespy]

@vinciano Its a shame that you're not familiar with Schumman's lieder, because they are his some of his greatest works and are quite different from Schubert. First the piano part is usually a lot more complex, rich and virtuosic and the vague harmonies that you described just add tension, drama and emotion that makes his songs masterpiece. I can only suggest that you listen for yourself.

[vinciano]

@iamalittlespy Thanks for suggestion. Have you ever heard Schoenberg Lieder?

[iamalittlespy]

@vinciano I heard very little of them, even though I know Schoenberg's music fairly well. Which ones do you recommend ? I also like lieder by Mahler and Wolf. Another great song composer is Mussorgsky, even though his music is very different.

[TheOtherMusicMan]

My wife Christina says of the last photo of him shown on this track above how much intelligence was in his countenance. mark at 5:15 to end.

[TheOtherMusicMan]

Was he meditating on a secret as he played this?

Joy. Love. Deep introspection. Some sadness

Maybe thinking: Knowing what I know today, would I have done that differently ...?

Able to accept where you were limited.

Such peace. Grace.

Exquisite and rich.

Thank you Glenn Gould for what you could not tell us in words, but still did when we listen here. 

[garfreed]

Thanks for posting this.  I had never heard it before.

[iamalittlespy]

This sounds very much like Robert Schumann.

[garfreed]

@iamalittlespy Interesting comment. I can hear echoes of the Beethoven piano sonata opus 78. But that's just me.

[vinciano]

@iamalittlespy Gould would have killed you, lol. Schumann was for him the worst composer.

[DottoreJojo]

@vinciano thought it was chopin

[vinciano]

@DottoreJojo No, he like Chopin as a miniaturist but dislike Schumann fo everything he wrote.

[iamalittlespy]

@vinciano Did Gould actually say that he hated Schumann ? How can you hate Schumann ?

[vinciano]

@iamalittlespy "I'm planning for next year a recording of sonatas for organ by Mendelssohn which will be a shock for everyone. I like infinitely Mendelssohn, a composer much greater than Schumann, for example, whose reputation is more established. Of all the composers, I think Schumann is one of the weakest" -

Tract from an interview with Bernard Asbell in 1962.

Imho Schumann is a great composer but i hardly find a masterpiece in his opus.

[iamalittlespy]

@vinciano Thanks for providing the quote. I know that Gould was one eccentric genius, even though I am surprised he would say that about R.Schumann. I respectfully yet strongly disagree with your and Gould's assessment. It took me a while to get into Schumann. His music can seem be unwieldy and somewhat annoying. Also the constant manic vs romantic duality in his music can be challenging. However when Schumann soars, he soars to great heights. As for masterpieces he has MANY.

[iamalittlespy]

@vinciano (continuted) First R.Schumann is one of the greatest lieder composers, matched only by Schubert. Have you not heard the song cycle Dichterliebe ? It is an extraordinary masterpiece. How about Piano Concerto that is one of the defining concertos of the Romantic Era or his piano cycles such as Kreisleriana, Humoresque Op.20, Fantasy Op.17, Symphonic Etudes, Piano Sonata's......the list goes on :-).

[enantiodrom]

La stessa intensità sensuale che Gould sa legere in Brahms