Glenn Gould interview on the Goldberg Variations 1981 part 1

[Argentino246]

This recording (the 1981 Goldberg) was my introduction to Glenn Gould and will forever hold a special place in my heart...

The "Aria" alone is worth so very much to me - magical...

[kinkokonko]

@CaramelMarshmallow Seems a pretty shallow response. Counterpoint is the ability to express different voices. if you express none it is nothing. What Gould did was to master absolute control in expression, matched with ideas beyond any other. Listen to Barenboim WTC, it is bloody Excellent. The counterpoint is beautiful. Listen to Gould. Some would say pure Genius ( me included ), others may say idiocy. He is Marmite

[cliffworks4321]

I can listen to Glenn speaking and playing all day long and often do. During our recent trying times here in Japan it gives me clarity and calm. He was the man!

[sandeepmdath]

Glenn did not force Page to say things that he didn't want to say. He simply worked with him in advance on the interview. This was confirmed by Page in 2008 (2009?) when he said ".. He was a real perfectionist when it came down to those things, as I know, because we worked on a script for my interview with him on the Goldberg Variations. This was something rather different from the interview I did with him over the phone, where we talked quite freely about a number of things...."

[yoboss1049]

it's weird how this is all scripted by gould. maybe not weird, but humourous/playful

[Ravel87]

Fantastic, I am delighted to have the opportunity to hear this.

[charmingemily]

so the old version is more spontaneous and the new is more deliberate?

interestng. every pieces, doesn't matter how long it is, must have a tempo reference point

what's the "pulse"??

[pdf1056]

Although I do agree with sibonic. It is kind of . . . strange.

[pdf1056]

As for the scripting issue . . . like the singing, the movements, the chair, etc. it is Glenn Gould. I mean, once you live with those recordings for a while (any or all of them), you realize that you accept, with no criticism, diagnosis, or questioning of motive, Glenn Gould as a whole, and kind of assume it all makes some contribution to his art, in some, perhaps not understandable, way.

And when you think about it, it works in a way no real interview, or for that matter essay, could.

[charmingemily]

what's "scripting"?

thanks

[pdf1056]

This 'interview' is on a cd packaged with both Goldberg recordings, "A State of Wonder." which is certainly a worthy investment.

[curzmg]

The 1981 recording is so emotive, until I heard Gould I never knew baroque could be so emotional. Who cares whether he scripted it, we all know that Gould was extremely intelligent, both musically and generally. xXx

[weikko79]

Why isn't Gould's take-off on "Bridge on the River Hudson" included?

[mycroftc]

Wish I had the opportunity to watch Gould perform live, my generation doesn't know what it's missing.

[ComeLeVent]

The interview is scripted anyway and is exactly how gould wanted it to be.

[sibionic]

yes I heard that - a wildly odd trait of GG (apparently) that he liked to write 'naturalised' dialogue - although he's clearly pretending the interview is spontaneous. Creepy - especially if he's writing the interviewer's compliments and quasi-acting his responses. I'm a radio producer, and it's a genuinely strange MO.

[ComeLeVent]

I'm not sure it's creepy, it's merely a desire for control over what the outside world knows about oneself and a desire to present opinions that are thought-out and definitive.