I have never seen anyone able to play something like a contrapunctus and hold a conversation at the same time, i'm so fortunate to have gotten to know about glenn gould in my lifetime.
I'm siting here at my piano wondering how the hell he was talking while playing. I can hardly muster a few words without completely stopping either my words or my playing. He was a genius.
Lol I was impressed by the same thing - him carrying on a super-intellectual conversation while at the same time playing music better than I ever hope to play in my life.
I first heard this art of fugue in 1989. When I first heard the 14th contrapunctus my heart swelled and then there was that last single line where Bach went to be w/ the Lord and I was still here.....................
Maybe, but he was always absorbed while playing music, so he wasn't for sure using only muscle memory - you need to focus on each voice in the fugue. And it's clearly heard that he is listening to those voices, and still talking. He was a genius, no question.
I will also check my friend's channel. It is the Bruce Cross channel. He had started a series of GG performances comparing each one to the sheet music. The ones I have seen so far have been very helpful. I will email and see if more are in the works and if he has live ones. I will also check a couple other places online and see if I can find them. If you find them can you please email at kkicons@gmail.com, I might not check back here as often.
Thanks for being man enough to own up, we all get carried away sometimes. Glenn's performances seem to induce extreme reactions. He possibly wouldn't get away with it with any other composer. That's maybe a testament to the greatness of Bach's music.
I always wished we had a recording of gould playing the contrapunctus 9 as vigorously as he does here in 0:33. He might not have liked it but his hands play beautifully even those pieces.
To tack on a bit more, I find that among my professional music colleagues, he is not held in very high regard except for his remarkable intellect. All that having been said, I really do enjoy listening to his very weird recording the Art of Fugue played on the organ. He approaches the organ in a very unusual way, not one I would care to directly emulate, but one which I find very instructive and just plain enjoyable.
Commentators and critics, including Mr. Gould here (who I certainly admire and accept as a musical genius and prodigy) always give me a chuckle as they try to analyse the composer's mind. Mr. Gould says, approximately, that a fugue is "a process about a process that is focused on a process" WTH??. Somehow, I just don't think that the genius Bach was thinking like that when he sat down to compose a fugue 300 years ago. One often hears a composer, even a modern Rock-and-Roll composer talk about one of his songs where critics and academics have written 10-page articles about the explanation of the writer's song when the writer chimes in and says, "look, the song was just about a train ride from Chicago to Queens on a rainy day, that's all." Bach was in the greatest top three, if not the greatest, composer in human history, but it is very likely that when he wrote, he simply had a tune in that marvelous mathematical head of his that he had been thinking about and simply wanted to write it down on paper. Certainly his long works like The Passion required planning and forethought, but, we know, factually, from journals, that the shorter cantatas that he wrote new every week to be played after the Gospel reading during the Sunday church service, were scribbled down late in the week, sometimes hurriedly on Sunday morning as he was scurrying to church to get ready for the service, all the while praying that the workmen who were going to be operating the pump bellows for the pipe organ were not drunk from beer from the previous Saturday night's drinking. In short, let's not, perhaps, OVERANALYZE Bach. Rather, simply revel in the beauty that it is.
Well said! Bach was a creative genius with a brain the size of a planet. He was to music what Isaac Newton was to science. How can anyone truly comprehend such minds? Another ‘once in 300 years’ genius maybe but they would be too busy doing their own thing.
Friedrich RG The video you are looking for is from the series Glenn Gould plays Bach, with Bruno Monsaigeon. I think he recorded 4 of those programs and I'm not sure which one this is but I reckon it's number 2. When he says those words he's talking about the Chromatic Fantasia which he strongly disliked. Hope I could help.
Probably due to muscle memory. Once you have performed a task so much it no longer requires the same amount of "brain power" to perform, leaving his mind more free to focus on other tasks.
"Technicolor trappings of tonality"......he must have thought up some of this stuff before he gave the interview. I like it nonetheless. I would agree however that the real genius here is Bach...
Sorry to correct you, Herr Professor, but the original published title was actually "Die Kunst der Fuga." Furthermore, the proper English translation is "The Art of Fugue." That is how the German Bach scholar Christoph Wollf, who is fluent in both German and English, translates it in his writings about Bach's music. In fact, my own edition of BWV 1080 bears the title "The Art of Fugue."
The obvious, elitist jealousy of most comments here is a real laugh. Of course, neither myself nor any of you could remotely approach what Gould could do. #fah
It strange how such beautiful music can evoke the worst in people - maybe it's a reflection of their own inadequacies? I wouldn't mind if mr Woody didn't condemn all people who like Glen Gould as 'not having a large knowledge base ...' What a joke. Mr Woody should pack up his opinions and vengeful philosophies and take it to some smutty place where it belongs.
