3/27 Glenn Gould, Concert Dropout

For some reason I really enjoy listening to Glenn Gould talk - probably even more than listening to him play!  ...Then again I'd rather listen to his Beethoven piano sonatas again before re-hearing one of his "interviews" - no longevity is apparently the problem.

This recent discovery on YT was a fun listen though, "Glenn Gould: Concert Dropout".

From the cover it says:
Partial Agenda:
The Concert is Dead
The Only Excuse for Recording is to Do it Differently
The Great Get-Sibelius Plot Exposed
A Live Audience is a Great Liability
Petula Clark's Songs are in the Post-Mendelssohn Tradition
Why I Sing Along
Electronic Music is the Future

Apparently this was a largely scripted and edited affair - but it still answers a great many questions about Gould's later view on life and music.

This record is followed by "At Home with Glenn Gould" which was recorded while Gould was still playing live concerts - maybe this one was "real" since I found it far less interesting...
Pt 1-6: Glenn Gould: Concert Dropout (54 min)
Pt 7-15: At Home with Glenn Gould (1 hr 17 min)

Linklist

And here we have an excerpt of Glenn Gould performing to "no one" and re-interpreting Liszt reinterpreting Beethoven's Pastoral Symohony - this seems to encapsulate everything Gould talks about in the interview, right?

3/22 Stokowski's Moonlight Orchestra

Leopold Stokowski (Sta-kuf-skee) is another of the 20th Century's most famous conductors, and a direct rival of Toscanini's.  In fact Toscanani had to 'steal' Shostakovich's 7th Symphony from Stokowski, claiming that Stokowski was a young man and had plenty more time to do another Shosty piece later....  Though not my favorite Beethoven interpreter, he still ranks very high, and two things especially stand out about him for me.  One, that he was not afraid to re-orchestrate symphonic works for modern orchestra (he thought of himself as a collaborator with the composer's spirit) and second, his use of close-miking techniques, especially in the 60s - his "Phase 4" recordings.  The result of this cutting-edge technology was that Stokowski had direct control over the volume and placement of every instrument in the orchestra - thus achieving an extreme clarity of personal vision.  In other words, listening to these records is like sitting in the conductor's chair, rather than in the 20th row back...a very exciting way to present music.  Before Stokowski died at age 94 (still conducting) he had already begun recording surround-sound sides as well....

Here's a video of Stokowski conducting the finale of Beethioven's 7th Stymphony:


At the link below you can download the full 7th symphony conducted by Stokowski as well as a recording of him giving an introductory commentary on the symphony.
1927 - Stokowski - Philadelphia Orchestra Recordings - Part 1

And here is an example of Stokowski transcribing a chamber piece for orchestra. He was famous for his Bach transcriptions (which I love) but here is Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata in "Stokowski-sound" (tho actually conducted here by the late Erich Kunzel):

Beethoven/Stokowski - Moonlight Sonata

Finally here's Glenn Gould presenting a 1 hour movie with Stokowski talking about his approach to music...

Glenn Gould: Stokowski, a portrait for radio

3/12 Symphony 8 (Järvi) / Piano Sonatas Op. 109, 110 (Gould, Gampel)

Maestro Paavo Järvi

Posting a kind of mixed program today.
First, let's step inside the smaller parlor for Alan Gampel's fine performance of Piano Sonata #31 In Ab, Op.110 (1822):

Alan Gampel from the USA begins his semi-final recital in the 1991 GPA Dublin International Piano Competition, the second in the series. He qualified to play in the final round, and won 6th prize. Eighteen competitors progressed far enough in the competition for their choice to be heard. Alan Gampel was also a semi-finalist in the first competition of the series in 1988. He gives a short interview at the end of this sonata. (17:30,w interview 22 min)

Link   (from Fredobel51)

In the adjoining gallery we have Mr Glenn Gould, no stranger to the Daily Beethoven, performing
Piano Sonata #30 In E, Op.109 (1820) (13 min)

Playlist     (from Stravinskij0)
(Mr Gould's "cut off" introduction above can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztt1Z_90aag.)

Finally, in the Grand Concert Hall, we find our old friend Paavo Järvi and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen with a blazing version of Beethoven's 8th Symphony. (from giannibodoar, 23 min)
Symphony No.8 in F major, Op.93 (1812)

Playlist

12/29 Different Keys/Different Strokes...No. 27 / Op. 27

One of the many great things about Beethoven's music is the basic integrity and beauty of his work can shine through (or withstand) many different interpretations.  Even Beethoven himself rarely played a sonata the same exact way each time, and on occasion he was known to remark something to the effect of "Well, I never imagined it being played in such a manner - but I like this even better!" (especially if it was an attractive young female interpreter....).  Factors such as tempo, dynamics, phrasing - these are all things which can be personalized by the performer, thereby making a performance a true dialogue between composer and interpreter.  Though I heartily disagree with Maria João Pires that the notated score is not even 1 percent of the music...

Last week I featured a set of unique interpretations by Fazil Say.  Here are a couple double performances to compare side by side - so to speak.


Sonata No. 27, Op 90, Mvt. 1

Wilhelm Kempff:


Emil Gilels:

It still sounds like the same piece - but the personality of the performer comes through quite clearly.

In this example, however it gets a bit more ..extreme.

Sonata No. 13, Op. 27, No.1 "Quasi una fantasia", Mvt. 1

Daniel Barenboim:


Glenn Gould:

10/3 Glenn Gould and the 47 Variations

"Glenn Gould and the 47 Variations"

I like Glenn Gould, he's a fascinating character.  Besides having a huge impact on how half of all pianists play Bach, his stance on live performance is pretty interesting.  My understanding is that he quit giving live concerts because he felt that the whole ritual of going to a performance and seeing the execution of a work (which may or may not end up being successful) was distracting towards enjoying the music itself.  On a record, the performer can do re-takes and pick out the best one so you KNOW it's what the interpreter wanted.  In one interview he basically says that it's hard for him to even enjoy other musicians' concerts because all he can think about is the anxiety that comes with such a public display of incredibly complex music.  

I can definitely see his point.  I have to admit there are some concerts where the only thing I can remember about them is that the guy next to me fell asleep, or the lady behind me had a bad cold, or the violinist broke a string.  However the act of going to a concert I think helps to invest you into the performance - that is, since you paid $60 for this seat there is a better chance that you will at least try to give it your full attention and not answer the phone or google the menu at Applebee's.

Anyways that's enough editorial, here's Glenn Gould performing 2 Beethoven Variation sets...

15 Variations and a Fugue in Eb 'Eroica' Op.35 (1802) (Parts 1-3)

32 Variations (in C minor) on an Original Theme WoO.80 (1806)  (Parts 4-5)

9/5 Beethoven Sonatas (Univ Mich. Lecture)

Here's an informative lecture from 2007 on Beethoven's piano sonatas, specifically Op. 2, 13, 53 and 110.  Featuring University of Michigan faculty Steven Whiting, Kevin Korsyn and Alan Gosman.  1 hr 20 min.

These guys are no Leonard Bernstein (who is?) but there's some fascinating info on the unpredictability/inevitability of B's harmonic motion, as well as some interesting points about notation and large scale motivic foreshadowing.  A bit technical for some, but worth it.  The first speaker is not too technical actually....

Simply Sonata: Reflections on Beethoven's Transformation of a Musical Genre:

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Late addition:  Glenn Gould on how Beethoven invented Schoenberg (Piano Sonata Opus 109):

(not sure why the video uploader kept a self-portrait of herself at the end...)

Tomorrow (Monday) is my 50th post and I'll do something special...?