How Glenn Gould Broke Classical Music
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- Опубліковано 15 тра 2024
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0:00 What could go wrong?
0:55 Chapter 1: Gould's Musical Hallucination
9:51 Chapter 2: Gould vs Orthodoxy
17:32 Chapter 3: Gould the Philosopher
26:08 Chapter 4: Gouldian Altered State
Listen to Gould's Brahms Concerto: glenngould.lnk.to/BrahmsPiano...
Check out Arved Ashby's book:
www.ucpress.edu/book/97805202...
benlaude.com/
/ benlawdy
Special thanks to Daniel Kurganov and Sasha Kasman for their assistance in the technical preparation and production of this video.
If classical music does not get more interpreters with Gould’s audacity, the audience will continue to wither.
Perfectly stated.
I could not agree more!!!! Yes!
Thats why we got dudes like olafsson. I very much think he is the modern gould
@@junlee7237 Vikingur is great!
And I agree that classical music really needs to shed the retardataire culture and bring outliers to the center, a big, messy bubbling cauldron of everything all at once.
As a person who merely listens to Classical music, I can say I had no idea that this would be controversial, and am baffled to have heard it at all! If I'm being honest, I got the impression that classical music just attracted very dull, unimaginative people to play and conduct, and all the creativity was in the composers, classical or contemporary. I have been immensely grateful to modern composers for breathing new life into classic works, like Max Richter's Vivaldi's The Four Seasons Recomposed. If more performers and conductors made more of an effort to interpret, there might be a reason to go to concert rather than listening to recordings.
As a 72-year-old, lifelong admirer of Gould, Bernstein, and Horowitz, I sat here the whole half hour in rapt attention and appreciation for the careful, incisive, broad, thorough and generous analysis offered - thank you! That said, the '55 Goldberg recording has always remained my platinum standard for ecstasy in motion.
I didn't like the 55' version, I loved the 82' version tho.
@@CanadianDivergentIt might very well be that I was 30 years old in '82, and had already passionately loved the '55 version for over a decade, before he recorded the later one. They're definitely both worth repeated hearings!
IMO, the 1959 Salzburg live performance is a much better version of the 55 recording. Also the few variations he performed in Moscow are definitely worth a listen!
@@fredsun9496Amazing, thanks! Proof that even in my 70s, I can discover new things previously unknown.
I've come to the conclusion that it depends on my mood at the moment.
I have to sit on the fence with this one but it's a fence with a cushion so the iron doesn't enter the soul!! Very comfortable experience.👍
Gould's most important contribution in my opinion isn't just his Bach, but the way he unabashedly approached radical reinterpretations of pieces. This is more important now than ever as so many pianists sound exactly the same. I recall Gould saying something along the lines of "Why would I play a piece exactly how someone else played it. The conventional interpretations have been recorded and are perfect in their own right."
Because not everyone likes showboating. I'd rather hear a dozen subtly different interpretations of a piece than one radically different. Yeah yeah I like punk music too and all that so I'm not against people trying to be outrageous, but I prefer my classical music to be about the composer not the player.
@@user-qb1sm3rk9r If they're described pre-presentation as such, then it seems more than fine. But for the situation here - it was largely that he didn't have the environmental capacity to do these sorts of variational performances, so had to take to them without reference/notice. But largely agreed, I do think there needs to be space for both however.
Did it ever once occur to you that the MASTER COMPOSERS had a specific idea in mind as to how THEIR creations should sound?
I'm an amateur admirer of Gould but I'm afraid I have been infected with fake news over the years ---
1. Did GG ever perform the Lizst Piano interpretations of Beethovens 7th ? Specifically the Allegretto ?
2. If you search on YT Allegretto - Lizst - Gould there is a video that pops up - (I will find the details and post it interested)
I think this video is mislabeled because I cannot find where he recorded any Lizst that is similar
Agreed, but also Bach is important, thanks to him, newer generations were interested in Bach (myself included) listened so many times "The art of the fugue"!