Yes, I agree. The problem is that his voice is an irritation to some. I don't regard his 'sing along' approach as an improvement, especially when it comes on top of such superb playing. I'm afraid that, for me, the added vocals make it impossible to listen to.
Maybe you can help me my fellows Steinway lovers. I happend to watch a fasciniting GLenn Gould youtube Video in which he exactly said, or maybe not THAT exactly : " You know smt, thats Bach for people who dont like Bach, That video was removed from youtube BUT I had it on my computer, which crashed BUT I had it uploaded to Megaupload BUT FBI stole Glenn from me. I was thinking you, and more particulary Georgie, can I call you Georgie, could know what video i mean. Im serious. I need it.
It's been 7 years, but just in case you're still looking, I'm pretty sure he was talking about the chromatic fantasia, which I believe he played in "the question of instrument" or else the art of fugue program, which can still be found as "l'art de fugue" here on youtube.
There used to be a video recorded at the same time as this part ( because the intervewer is the same as the one i saw) on youtube in which Glenn Plays one of the Varations and at the end he said " You know smt, thats Bach for people who dont like Bach". I used to love it. I forgot the name of the exact varation but i didnt find it when i did. And the worst PART is that i had the full varations on MEGAUPLOAD. YES. FUCK. And now i cant find it. Could anyone be so kind to help me?
When I reread my post, I do sound like a prick... So, I'll take back the snottiness, but my feelings towards GG are the same: with a few exceptions, I really don't like his recordings.
There was a cartoon in an old Stereo Review magazine that showed a guy hooking up his new black box -- a Glenn Gould Hum Filter. I'm not a Gould acolyte. I find his playing to be often in the worst conceivable taste, and his technique often shockingly uneven. He is revered most often I think by folks who don't have a large knowledge base regarding classical recordings and find him a stimulating eccentric, kind of a misfit genius who also had the good marketing sense to die fairly young.
@@Johnwilkinsonofficial I did tone down my snarky rhetoric in a later post. My comment about his early death was my own example of poor taste, and one which I regret and perhaps should remove. There is, however, no resentment involved at all. I profoundly disagree with GG on fundamental matters of musical taste, and I find his performance eccentricities do be unfortunate and antagonistic. But there are many who resonate to his manner, and all I can say is, that's what makes horse races.
@@pwoody1958 i dont think you should remove it. i like people saying what they think, and conflict. i think he was antagonistic at times, many movements of his mozart sonatas are rough! to my ear. however someone like wolfgang rubsam (or gardiner in another way) who has all the pedigree the academy could bestow often shocks me how he pulls bach this way and that, in phrasing and rhythm.. ive noticed that many professional musicians who do not have a fiftieth the capacity that glenn had are the ones most eager to talk about how he was a strange eccentric who did things in idiosyncratic ways. these same will think nothing odd about a masterclass where some esteemed patriarch explains the exact metaphor you must have in your head to render a cadence in a beethoven sonata "correctly". this is often nothing more than basically a religious reverence for the sacred master whose ways are perfect and beyond reason.
I have never seen anyone able to play something like a contrapunctus and hold a conversation at the same time, i'm so fortunate to have gotten to know about glenn gould in my lifetime.
i honor your gratitude
I love that new people are being born all the time and discovering Glenn Gould and being moved by his playing and deep understanding and love of Bach.
Great player, great speaker too.
I'm siting here at my piano wondering how the hell he was talking while playing. I can hardly muster a few words without completely stopping either my words or my playing. He was a genius.
A genius ... and more: a magician, who reveals the great web of musical force that bach created, a foubdation th
sometimes I think Bach was reborn and played his own songs!!!
Lol I was impressed by the same thing - him carrying on a super-intellectual conversation while at the same time playing music better than I ever hope to play in my life.
Thanks for putting these up on UA-cam. I really enjoy the performances and the discussion.
I first heard this art of fugue in 1989. When I first heard the 14th contrapunctus my heart swelled and then there was that last single line where Bach went to be w/ the Lord and I was still here.....................
thanks man !!! glenn is my all time favorite musician
Glenn Gould is getting really emotional here. I have the impression that he puts on his glasses (4:45) to hide his tears.
I feel that too. It’s a very special video to be able to see. 🖤
A lovely moment indeed.
Me encanta este pianista.
