Rose and Gould play Beethoven's Cello Sonata in A: 1st mvmt.

Leonard Rose and Glenn Gould play the first movement (Allegro ma non tanto) of Ludwig van Beethoven's Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69. From 1960.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Leonard
• Rose
• Glenn
• Gould
• Ludwig
• van
• Beethoven
• Amajor
• Cello
• Sonata
• Opus
• Op.
• 69
• classical
• music

[rwocmo]

Anyone notice that Gould is playing from memory? He was a monster on the piano. Hate him or love him, you cannot ignore him. He TALKS on the piano.

[OzzyKingofKings]

Apparently, the day before this recording was made they decided to do it memorized (music stands awkward to film around or something), and Gould said something to the effect of

"OH you wanted it *memorized*?! Ok, tomorrow."

The next day, note-perfect as you see here.

What a nut that guy was.

[muken48]

I've always found it interesting that other great artist were so attracted to Mr. Gould: Leonard Rose, Oscar Shumsky, Yehudi Menuhin, Jamie Laredo....one would have thought perhaps that the more 'normal' types of musicians would avoid collaborations with Mr. Gould. I think those great artist felt and heard what was real and not common in Mr. Gould and had to make music with him, being that they were not 'common' either in terms of their inner musical life.

[grenvthompson]

@chaddyfromtheblock Correct, the only way to play at this level is muscle memory. Reading the music is for learning not performing.

[LutenistDeMari]

@Cancrizans Absolutely true, in fact to of the greatest period instrument players ever have both expressed a love of Gould's playing: Hopkinson Smith and Jordi Savall!

[Cancrizans]

@rwocmo most of the Gould haters are pedantic types, they generally have skill at the keyboard but view it as a conquerable prospect. I have never heard a person with a real creative soul speak of GG negatively. I love period instrumentalists so much, but I don't think the real musicians among them would criticize GGs spirit, it takes a real pedant to reduce such musicianship to a theoretical thing they have never experienced and can not experience...

[Cancrizans]

@rwocmo I've never heard anyone criticize Gould who isn't an obvious pedant, some of his biographers included. He was just such a compassionate, beautiful, and generous soul, Tim Page wrote some good things about him bc he spent time with him as a human being, not as a media representative. I think beyond anything Gould was such a wonderful person, even separated from anything he was as a pianist, just seeing a person be so real as he was has had an incredible influence on my life.

[Lingyis]

@OzzyKingofKings

It's took him a whole day to memorize?

(/joke)

[MagicDolphinGO]

@chaddyfromtheblock there is a difference between sightreading and having the music there. For example, in orchestras, the musicians usually have the the sheet music there in front of them. it doesn't mean they don't know the music like the back of their hand.

[chaddyfromtheblock]

@guitars2112 I'm not saying your wrong per se, but I can't imagine any true artist giving a real performance while sightreading. Your telling me Beethoven had the score in front of him if he preformed this? No, he KNEW the music just like Gould or anyone else with such talent could.

[guitars2112]

@chaddyfromtheblock In this case, a cello sonata, a pianist would normally have the score in front of him (no matter how extensively the piano is featured in it). Pianists don't usually memorize works (for a concert setting) which aren't a piano sonata, piano concerto,etc. Plus, if the story is true, he memorized it in one day which would be an astounding feat for a work of this length.

[chaddyfromtheblock]

I'm all for talking up Gould, and while I could not memorize all this material, isin't that part of being a virtuoso? What makes this piece so much harder to memorize than a piano concerto, for example?