That was my best 34 minutes spent on UA-cam for a while. Thanks Ben!
Agreed!
Great video! Yes, Glenn could've spent his life worrying about pleasing people-but instead he chose to express himself, to allow us to hear classical music in meaningful ways we hadn't heard a thousand times before. Bravo to you both!
The critical response to Gould reminds me of this quotation from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. "Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius."
I'm not sure Peter Shaffer would agree. ("Amadeus" is a work of fiction, frankly admitted as such, but Shaffer probably did believe that mediocrity could recognize talent)
This is a nice sounding quip, but it’s a profoundly reductive and self-serving view
@@ugolombMy all time favourite movie, mainly because of that message! Yeah, mediocrity really can recognize genius, and that film made me come to terms with the fact that there are people incredibly better at anything I say I do well.
@@LAK_770 No, it describes the attitude of many critics toward Gould. Disagreeing with his approach and disliking it is fine, but to assume that there is no artistry at work is a failure by the critic. Gould would frequently provoke, but it is very evident that he was always trying to communicate something.
Gould was an incompetent narcissist cult leader. that's all he is. talks a lot, plays poorly. he is trash
My mother was a young, fairly accomplished pianist during Gould's time and absolutely loved his audacity and musicianship.
I have absolutely no music experience, never learned to read music or even play a musical instrument. All I have is my ears and that’s why I am here. I am just a regular guy who after reaching 40 plus years old I fell in the love with classical Piano. It started with Beethovens “Emperor” concerto. Then came the Goldberg Variations and much more followed. Much appreciate the greatness of Glenn Gould. Thanks Ben, I appreciate this video.
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This is very funny cause the video mentioned the author Murakami who had a character in his book Kafka on the shore who was a truck driver and also fell in love with classical music by way of Beethoven
Wonderful. The next step is to learn an instrument. Give it a try.
I admit I have held a pretty snarky attitude about Glenn Gould’s musical interpretations and eccentricity. Thank you for introducing me to Glenn Gould in a different way - as someone who took time to examine the music he was playing, as someone who made people listen in an active way.
I appreciate this comment a lot! It's one thing to preach to the choir, but I'm perhaps more interested in sharing what is truly worthwhile in Gould even to those who'd otherwise stay far away.
@@benlawdy Your preaching skill is reaching an even bigger choir.
Well, it's funny you put it that way: Gould was a believer of where technology would go, enabling the listener to alter the music to meet their standards. He dreamed of records that one could play with the volume, timbre, tempo, voices and anything variable. He would probably love today's technology and experiment with it. Or he could detest it and have a solid reason for it. :P Predictability wasn't his thing, his thing was making other things... work, on a new level. His recordings aren't the holy grail, but I would argue his philosophy is.
I think a lot of informed people have objected to some of his artistic decisions on aesthetic grounds. There is no need to apologize for yjhthat. But I was always amazed by his skills, not only musiical but verbal as well. I read a collection of his essays a few decades ago and found it very entertaining, as well as insightful om a variety of musical topics seldom discussed.
Curiously GG enjoyed a very good reputation behind the Iron Curtain, which is interesting because of the general conservatism of taste in those parts, at that time and probably still now.
@@aimilios439 "......alter the music to meet their standards..."??????
UA-cam at its best. Deep, thorough and fascinating. Well done.
The best thing about this video is that you didn't strawman those of us who don't love Gould. I tentatively clicked on this video and enjoyed it from the beginning to the end. Well done!
I'm disappointed that you didn't get the thorough strawmanning that you deserve.
@@DavoStreetNot sure if there is any sarcasm, but strawmanning is counter-productive.
this was amazing please please please keep making videos like this, classical music needs more content like yours
Yes, this truly was the video that need to be made on the Glenn Gould controversy. It will clear up a lot of things about the Gould. I just posted some interesting comments on where I don't completely let him off the hook. But I truly garnered me more respect for the man's work. The comment are recent if you want to check them out above. // Also, you may want to take a peek at my music theory where show patterns of theme and emotion that come up depending on what key is used.
