Glenn Gould - Beethoven, Sonata No 31 Op. 110 - III (2/2)

[GA4N]

When Glenn is playing the late Beethoven , it becomes very obvious that the poor man is pathetically frustrated . He didn't touch a women during his entire life , and you can hear it .

[pengbertuuu]

awesome!!!

[turncapp]

f***ing awsome. People hate in out of spite. They are jealous in the bad way. Jealous in a good way is realizing you will never be as good, but learn what you can and try your best.

I

[batchava]

All his bones and face shall say (according to Psalms 35:10...

[lopezbon513]

His interpretation of Beethoven's last 3 piano sonatas originally on Columbia record is extremely personal and poetic, a unique performance I have come to respect and enjoy over the years. It was available on cd form not too long ago.

[juanbenyjuanbeny]

i just cannot figure out what kind of people dislike this piece...

[aquamarine99911]

He's not playing the piano, he's conducting it. It amazes me how different players really shine on different sonatas. I don't like a lot of what Gould did to other Beethoven works - e.g. Hammerklavier - but you can't say he didn't understand Beethoven after watching this.

[iluvmarriageoffigaro]

Gould, your listening is from a higher power. You'll never cease to amaze me.

[islandcrimes]

Holy SHiyt!!!!!!!!!! Wonderous!

[plvsbpb]

What I don't understand... I see how you can feel that if you were to play it, you would send a different message entirely through the music, but listen! Gould's message is so honest, and so extraordinarily original and powerful, I don't see how anyone could dislike this.

[turncapp]

@plvsbpb

Very well said. yet you can not change the hearts and minds of 'the human beast'

as Zola labeled us all.

I mean I had some very good teachers, and they all hated him. why? as he ( though no longer with us ) just is an Iron Horse -- just brilliant.

I am jealous as well , but because he was a once in a lifettime show piece.

[andreabubus]

God of Fugue...

[newFranzFerencLiszt]

listen to Richter for this!

[Twjdfa]

ya la escuchava cuando era joven me entrava euforia y un comprendimiento superior en mi ser me autorrealizaba y todavia hoy es capaz de seguir arrancandome cada pedazo de nota un trozo de mi hacia el universo de un maestro incomprendido quiza Hammerklavier son cartas en musica no lo se pero describre demasiadas cosas que sentia el compositor de Bohn.....glenn gould is perfect....

[legopiano]

If the fugue in op. 106 is intended to be the celebration of Hammerklavier, this fugue is the celebration of life.

[kontrapunkti]

not my favorite piece, but when gould plays it,astonising,amazing intensity!

[contiale]

thumbs up for his face...;)

[johnuio]

But don't get me wrong... all my comments aside, I find this to be easily in the range of what I can only call supernatural musicianship. Yes, it's a poetic usage, a way of saying "so extremely super-normal as to feel sublime." Supernatural.

[johnuio]

Just because the Fugue is "legato," doesn't mean the whole syncopated boppy 6/8 personality has to be smeared over with funereal stage-pianism. Gould of all people could have shown more of Beethoven's mischievous and subtly playful personality in the Fugue. It's such a flattering thing to play music of dead people, but not as THOUGH they are dead. Again, Gould of all people, could have I think made more history with the Fugue.

[Raggedy9]

I find this performance to be as beautiful as I found Gould's performance of op. 27 no.1 to be horrible. The difference? Here he observes Beethoven's performance directions whereas in the earlier sonata he ignored them and in act played the opposite of what Beethoven notated (staccato instead of legato.) What a mysterious musician! As George Szell once said, "that nut's a genius." This performance is truly wonderful. Maybe Gould needed counterpoint to inspire his best playing.

[graverol1]

Oui c'est beau! L'interprètation est d'une belle singularité!

J'aime beaucoup celle d'Hélène Grimaud dans cette sonate!!!

[ASAngelo]

magic.

