June 20 2010
Glenn Gould. Know him.
Digital editing 20 years before it existed. Mashups, when that only meant potatoes.
A fierce and lonely battle for recording as a different art than performing.
Art over commerce, but never at his public’s expense.
Understanding modern media’s import before anyone, except Marshall McLuhan, who admired him.
Writing with the brilliance of a solar flare, about Bach, Slaughterhouse Five (the film), recording, Petula Clark, media, and infinitely more.
Dazzling TV and radio innovator. Both witty and funny.
Showing what cool meant in the uncoolest profession: classical music.
And the piano playing. THE piano playing. The PIANO playing. Oh the piano playing. If you’ve never heard it... and if you have heard it...
These, and other, spectra made up Glenn Gould's luminescence. In his 50 years on Earth, which ended in 1982, Gould added colours and shades to the world where none had existed, or where those that did exist were shining dimly.
Full disclosure: the Pianobabbler serves as Executive Secretary of the Glenn Gould Foundation. The Foundation does not treat Gould as a cultish totem of idolatrous veneration. We honour his legacy, as our mission statement says, but we celebrate genius, promote creativity and help transform lives through the arts.
I come to praise Gould not because of my Foundational office. I come to praise him to share this truth: almost anyone who takes some time to know about his work, finds their lives enriched.
Take some time:
- if you like reading, go to the Glenn Gould Reader, a chocolate chunk rich collection of his virtuoso writings (edited by the gifted Tim Page);
- if you like video, try the CBC Archives video page, but only until the scheduled release of Gould’s glorious television work in full a year or two from now;
- if you like creative audio brilliance, the CBC Archives has some of his audio, but you must hear his stunning radio documentaries to know what art can be made with the spoken word;
- and if you like music, any music -listen to Gould playing Bach- any Bach, but especially The Goldberg Variations -then Brahms, and then whatever strikes your fancy. Forget about labels like classical. This is music. Great music. Not all of it works. But all of it speaks.
Know him. Know his work. A must.
Glenn Gould.
The Pianobabbler has babbled.
The Pianobabbler is a RonDavisMusic production. The Pianobabbler's blog posts appear weekly at pianobabber.com. Please remember to leave your comments and thoughts below. Subscribe to the RSS feed. And subscribe to RonDavisNews by clicking on the link, above right. And follow us on Twitter.
- Click here for the Glenn Gould Foundation web site
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