Take care! - Your, _Acoustic Rabbit Hole_
I love Glenn Gould. After years of learning piano as a kid, I was able to listen to his recordings and it was the experience that finally unlocked truly my love of classical music.
We are so lucky that not only did he make so many piano recordings, he WROTE so many essays about music and did so many programs and interviews that one could almost feel like they know him as person, even though he has passed on decades ago. It feels to me like if I met Mr. Gould, there would be many things to ask him and he is always on my mind as a musician. He is so relevant still today that I can almost imagine him writing a response to this video!
I know close to nothing about classical music and you brought it to life so deftly. I picked up Gould’s Goldberg Variations Bach recording by chance from the public library. It brought me to my knees. I was flabbergasted and then to top it all off , I heard humming. I was like: who is humming along ? I loved it when I realized Gould himself hummed along. It made me more confident to listen to more classical music somehow. It brought it to me: a commoner with no knowledge or training in classical music. I love Gould for that.
I came across this video by chance. I am someone who loves music, but has no particular knowledge in the field. I have always appreciated Glenn Gould's playing, and never really understood the controversy around him, I had always assumed it was based on his eccentricities. Despite having watched documentaries on Glenn Gould before, this is the first time I feel that I understand why I am captured by his playing, and what drove the controversy. This was a fantastic piece of film making, and your knowledge an dedication to the subject, highly impressive. There is just so much to think about, to consider, to ruminate over; I'll be watching this again. Thank you so much.
Excellent essay! I just want to say it in my own words: The “Truth” Gould was reaching for is not “out there” in space somewhere. It’s in the score. It’s in the structure that Brahms wrote, which is incredibly complex and aspects of which can be revealed in many ways through the playing. You can’t communicate everything about a piece in one performance. So Gould was trying to show some of the structure that he felt had been glossed over or missed entirely by others. And I suppose the composer’s inspiration may have mystical aspects we can only guess at, but our study of the music is utterly down-to-earth.
Thank you, Ben. This was a great addition to my day.
this video healed my soul. i feel as though i was opened to such a different perspective than the one i was rigidly taught as a child. it brings me back to the times when i played moonlight sonata privately in a way i could emotionally connect to, but when forced to play in front of the teacher, it became forced and truly "machine-like." i haven't practiced the piano in a while, i've moved on to singing instead, but perhaps my old, strict regimen is what leads me to seek freedom in my voice today. gould's statement about music not being a momentary ejection of adrenaline but rather a beautiful state of serenity and wonder blew my mind.
thank you for this video. it was educational, thought provoking, and i've earned a deep respect for Glenn Gould. it didn't occur to me that it was 30 minutes long and i was absorbed the whole way through.
I cannot put into words how thrilling this was to watch, as a trained pianist, a lover of the courageous Gould to stand up to convention and explore music with a freedon the music institutions, critics frown upon.
Heaven help them if he dared venture into jazz
Hearing Horowitz next to Gould, it's just... stunning how much more evocative Gould's performance is. There's this emotional complexity to the way he interprets. It's so memorable and beautiful. I never understand the people who hear his versions and say such negative things. Gould really turns the music into a collaboration between himself and the original composer, and he's right-that is so much what separates a performance from a great recording. Anyone can play the music the way it's written and has been played before. It takes a true artist to turn the familiar new again, allowing the piece to almost be heard again for the first time, for new discoveries to be made in existing music.
This made me love Gould even more. His era wasn't ready for him.
I knew nothing about Gould beforehand but now I'm in love with his work.
the appeal isn't his performances, it's the *idea* of his performances. Good job, you fell for the appeal of a cult leader.
