Glenn Gould: A Portrait (1985) 1/12

Of all the films, documentaries and retrospectives I've seen on Glenn Gould, this one is my favorite. It was written, directed, and narrated by Vincent Tovell and Eric Till.

That this documentary is out-of-print is a crime. (Anyone from the CBC listening?) As far as I know, this film is unavailable for viewing anywhere online (except here).

One of the things that makes this documentary so wonderful is that it was made only three short years after Glenn's untimely death in 1982 at age 50. The love and the pain on the faces and in the voices of all the interviewees, especially his dear cousin, Jesse Greig, is palpable.

If you've seen "32 Short Films on Glenn Gould," you'll notice that it "borrowed" heavily from this documentary. (It seems to me that François Girard lifted entire segments.) I enjoyed the film; I prefer the documentary.

I apologize for the crappy video and audio quality. I ripped this straight from an old VHS tape, using One Touch Video Capture. It's the best I could do. I guess sometimes you just can't keep that creaky chair from creaking.

May Glenn Gould forgive me.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Glenn
• Gould
• Portrait
• CBC
• Documentary
• Biography
• Canadian
• Pianist
• Toronto
• Bach
• Wagner
• Strauss
• Schoenberg
• Radio
• Solitude
• Stokowski
• Bruno
• Monsaingeon
• Yehudi
• Menuhin

[Sarah20461]

What is the piece beginning at 1:21 ? So famous I know but can't quite remember exactly. Thank you very much

[erp65]

@Sarah20461 -- Hi, Sarah. It's Bach's Concerto No. 5 for Piano & Orchestra in F Minor, BWV 1056, 1st Movement (Allegro). Vladimir Golschmann conducting the Columbia Symphony Orchestra. Recorded at 30th Street Studio, New York, 1958.

[Erodiade2008]

He used to sit very low on his stool, did he not? what a dear odd piano stool he kept for his entire life.

[erp65]

Yes, his father customized it for him. He never performed without it. There's a famous scene in Glenn Gould: Alchemist where Bruno looks down his nose at the ratty chair, and Gould declares, "Do not insult a member of the family!"

[mooguphonic]

Thanks very much for extracting and posting this. You've provided a great service....

[ilovechopinprelude]

wow.... that is so true. I love the way you just put that.

[TheZhirustarshooter]

what is the piece right from the beginning?

[MariaBelen1278]

Can anyone tell me what does GG says in "Music at the moment is at a -----------, and there are so many possibilities for it, that everybody has a chance to be right". I can't figure out that word. Thank you!

[dreaminglucidly139]

does anyone know what the piano piece starting at 5:30 is called? Thank you

[bersa888]

That's an elephantine performance of BACH'S F Minor concerto...

[LastedWave]

@Sylvain894 "he was never laughing" this is really nonsense!

[Sylvain894]

I think that GG was not really a clown or humorist, he was never laughing always serious and suspecting. A littl' paranoid !

[Blacksky17]

Glen Gould was a Great pianist,as a singer not so much as the animals show their expressions for it.