1:36 - 1:46 Glenn adjusts the speed of his speech to perfectly match the rhythmic ideas of the theme. perhaps this is an insight. :)
"Fugues were out and minuets were in, I guess." LOL
Maybe, but he was always absorbed while playing music, so he wasn't for sure using only muscle memory - you need to focus on each voice in the fugue. And it's clearly heard that he is listening to those voices, and still talking. He was a genius, no question.
I wish there was a complete live recording of Gould’s ix fugue
There's two
@@neogb8995 show meeeee
ua-cam.com/video/GnXHnEz94os/v-deo.html
I will also check my friend's channel. It is the Bruce Cross channel. He had started a series of GG performances comparing each one to the sheet music. The ones I have seen so far have been very helpful. I will email and see if more are in the works and if he has live ones. I will also check a couple other places online and see if I can find them. If you find them can you please email at kkicons@gmail.com, I might not check back here as often.
Thanks for being man enough to own up, we all get carried away sometimes.
Glenn's performances seem to induce extreme reactions. He possibly wouldn't get away with it with any other composer. That's maybe a testament to the greatness of Bach's music.
Genius!!! Sheer genius!!!
Gould was perhaps the greatest pianist of all time. He was a genius beyond compare.
I always wished we had a recording of gould playing the contrapunctus 9 as vigorously as he does here in 0:33. He might not have liked it but his hands play beautifully even those pieces.
What a mind
To tack on a bit more, I find that among my professional music colleagues, he is not held in very high regard except for his remarkable intellect. All that having been said, I really do enjoy listening to his very weird recording the Art of Fugue played on the organ. He approaches the organ in a very unusual way, not one I would care to directly emulate, but one which I find very instructive and just plain enjoyable.
don't forget layer 7, where he's singing
Commentators and critics, including Mr. Gould here (who I certainly admire and accept as a musical genius and prodigy) always give me a chuckle as they try to analyse the composer's mind. Mr. Gould says, approximately, that a fugue is "a process about a process that is focused on a process" WTH??. Somehow, I just don't think that the genius Bach was thinking like that when he sat down to compose a fugue 300 years ago. One often hears a composer, even a modern Rock-and-Roll composer talk about one of his songs where critics and academics have written 10-page articles about the explanation of the writer's song when the writer chimes in and says, "look, the song was just about a train ride from Chicago to Queens on a rainy day, that's all." Bach was in the greatest top three, if not the greatest, composer in human history, but it is very likely that when he wrote, he simply had a tune in that marvelous mathematical head of his that he had been thinking about and simply wanted to write it down on paper. Certainly his long works like The Passion required planning and forethought, but, we know, factually, from journals, that the shorter cantatas that he wrote new every week to be played after the Gospel reading during the Sunday church service, were scribbled down late in the week, sometimes hurriedly on Sunday morning as he was scurrying to church to get ready for the service, all the while praying that the workmen who were going to be operating the pump bellows for the pipe organ were not drunk from beer from the previous Saturday night's drinking. In short, let's not, perhaps, OVERANALYZE Bach. Rather, simply revel in the beauty that it is.
Well said! Bach was a creative genius with a brain the size of a planet. He was to music what Isaac Newton was to science. How can anyone truly comprehend such minds? Another ‘once in 300 years’ genius maybe but they would be too busy doing their own thing.
Yea he spit out cantatas but a lot of his major works were very well thought out and planned and not just Scribbled down.
I am actually more jealous of his ability to speak than play piano.
Friedrich RG The video you are looking for is from the series Glenn Gould plays Bach, with Bruno Monsaigeon. I think he recorded 4 of those programs and I'm not sure which one this is but I reckon it's number 2. When he says those words he's talking about the Chromatic Fantasia which he strongly disliked. Hope I could help.
Probably due to muscle memory. Once you have performed a task so much it no longer requires the same amount of "brain power" to perform, leaving his mind more free to focus on other tasks.
@HermanBerntzen
It's the last fugue from Die Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080
"Technicolor trappings of tonality"......he must have thought up some of this stuff before he gave the interview. I like it nonetheless. I would agree however that the real genius here is Bach...
Edgar Martínez I highly doubt that knowing Gould’s
OCDness for things like this
@@jorgeeze UV
@piratehussam
The Art of Fugue is an unfinished collection of fugues - the first one was Contrapunctus IX
he is good, "infinitely expanding universe..." the matrix of process.
@thismaybeusername
You can find it on the Petrucci library, just search for BWV 1080.
Bach's title of the work was "Kunst der Fuge", which translates as "Art of the Fugue" NOT "The Art of Fugue".
