Monday 9 April 2012

Goldberg, Schmoldberg - vat does it madder?

I have always had a sort of gift for music, whether listening or whistling.

Now, I'm not saying that I can play the piano as well as him, but I certainly hum along a lot better to the Goldberg Variations than Glenn Gould did when he was actually performing them.

This is a statement of fact.

6 comments:

  1. Ah, our very own Glen Gould. Spectacular. I love watching his face when he plays.

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  2. Yes, I loved him too, Raz. A great Canadian.

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  3. I love Gould. Especially when he plays Bach. His joy in the music shines. I suffered piano lessons for years with a mad martinet of a teacher who took far too much enjoyment in rapping my knuckles with a ruler every time I did something she disapproved of. I had to sit bolt upright - Gould's posture would have had her foaming!

    Now I don't play the piano at all. I love to listen though. She didn't ruin that.

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    1. Why were piano teachers traditionally so horrid to young students? Aversion therapy? The funny thing is that Bach hated the new-fangled 'pianoforte' and wrote only for organ and harpsicord.

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  4. He does seem VERY low down on his seat; his chin almost touches the keys. But if that's what it takes... Reminds of little Nigel Kennedy who used to jump in the air. Every time I saw him performing they had to put a small square of carpet down, to soften the noise.

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    1. Nigel Kennedy is a prat, in my opinion - it's all style and affectation with him, whereas Gould was a genuine eccentric.

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