@@Whatismusic123 Bro ur goofy
@@Whatismusic123or maybe it's because we all know the classical pieces and when gould plays them it sounds noticably different and that's cool?
it sounds noticably different because it's noticably bad. he just does things differently for the sake of being different, he never serves the music like a good pianist should. he makes a mockery of all music he plays. @@literallyjustgrass
That ascending inner voice accentuated (around 15:40-58) was just magical. That REALLY made me sit up. Absolutely blazingly beautiful. I can see why you like it.
I love how Gould elevates the musical form (on the timescale of an hour) to the status it deserves. There's nothing quite like a piece of music that actually manages to build on itself for that amount of time.
Probably one of the best UA-cam videos on classical music I've seen to this day. Ben is also so genuine in his feelings.
I don't want to make any comment on Gould (I just love his approach). Rather: your work is FANTASTIC. You make videos that help each of us refine our understanding of music. Rare stuff. Hats off!
Thanks UA-cam for these amazing recommendations & thank you for making this video. ❤
Love from India.
It's awesome !! UA-cam needs such a content! Thank u for brilliant work! Can't wait for next video!
Thank you for this marvelous video. I am a longtime Gould fan, and you have humanized some of the magisterial mystery with your narrative. Of course, I am wiping away tears as I type this! Time to pull out the vinyl.
It was sad that Glenn Gould died too early too young. Had he lived longer, people would have understood him, not criticise!
I want that chair t-shirt.
www.redbubble.com/i/t-shirt/Gould-s-Chair-by-YesterdayBlues/159260073.WFLAH
@@benlawdy Gracias. I ordered myself one.
Quite the video essay - well researched and produced. Good times and learning. My listening ears appreciate it.
Before I heard Glenn Gould, I liked Bach. After hearing Glenn Gould, I loved Bach more than any other composer. And mind you, not just Gould’s recordings. Glenn’s recordings gave me a framework on how to view Bach’s music, the counterpoint, the separate voices and so on. I feel the same way about his treatment of Brahms. Rhapsody in Bm anyone?
Ditto
Hear hear! Or is it Here, here! 100%.
His A major Intermezzo is simply divine.
@@owenbloomfield1177 Agreed! I am bowled over by all of his Brahms.
Scott Ross said Gould has absolutely no understanding of Bachs music.
Beautiful analysis and superb video, I wish UA-cam had more stuff like this
Fantastic job here, Ben! You manage to bridge local questions of octave-speed with the broadest questions of how humans make sense of the world "out there," and you do so in a way that might have made Gould the pragmatist and "continuist" (?) proud. Thanks much.
Thank you Arved! Your book helped me clarify things I had been trying to make sense of for a long time. And we do need to find the right term for Gould. “Techno-utopian postmodern-modernist rhythmic-collectivist pragmatist” doesn’t really roll off the tongue.
@@benlawdysounds like a term Gould would approve of though, considering his own writing style. 😂
Well, "the last puritan" is short and sweet, but smacks more of prudish religion than non-prudish music making. @@benlawdy
Gracias por este estupendo video! Yo pienso que el grande André Watts es la misma alta clase que Glen Gould! Y no se porque no tiene la misma fama que G. Gould?! Que piensa Usted? Gracias!
Thank you for this wonderful video. I enjoyed your depth of discussion, how you illustrated your points with stories, the score, quote from others, snippets of a range of performances, you made it so easy to follow your thinking. When I needed to hear a version again, you provided it! Brilliant!
This is a great analysis very illuminating, it helps me to make sense of the beauty I find in Gould’s playing and why it touches my heart - thank you ❤️
Extremely enjoyable watch. Thank you!
Masterfully paced and argued. I'm a lifelong Gouldian who never quite understood his approach to the Romantics; now I do!
If Gould had lived longer, wouldn’t you have liked to hear his Ligeti Etudes?
@@benlawdy Of course! A feast of inner voices! They both shared an obsession with counterpoint.
@@drabauer Yes and specifically I think Gould might have been attracted to the different lines moving at different rates of speed. Would have loved to hear him play Desordre or Autumn in Warsaw.