Sorry to correct you, Herr Professor, but the original published title was actually "Die Kunst der Fuga." Furthermore, the proper English translation is "The Art of Fugue." That is how the German Bach scholar Christoph Wollf, who is fluent in both German and English, translates it in his writings about Bach's music. In fact, my own edition of BWV 1080 bears the title "The Art of Fugue."
@@herrickinman9303 you're a curious bloke lol
THE PROCESS...
The obvious, elitist jealousy of most comments here is a real laugh. Of course, neither myself nor any of you could remotely approach what Gould could do. #fah
After Gould playing Bach only the last acoustic quintet of Miles Davis.
whats the name of the first fugue played??
What a bag of wind
he manages to te-
Only 748 people liked this over 12 years? What's wrong with people?
😳
It strange how such beautiful music can evoke the worst in people - maybe it's a reflection of their own inadequacies? I wouldn't mind if mr Woody didn't condemn all people who like Glen Gould as 'not having a large knowledge base ...' What a joke.
Mr Woody should pack up his opinions and vengeful philosophies and take it to some smutty place where it belongs.
Yes, I agree. The problem is that his voice is an irritation to some. I don't regard his 'sing along' approach as an improvement, especially when it comes on top of such superb playing. I'm afraid that, for me, the added vocals make it impossible to listen to.
Maybe you can help me my fellows Steinway lovers. I happend to watch a fasciniting GLenn Gould youtube Video in which he exactly said, or maybe not THAT exactly : " You know smt, thats Bach for people who dont like Bach, That video was removed from youtube BUT I had it on my computer, which crashed BUT I had it uploaded to Megaupload BUT FBI stole Glenn from me.
I was thinking you, and more particulary Georgie, can I call you Georgie, could know what video i mean. Im serious. I need it.
It's been 7 years, but just in case you're still looking, I'm pretty sure he was talking about the chromatic fantasia, which I believe he played in "the question of instrument" or else the art of fugue program, which can still be found as "l'art de fugue" here on youtube.
No, it can be both.
There used to be a video recorded at the same time as this part ( because the intervewer is the same as the one i saw) on youtube in which Glenn Plays one of the Varations and at the end he said " You know smt, thats Bach for people who dont like Bach".
I used to love it. I forgot the name of the exact varation but i didnt find it when i did. And the worst PART is that i had the full varations on MEGAUPLOAD. YES. FUCK. And now i cant find it.
Could anyone be so kind to help me?
i dont think that is from a variation set, but is said as he closes the chromatic fantasia on the program a question of instrument.
There was Bach before Darwin
Bach worshipped God, this man himself
Does a more complete version of this interview exist?
I admire Gould's performance, however I don't understand a single word he is saying here, honestly..
When I reread my post, I do sound like a prick... So, I'll take back the snottiness, but my feelings towards GG are the same: with a few exceptions, I really don't like his recordings.
Wonderful player, but *why* did he have to sing along?
There was a cartoon in an old Stereo Review magazine that showed a guy hooking up his new black box -- a Glenn Gould Hum Filter. I'm not a Gould acolyte. I find his playing to be often in the worst conceivable taste, and his technique often shockingly uneven. He is revered most often I think by folks who don't have a large knowledge base regarding classical recordings and find him a stimulating eccentric, kind of a misfit genius who also had the good marketing sense to die fairly young.
what a potent encapsulation of poison and resentment in such a short and repulsive paragraph. im impressed!
@@Johnwilkinsonofficial I did tone down my snarky rhetoric in a later post. My comment about his early death was my own example of poor taste, and one which I regret and perhaps should remove. There is, however, no resentment involved at all. I profoundly disagree with GG on fundamental matters of musical taste, and I find his performance eccentricities do be unfortunate and antagonistic. But there are many who resonate to his manner, and all I can say is, that's what makes horse races.
@@pwoody1958 i dont think you should remove it. i like people saying what they think, and conflict. i think he was antagonistic at times, many movements of his mozart sonatas are rough! to my ear. however someone like wolfgang rubsam (or gardiner in another way) who has all the pedigree the academy could bestow often shocks me how he pulls bach this way and that, in phrasing and rhythm..
ive noticed that many professional musicians who do not have a fiftieth the capacity that glenn had are the ones most eager to talk about how he was a strange eccentric who did things in idiosyncratic ways. these same will think nothing odd about a masterclass where some esteemed patriarch explains the exact metaphor you must have in your head to render a cadence in a beethoven sonata "correctly". this is often nothing more than basically a religious reverence for the sacred master whose ways are perfect and beyond reason.