Glenn Gould's Goldberg Variations re-performance

Discussion in 'Classical Music' started by Sir Galahad, Sep 6, 2007.

  1. Sir Galahad

    Sir Galahad Harmonia Mundi

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2004
    Messages:
    586
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Paris
    Has anyone heard them?
    I just got the CD and find it very impressive.

    It can be found here
    http://zenph.com/sept25.html

    And for those who read French, here is what Le Monde had to say about it earlier last month:

    Publié en 1956, l'enregistrement des Variations Goldberg, par le pianiste canadien Glenn Gould (1932-1982), est immédiatement devenu l'une des meilleures ventes de la Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). Le jeu de Gould y est d'une vélocité qui ne doit rien aux délires digitaux des lions du clavier héritiers du post-romantisme, rien non plus au style recto tono des machines à écrire néoclassiques. Il est d'une effervescence rythmique jubilatoire très rock'n'roll, d'une clarté qui éclaire la polyphonie complexe des variations composées par Jean-Sébastien Bach d'une nouvelle lumière.
    Gould lui-même, âgé de 23-24 ans, détonnait un brin par sa tête d'adolescent attardé et rigolard, son attachement à un vieux piano fatigué et par une forte personnalité. Elle ne tardera pas à faire naître une légende qui rejaillira sur la façon dont le public écoutera les concerts du pianiste. Et bientÃ't ses seuls disques : en 1964, après avoir joué jusqu'en Russie, où il provoque un séisme dans le public et chez les musiciens, Gould réservera son art aux seuls micros et caméras de la CBS, de la Radio Canadienne, et du réalisateur Bruno Monsaingeon.
    Rééditées en microsillon des dizaines de fois, reprises en CD à leur tour réédités, ces Goldberg enregistrées en 1955 continuent de se vendre, bien qu'elles souffrent d'un son monophonique maigrichon. Certes, Gould était revenu dans les studios pour réenregistrer ces Variations en 1981. Sa nouvelle interprétation était moins radicale que la première, un peu plus introspective, mais surtout moins Gould jouant comme Gould, ainsi que dans quantité d'oeuvres qu'il avait enregistrées en vingt-cinq ans.
    L'artiste ne disait plus "je" de la même façon. Le jeune dandy avait laissé place à un maître un peu prisonnier du style signalétique qui était devenu le sien - son cÃ'té Keith Jarrett - et qui semblait vouloir s'en défaire. Le "système" Gould (jeu surarticulé, grognements sur la musique) avait fini par se faire entendre avant la musique. Vingt-cinq ans plus tard, Gould abordait un virage dont avait heureusement déjà témoigné un enregistrement de quelques sonates de Haydn et des Quatre ballades de Brahms. La mort le stoppait net.
    Reste que ces vieilles Goldberg, coup de génie d'un jeune homme encore libre, appartiennent à la légende... et restent préférées de bien des mélomanes. Mais elles sonnent mal.
    PlutÃ't que de nettoyer la bande de ses défauts, Zenph a eu l'idée de l'analyser à l'aide d'un logiciel pour le rapprocher informatiquement des paramètres du jeu de piano (vitesse de frappe des marteaux, jeu de pédales, etc.). Après avoir mélangé le tout (on vous la fait courte), Zenph a réalisé un fichier qui a été placé dans le lecteur d'un ordinateur commandant un mécanisme sophistiqué actionnant les touches et les pédales d'un grand piano à queue de concert... qui a été enregistré en 2006 dans le studio où Gould avait réalisé son disque en 1955.
    Plein de raisons nous faisaient penser que, pour sophistiqué qu'il soit, ce piano "mécanique expressif" ne reproduirait pas le jeu de Gould dans la plénitude de l'infiniment petit de ses plus infimes nuances. Et voilà qu'il n'en est rien. Mieux, la perfection sonore de cette recréation décuple l'effervescence rythmique du jeu du pianiste, donne aux voix de la polyphonie une indépendance fascinante et euphorisante.
    Manquent évidemment les grognements du pianiste. Ils auraient donné plus de vraisemblance encore à cette recréation, que l'on peut explorer sur le site zenph.com ou acheter chez son disquaire, puisque Sony vient de la mettre sur un CD (88697 03530 2) étonnant qui comporte deux enregistrements, dont l'un, spécialement conçu pour l'écoute au casque, met l'auditeur sur la banquette du pianiste. Reste plus qu'à grogner.
     