I can also imagine a glacial "White on White" LOL
Please do more of this 🙏 how incredible in-depth and entertaining analysis
Ben this is really an exceptionally good video about Gould. I’ve been a massive fan as long as you have, but I wasn’t aware of some of the things you clarify in this video. Thanks for taking the time to explain things in such great detail!
The most important statement is when Gould says when we play a work, we don't reproduce the composers intent, but RECREATE it anew. And each time, the big question is, "Is it musical; does it work?" With Gould, the answer is always, "Yes!" and kudos to Bernstein for running with him and helping it work.
Thank you for sharing this!!! I have been ambivalent about Gould for a long time. Hearing more of your informed perspective is very interesting and great content!
It means a lot to hear that. Gould isn't for everyone, but I do wish more people would try to understand him!
Thank you for this in-depth analysis. What's more, the video has been prepared with so much attention to detail.
Incredible. Thanks for putting this out there.
Man, really enjoyed this video! Thanks for making it.
As a lifelong Gould fan, I feel this is a video that you've wanted to make for a very long time and wow, you really did it!
As a jazz musician Goulds approach to music is nothing out of the ordinary. I think this is why so many jazz musicians appreciate him.
Exactly right. Ironically Gould did not like jazz and was ideologically opposed to improvisation
Really appreciate your perspective- well done 🚕
Thanks a lot for this video, Ben! I felt like I waited for too long that someone was able to do this. Greaaat job!!!
Thanks so much for your terrific exploration of this performance. It made me happy on a cold spring day.
And thank you for everything you’ve done for the music world over the years! Your work has been always been inspirational to me.
@@benlawdy Thank you Ben. Should you ever get to NY it would be a pleasure to say hello. Best, Tim
Hey - I’ve been studying theory and history in preparation for me theory test. Thank you for making this video - you makes these composers and moments in time entertaining and memorable! Hoping to see more content like this
Thank you for bringing us on this philosophical journey
One thing a director told us as an ensemble once: As we are at the top of our game, it is easy for us to play the fast stuff - we love to show off as you have said. However, it is another thing to take that "slow" piece and make it sound incredible, and not ruin it by playing it fast.
In a way, that is exactly what he was doing. He was taking his time to really show how wonderful that music was, without trying to rush it, because that is the way to hide those technicalities in how a chord sounds, or even showing off those wonderful inner lines that otherwise would have been overlooked.
People forget that musicians can play WHATEVER they want and HOWEVER they want. The joy of playing, and listening as a result, is exactly in that freedom of interpretation and freedom of choice.
I love how much Gould sounds like a music box. That constant pulse just gives this very subtle but otherworldly energy. I love it!
Fantastic video, thanks so much for putting in the effort and sharing this with us. Subscribed!
the Brahms 1 coda never fails to give me goosebumps, but listening Gould's rendition here might be the first time it's caused a lump in my throat (but maybe I'm just emotional since im listening to this in a quite hungry state). Great video!
The coda never gets old. Something about the pacing, the way it slowly unfolds/blooms, and then erupts. For me it has to have a strong pulse, no rushing, so of course Gould knocks it out of the park. And that rest he does that sounds like it will never is just ridiculously awesome - especially after an hour of playing like clockwork.
I have always loved this coda, especially because of Brahms' use of 2nds to make the harmonies so dense and gorgeous. What Gould does here is that the tempo lets those harmonies breathe. Many pianists bang the notes out and gallop through the coda. Gould let the tension build, and then there was that glorious release. The best interpretation of that coda I have heard in the 50+ years I have been listening to this piece!
What a wonderful analisys! Thank you so much.
Amazing video !! Thanks Ben
Thanks. Fascinating. I especially loved the analysis of bringing out the inner voices (around minute 16 of the video).
Thank you so much Ben, I felt like attending a great piano masterclass while watching the video!
Very interesting and amusing reflections.... at times you gave me the impression to be one one side, then on the other... At the end I got a sense of your stance on Gould's concept. I hope you'll make more videos like this. Bravo!
ok, this video is fascinating! Please, do make more!