[1Lisztener1]

It's funny how some people hate Lang Lang for his movements... Look at Glen Gould. 1:15 - 1:30. I hope people finally see how GOuld's and Lang Lang's movements are nothing more than them enjoying and lvoign the music.

[TimUrgent]

@1Lisztener1 yup.

[TheSingingCello]

@1Lisztener1 Personally, I believe Gould's movements. Lang Lang's disturb me like disney orchestrations, like a feeling of guilt or extreme un-want in the presence of. I know what you mean but the two are very different, at least from how I see them or interpret them, however you want to take that comment.

[Opoczynski]

Religious.

[robertgift]

@Opoczynski "Religious." Why diminish the performance equating it with man-made myth and fairytale?

[Opoczynski]

@robertgift Good comment and thanks. I meant religious in a secular sense and, in my opinion, the highest sense.

[wawa314159]

Unfortunately this recording is not of good quality. Some high notes can't be heard clearly. Moreover, Gould probably didn't notice the "Meno Allegro" (not fast) sign in bar 168, and went too fast after 6:07 . Nevertheless, it's a nice interpretation overall.

[unagondolaunremo]

really you guess that:

"Gould probably didn't notice the "Meno Allegro" (not fast) sign in bar 168"?

Gould noticed this and that and those.... more that me and you, i guess

[RobinLSL]

It started awesomely, but then he ruins everything by breaking the legato in the middle of the second fugue and going too fast in the end. Cue frustration on my end.

[spinoza1111]

Perfect dynamics! They change from phrase to phrase and da man keeps up

[mlleprufrock]

0:26 - 0:32 is the purest bliss

[werewethere]

I can't entirely agree, the entire thing is purest bliss

[mradipatti]

I wish I could get used to all those faces he makes, now ther eis energy and emotion that should be transferred to the keyboard

[fdaltrey]

The first fugue was spellbinding! The second was really quirky and temperamental.

[cdera01]

beethoven supermaster

[superbemaison]

Bach was in no doubt known to Beethoven and that could be an explanation -but I don't like GG's Beethoven.

[northicekate]

What we are privileged to see here is Glenn Gould in harmony, in love, and completely in unity with the music. Glenn Gould, maestro magnificent!

[northicekate]

I wonder how the production staff for this performance must have felt, seeing that they were witnessing greatness.

[turncapp]

@northicekate

Yes I wish he was still with us. fu@@@@@@@ ing a.

He was the man and anyone who doesn't like him does so out of spite.

I mean where is there or should there be any malice.

The guy was just --- no words

thanks for your comment, when I can't sleep I just browse this channel and for stupid remarks.

Nothing stupid. If you don't like this guy, you don't like music.

[superbemaison]

He plays it like Bach!!!Knows nothing about Beethoven sonatas!!

[MagicDolphinGO]

@superbemaison What does that even mean? he plays it like glenn gould.

[superbemaison]

@MagicDolphinGO That is what the problem is!!

[japanesesweet]

spellbinding and i`m not always persuaded by GG in Beethoven.This is very special,as is the live recording from Stokholm.

[PavelAMamoushkin]

Тридцать первую в лучшей интерпретации я нигде больше не слышал никогда. Гульд - это прекрасно.

[MegaPianissimo]

Sovershenno s Vami soglasna....

[poligilda]

che tuffo!!! GG va ben oltre la tastiera...entra nell'anima di beethoven (in questo caso) e gli appiccica tutte le sfumature di colore create da js bach

imparagonabile!!! polifemo

[dexterityhunter]

GG at his best! Every single note ecstatic, the two fugues just phenomenal. One of the landmarks in 20th century piano playing, indeed! Thank you so much for posting!

[wnxg4nd4lf]

For me these two videos are by far the best in youtube. Cant thank you enough for posting!