    Sir Galahad, Sep 6, 2007
    #1
  2. Sir Galahad

    sq225917 Exposer of Foo

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2007
    Messages:
    1,514
    Likes Received:
    0
    strange concept, use computers to analyze the key strokes and pedal work based on the sound of the orignal recording and then play it back via digital controls on a new joanna to record again.
     
    sq225917, Sep 6, 2007
    #2
  3. Sir Galahad

    tones compulsive cantater

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2003
    Messages:
    3,021
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Switzerland
    tones, Sep 7, 2007
    #3
  4. Sir Galahad

    Sir Galahad Harmonia Mundi

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2004
    Messages:
    586
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Paris
    The sound is stunning. It's like hearing it for the first time. I won't miss the moaning either, that's for sure. I hope they do Keith Jarrett next ...
     
    Sir Galahad, Sep 7, 2007
    #4
  5. Sir Galahad

    tones compulsive cantater

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2003
    Messages:
    3,021
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Switzerland
    I acquired this, Sir G., and as you say, the recorded sound is stunning. Gould's dazzling virtuosity is on full display, and best of all, no moaning! And yet, there's something missing. Not sure what it is, but it doesn't appeal to me as much as do my favourite piano versions, Angela Hewitt and Murray Perahia. Can't quite figure out why. Is it the old problem, that this is as much Gould as it is Bach? Must listen a bit more closely.
     
    tones, Sep 23, 2007
    #5
  6. Sir Galahad

    JANDL100

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2004
    Messages:
    416
    Likes Received:
    4
    Location:
    Forest of Dean, UK
    I see that HMV.com are selling it for £12 delivered - has anyone found it cheaper?
     
    JANDL100, Sep 23, 2007
    #6
  7. Sir Galahad

    pe-zulu

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2004
    Messages:
    591
    Likes Received:
    1
    Recently I got Gould's second studio Goldberg version. Rather much more Gould than Bach, I think (maybe 75/25 compared to your 50/50).
     
    pe-zulu, Sep 23, 2007
    #7
  8. Sir Galahad

    sq225917 Exposer of Foo

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2007
    Messages:
    1,514
    Likes Received:
    0
    are there any decent versions on vinyl?
     
    sq225917, Sep 23, 2007
    #8
  9. Sir Galahad

    lordsummit moderate mod

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2003
    Messages:
    3,650
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    In the Northern Wastelands
    Just ordered the original Gould's there's a version with both sets on. Cost about £10 from Amazon marketplace.
     
    lordsummit, Sep 23, 2007
    #9
  10. Sir Galahad

    bat Connoisseur Par Excelence

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2004
    Messages:
    448
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Dark castle
    Gould's Bach is awful, but his records have sold well because of people don't really want good Bach. They want the world record Bach, played by a superstar artist who appears to have a gimmick.

    They want to hear someone who plays really fast, or really slow, or has a funny chair, or is totally mad, or a vampire, or has horns or an extremely long nose. Then they think he is a genius and buy his records.

    Hewitt's Bach is also awful. Too romantic, with nyances that should not be there.

    Perahia is only slightly better.

    In piano versions, I much like Jean Louis Steuerman's Bach records which include Goldberg variations. He just plays the notes, which are beautiful in itself, in glorious Steinway sound. There are no add-ons which ruin e.g Hewitt's records.

    Of course, Steuerman's records do not sell that much because he doesn't have the gimmick.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 2, 2007
    bat, Oct 2, 2007
    #10
  11. Sir Galahad

    lordsummit moderate mod

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2003
    Messages:
    3,650
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    In the Northern Wastelands
    Yet in some ways they are very musical. I don't think you can blame somebody for trying to be unique
     
    lordsummit, Oct 2, 2007
    #11
  12. Sir Galahad

    TonyL Club Krautrock Plinque

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2003
    Messages:
    1,613
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Another pink world
    I look for all of those things.