That was.just wonderful!. I never knew what to make of Glenn....pls give us more of your work!!!!!!!❤❤❤❤❤😊🎉🎉
What a well done video-so interesting!
I learn so much from your videos. Thank you
Fascinating. Thanks for posting.
This is brilliant.Thank you for the upload.
I’ve been waiting for someone to make a video like this
This is next level content and production quality for videos about classical music 👏
Loved the video and the deep dive into Gould's sometimes odd interpretation of pieces. Awesome work!
Brilliantly researched and presented. I've never been a huge fan of Gould, but after seeing this, I appreciate him a bit more and understand more what drove him. Thanks for this.
As a playwright, I consciously subscribe to the anti-platonic, pragmatic approach to my own works that Gould brings to composers' works: using a collaborative art form--like orchestral music--I take great joy in seeing what directors and actors find in my own writing that I never realized was there. Together, we make it "work" in a variety of ways; the pieces don't remain static, totally determined by my artistic intention. Instead, interpreters make the plays dynamic, ever-changing. Guess that makes me a Gouldian.
Excellent work!
Incredible video - thanks for sharing!
Amazing video Ben!
Thank you. This was all fascinating, especially hearing the response of the audience at the end of that performance. The critics were not expressing what the audience felt!
you are a great teacher
Fascinating! Interesting, educational and entertaining all at once! Thank you, Ben! Keep going!!
Really impressed!!! Thank you very much for your great work!!!
Amazing video on Glenn Gould. Just subscribed to the Patreon as well. What's crazy about Gould is you can make an entire 30-min video just on that single Brahms Concerto performance.
Gould is probably the most interesting pianist of the 20th century. People mostly know him for his eccentric takes on Bach, but even his Mozart, Beethoven, and Scriabin interpretations are beyond belief. I would love to see a series on Gould, or on pianists with unique interpretations in the future, something like that.
Thank you for subscribing. I have way too many videos to make about Gould… I haven’t even scratched the surface. Even this one had a ~5000 word script that had to chop in half to make it watchable. But I need to keep branching out haha. What would you like to see a video on?
@@benlawdy Really up to you. I like your videos that blend musical analysis, historical significance, and your own experiences. I think it would be wise to make different kinds of series, like one for pianists, one for different interpretations of the same work. Something like that.
I also noticed the different records on the wall, perhaps you can go over some of your favorite records or give some insight into the record label industry.
I hope more followers get attracted to your channel, seriously underrated content. I mean the production value for this Gould video alone is second to none.
@@5kyfall2017 thank you! I’m dedicated to growing it, so hopefully it’s just a matter of time.
@@benlawdyYou didn’t ask me, but I would love for you to do the 5000-word versions of whatever, when you feel it! Maybe a double-length “director’s cut” released after the shorter version?! I’ll bet a lot of folks who don’t think they want longform would jump right from this into More is More.
Very insightful and entertaining; thank you for this.
Finally, youtube suggestions did something right. Wonderfully spent 34 minutes, thank you, Ben! Also I love the editing! When the video seemlessly transitioned from you to Berstein with that "why", I had to pause and savor the moment, it was really cool :D
That is the most wonderful demonstration of music….i weep with Joy ….thank you !
i'm really glad Ben talks about Gould logically and not complicated that we can understand him straightly and accurately
Thank you - andI hope you’re being sincere and not sarcastic. I do think I flirt with over complicating things when talking about Gould’s aesthetic philosophy
@@benlawdy im one of the big fan of horowitz and gould, sereously! people know this most analytical thinker...
@@benlawdy I don't think you do any such flirting. We need whatever tools we can find for combating the decades of facile pigeonholing suffered by GG.
@@arvedashby5029 that’s nice to hear! This kind of thinking about music is normal for me and I’ve found it very rewarding. But I’m aware that it may come across as “over-intellectualizing”
@@arvedashby5029 Arved is the man! Great minds and all.
