Glenn Gould plays Webern Variations Opus 27

Webern Variations Opus 27

It would seem to many that this piece by Austrian composer Anton Webern (1883 -- 1945) is the complete opposite of what one would expect from "Bach's Prophet". I had to laugh when one Youtuber responded: "loneliness makes horrible things to one's mental equilibrium.... poor Gould (I'm not ironic, I really feel sorry for him)", as I'm sure many would agree. Gould's absolute precision of such unholy dissonance makes for a downright frightening display. And yet, I have to argue, it shouldn't be too surprising, because the piece is actually in the same vein as Bach. Like Bach, one gets the feeling that Webern has followed a method in order to compose-- a method that is obscure upon listening, complex; and yet we can tell that each section has a certain theme, carried out to seemingly mathematical precision, explored to its fullest and not a bit more. A method that must have made enough sense for Gould to memorize and have intimately mapped in his head.

It is paradoxically both the opposite and the continuation of Bach. If we may think of Bach as the "perfect right", as Bach believed his work came from God, almost as if Music itself was its composer, we might think of this piece as the "perfect wrong". Chaos, or apathy, would simply be no composition at all, no forsight; but rather this piece has been carefully and meticulously constructed to be unexpected and jarring to our senses in every way possible (except for the fact that it has the structure of rise and falls that appeals to us in the sense that it's a story or song). Bach, of course, is the opposite, in that everything unfolds exactly as we'd like it; in fact he reveals the sense of "rightness" to us even moreso than we could imagine on our own. In this light, this piece can be seen as equally illuminating in the opposite way; though one will probably prefer to experience perfect order more often than perfect disorder.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-tone_technique
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serialism

Sheet music: www.mediafire.com/?jmrhvlzddon

Category:

Music

Tags:

• glenn
• gould
• webern
• idea
• of
• north
• opus
• 27
• variations
• music
• fail

[Yoshi5020]

Honestly, from the Modernism I've seen in the 1910s-1940s, I think this was the era in which humanity tested the limits of insanity and perversity. I may have thought the world was ending in that time (and again in the 60s).

[dieztheremin]

@Yoshi5020 so you think this music is insane and perverse?

[Yoshi5020]

If you don't think so, I'd like to ask, what kind of music WOULD give the feeling of insanity or perversity (or annoyance, or frustration?) I side with common perception on this, which is why dissonant music was the inspiration for horror movie soundtracks, or 40s-style detective dramas with themes of alienation and drudgery. People have an inherent sense of musical right and wrong-- perhaps it takes more intellect to appreciate 'wrong done right', but they don't have to like it.

[Yoshi5020]

Youtube comments don't give enough room to elaborate. It's true that intellectual people are more disturbed, and thus will relate to this music more, or appreciate its craft. But ultimately I don't think liking music comes from intellect, but from the particularities of one's own feelings (which can change with age). Stravinsky said: "My music is best understood by children and animals."

[ugolomb]

That earlier performance is also on Youtube. For some reason, I get an error message when I try to include the link in the comment... look for: Glenn Gould-Webern-Variations for Piano (HD)

[ugolomb]

I can understand what you mean by "Gould's absolute precision of such unholy dissonance makes for a downright frightening display". But the music can create a different impression -- as Gould himself demonstrates in an earlier performance. It's still Webern's disorder-out-of-order, but the sense of "frightening precision" is somewhat mollified, I feel.

[jiulianus]

Your words hurts my mind!

[dieztheremin]

@pyrosplodeyflames You have to get used to this kind of music. nobody likes atonal music or music with expanded tonality at first. You have to learn to like this music, unlike pop and rock music. This music is more complex and intellectual, it takes time to understand. Btw, this piece is not the easiest to listen to.

[fenderbender92]

@pyrosplodeyflames Because it's meant to piss you off. You honestly expect there to be music composed in a nice, unifying key in the most human altering century?

[h1ppophagist]

@pyrosplodeyflames "Why does modern music have to suck?"

It hardly does. Incredible dissonance can be as funky (/watch?v=SoqlvSKOmj4) or as beautiful (/watch?v=yNuDjt9wnxE) as hell. I happen not to like this piece by Webern, but I'm sure that if Gould is sharing it by making his recording available, he has very good reasons for wanting to do so.

[AfroDeezeeYak]

@pyrosplodeyflames This hurts my eyes: why do your comments have to suck?