    Tony.

    PS Ignoring the above, for someone who hasn't a copy of the Goldbergs which would be a good CD to start with? I have no preference between harpsichord or piano.
     
    TonyL, Oct 2, 2007
    #12
  13. Sir Galahad

    bat Connoisseur Par Excelence

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2004
    Messages:
    448
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Dark castle
    Perhaps Scott Ross's 1985 live CD. After all I feel that they sound best on harpsichord.
     
    bat, Oct 2, 2007
    #13
  14. Sir Galahad

    pe-zulu

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2004
    Messages:
    591
    Likes Received:
    1
    Well put, Bat, and as you know, I agree very much.

    As to piano versions of the Goldbergs, I own three.
    1) A beautiful and simple version by Bruno Canino, which comes as a relevation after Gould's affected egomania.
    2) The Koroliov, which is part of the Haenssler edition. A tad romantic, but tolerable except for the "black pearl", which is much too slooooooow.
    3) Gould's latest version, which confirms my impression of his playing in abundance.
     
    pe-zulu, Oct 2, 2007
    #14
  15. Sir Galahad

    Cheese

    Joined:
    May 8, 2007
    Messages:
    7
    Likes Received:
    0
    Scott Ross really was a genius, I haven't heard his Goldbergs but I might well order them.

    Although I always loved Gould's 1981 version, I ended up buying a 'politically correct' version played by Wilhelm Kempff. With the result that I shelved it after listening to it maybe twice (and I adore Wilhelm Kempff for literally everything else he plays).

    The Gould recording can be had of a couple of quid, buy it and use it as a frisbee if you don't like it. Some of the reviewers here seem to find Gould dreadful so they might even be happy to send you their copy, who knows.
     
    Cheese, Oct 3, 2007
    #15
  16. Sir Galahad

    lordsummit moderate mod

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2003
    Messages:
    3,650
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    In the Northern Wastelands
    Personally of the two I prefer the 1955 version, I find the 81 version excessively indulgent. I bought recently a box with both performances in for about £8, that's what you heard at my place Tony
     
    lordsummit, Oct 3, 2007
    #16
  17. Sir Galahad

    bat Connoisseur Par Excelence

    Joined:
    Feb 14, 2004
    Messages:
    448
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Dark castle
    Just listened Steuerman's version again, it is excellent in every respect... Technically masterful, well-thought pianism and
    the effect is cumulative, in the end moving.

    Just my opinion as always.
     
    bat, Oct 21, 2007
    #17
  18. Sir Galahad

    TonyL Club Krautrock Plinque

    Joined:
    Jun 19, 2003
    Messages:
    1,613
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Another pink world
    I ordered the Virgin 2xCD set of Ross' Goldbergs / a few other things and it turned up today. It is really, really good, not that I have any reference point as I'm new to the work. Wonderful stuff - it was only about five and a half quid from Amazon too. I kind of figured it was best to start with a harpsichord version and then try a piano one rather than the other way round - it seemed 'right'!

    Tony.
     
    TonyL, Oct 31, 2007
    #18
  19. Sir Galahad

    sideshowbob Trisha

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2003
    Messages:
    3,092
    Likes Received:
    0
    Location:
    London
    I really like Gould's Variations, but not for any of those reasons.

    The best thing he ever did has no piano playing on it, though:

    http://www.amazon.com/Glenn-Goulds-Solitude-Trilogy-Documentaries/dp/B000028803

    -- Ian
     
    sideshowbob, Oct 31, 2007
    #19
  20. Sir Galahad

    pe-zulu

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2004
    Messages:
    591
    Likes Received:
    1
    Quite telling, that you write Gould's variations.
     
    pe-zulu, Nov 1, 2007
    #20
Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments (here). After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.