[miliona1re]

Quando c'e' una bella fuga Glenn va sempre in estasi :)

[sikorkasikoreczka15]

Dlaczego takie MARNEJ JAKOŚCI FILMY krążą po YOU TUBE a Glenn Gould jest gdzieś schowany pod miernotą innych podobnych filmów ??????????????????????????????­???????

[fastfingers110]

He lays it down ;last fuge played fast with staccatto(Impresive!)

[fastfingers110]

hauntingly sublime

[twili67]

sublimely haunting!

[taviona]

HELL YEAH.

[minorospo]

lui si che è un grande non quella sottospece di"pianista" di allevi

[GUARDONISSIMO1]

ma che paragoni fai

[minorospo]

ti spiego, c' è gente che dice che allevi è il più grande genio della storia.... se fosse un po' colta in questo campo capirebbe che allevi è solo una grande merda!!! notare la pulizia delle note e la tecnica del grande glenn gould... lui si che è un genio

[GUARDONISSIMO1]

ho capito...ma il problema è che non sono colti, che è già tanto se ascoltano e "capiscono" allevi; anzi, forse va dato grazie (a lui e, per una volta, alle case discografiche) di avere diffuso un po' di musica più seria e strutturata.

Per sta gente allevi è l'unico pianista che va oltre "per elisa" (se va bene, e col dovuto rispetto) è chiaro che è il più grande genio.

Mi sono un po' stizzito perchè ho già visto ste frecciate troppe volte, pure a paragone con bollani...

senza rancori.

[minorospo]

a si si tranquillo ;-)

[tatjanalu]

Bravissimo! One of the best interpretations. I love this sonata!

[alexmanzo19]

Gloud #1

[wonphi]

the ending is just beautiful.

[j67123]

OMG! There's a very small mistake at 6:15. I didn't know Glenn knew how to make a mistake!

Well, at least it proves he was at least almost human! :D

[Ohaddo]

Or it proves that Beethoven's music is inhuman :)

To play that is, hehe.

[j67123]

Beethoven's Hammerklavier Sonata op. 106 sure is Beethoven's attempt to break a pianists fingers. Even Gould wrote that he didn't understand the piece (although he recorded it) and complained that it doesn't even sound that difficult to the untrained ear. I've tried various parts of this sonata and it's monstrously difficult for me and even beyond the ability of some pros (like Zimmerman I once read).

[charmoka]

Keep trying.. I'm impressed with anyone who would attempt it..Hammerklavier...ouch.

[charmoka]

Re: the mistake at 6:15.. Yes, and it almost helps the interpretation. I've always thought of this ending as a kind of gradual move towards chaos...the music destroying itself. Only Beethoven can do this effect. Wonderful, no?

[j67123]

It definitely builds towards something. I've always heard an extra f just after 6:33 - making two identical right-hand chords in succession - but it's not as noticeable in this recording. Anyway, I always thought this made sense so it's how I play it too.

[j67123]

Thanks for posting!!

I haven't seen this since in ages. I had this on VHS, recorded from CBC. This performance is what made me learn this piece.

[iambanzo]

this final movement of beethoven's 2nd to last piano sonata is my favorite work. from 4:36 onwards is the cream.

[TheJoyfulPianist]

There are no words. What a work of genuis, both Beethoven and Gould. They merged in this. How rare.

[hansmeyer111]

OMG! Fire! Fire! Call the fire department! NOW!!!!!!

[sll10]

nobody plays the fugue in this better! Crystal clear with each voice enunciated with maximum expression.

[brozors]

he looks completely ecstatic while playing this sonata. I never seen this clip and it was a real treat. I think he played this sonata more often than any Beethoven sonata when he use to play in concert halls.

[lovegould]

I think he also said that this sonata (among some other works) had a special meaning to him.

[fatinaLushina]

Dolce,Estatico,Commovente,Imme­nso,nel contempo anche originale.Credo che siano stato raggiunto un livello interpretativo altissimo in questo finale da parte di Gould....è il "suo Beethoven sicuramente!