Very interesting and enjoyable video. I have never understood Gould - I am not sure I ever will - but this brings me a step closer to understanding other points of view of him. 👍🏼
Exceptionnal work, thank you !!
Congrats on 10k!🎉
Gould stood up for what he believed in and in so doing, dared to challenge Bernstein, which was rarely done. Bravo Gould!
Agreed. Gould was opposed to showing off. His was a more subtle approach. Rather than emphasising contrasts and over-dramatising a piece, he wanted it to be cohesive. Less immediately gratifying, maybe, but I prefer it.
Great video. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm with you on those inner voices. It's wondrous to hear them when you've never heard them before, even though you've heard the piece multiple times by other musicians. I've always enjoyed Gould inner tempo that he holds throughout a piece. I used to wonder why I was so attracted to his music. And my conclusion years ago was the pulse he kept that gave it that "American rhythm".
More of this kind of content!!!! Well done!
ben I have to say it is incredible what you are doing with your channel. This is incredible content. you did the right move leaving tone base
ıt's a pleasure to watch your videos Ben. Your knowledge, insight and expertise are remarkable and you are a top video maker. Thank you.
Gould's conception of the last movement is still my favorite of all recorded versions, studio or live. No one gives such care to so much of how the finale opens up to finally reach that insane cadenza. Though I don't always like the other 2 movements, it all fits well together as a whole.
I'll always admire Gould's straight up courage to keep his mind open to possibilities.
Also I've read enough about Brahm's own piano playing to know he would play wildly different from his own scores.
I think he would have open to Gould's ideas.
Fascinating video. Thanks for making it
amazing video. your passion flows through the entire 34 minutes. first time that i subscribe to a channel after 1 video.
8:40. I never realized this recording was AFTER the Bernstein. Huh. Thank you so much for this clear analysis of this particular performance. I have a great love of the Brahms 1st. And far and away, the Bernstein/Gould interpretation is my favourite (even among Gould's 3 surviving performances). I am not trained in music myself so I only feel what I feel, but the tension entrances me and at some parts (33:10 to the end: thank you for highlighting) my heart soars.❤
Actually so cool that Ben has his own channel now. I wonder what his least favorite Gould recordings are. I do think it’s good to adopt and listen to true critical thinkers but also being a contrarian myself, sometimes I do it just to do it.
Good question. Maybe some of his Bach WTC is underwhelming. Like, if he didn’t really like a piece and wasn’t inspired to develop a concept for it, especially when he’s recording complete sets, he can just sound like “generic Gould.” But even then, I just love his touch. And I’m not ashamed to say that I love his intentional parodies of pieces he dislikes. Some of the machine gun Mozart movements are laugh out loud funny.
@@benlawdy Begs the question - why do artists record music they don't like? Were they told what they had to play back then or something?
@@Veaseify He did like the Brahms Concerto, actually. But he did record lots of music he didn't like, and yeah it's more or less because of incentives from labels to sell more records of standard works. The complete Mozart sonatas are the best example - he liked some of them, but mostly were not his cup of tea. But there was pressure to record the whole cycle. This still happens today - pianists recording complete cycles - but you see it less and less, and more variety and concept albums, which I think is a good thing.
@@benlawdy Thanks for the response Ben. I wonder if he would have been happier improvising like Keith Jarret or getting to grips with some Bill Evans pieces where 'interpreting' the music doesn't get you into trouble...
@@Veaseify he had a composer’s mindset, but his genius was as a pianist / so I think these kinds of interpretations were natural for him. He actually was ideologically opposed to improvisation, but that’s a whole other video/can of worms. You’re onto something though - part of him didn’t want to be a pianist. He became more interested in producing conceptual radio and film, where piano wasn’t involved (like Idea of North) and probably would have directed more film if he had lived longer.
Found you with this video, and subscribed for more and to see your backlog.
Loved it and it is inspiring.
What a beautiful artist he was! Deeply thinking and so articulate in his speech & writing ❤
Thank you for your videos🙏