As part of the Humphrey Burton interviews, Glenn performs Beethoven's 32 Variations on an Original Theme. Remember to subscribe to stay up to date with all new releases.
There are days when RU-vid seems like a constant stream of complete junk material, and then there’s this. It makes you grateful to have a platform to share the genius of Gould and Bach with the world, for free.
A masterpiece in the hands of a master genius. This work is known as one of the most creative of Beethoven's works for piano. Gould shows his extraordinary technique that few pianist have. A giant that holds hands with another giant.
I believe that Gould had the technique above all other pianists of the century. Of course, my music prof. tried to claim he was only a great musicologist. I think alcohol had much to do with that unfortunate opinion.
@@matthewwilson3305is it because fewer people perform it? I imagine that memorizing this piece could tax the abilities of many pianists, leaving aside the technical issues. I was told by a teacher that this piece is more difficult than the Hammerklavier
Just like Glenn Gould to render a performance full of imagination. He rescues this theme and variations from descending into the dungeons of an insipid finger exercise.
Menuhin once said to Gould "I wish Beethoven were alive to hear you today" I couldn't agree more. What a personal reflection that took this work to its pinnacle.
Lolllll beethoven were alive to her Gould destroy his work and everything he sought after to undo everything that Beethoven had done, Glenn Gould is a joke to any real musician, and it's not Burger King have it your way, it's Beethovens way,....
As Brahms said, " In the beginning was rhythm", and how incredibly does my hero Glenn Gould tap into that rhythm. Nobody plays like this anymore. Thank goodness this was recorded.
4 года назад
You can say this once you know all the pianists of the world... which you probably don't. :)
This is my favorite Beethoven work. It takes you on this journey through this dark void we call "life".. hearing it at the hands of Glenn, with his peculiarities, his introverted life, this is a recording I can put on repeat for hours
He was not the introvert you thought he was. Quite the ladies man. Besides his affair with Cornelia Foss he had a ridiculous amount of mail from women that wanted him. Fascinating man.
@@ttrons2 He was a handsome bugger in his youth. Even Leonard Bernstein had the hots for him, but nothing materialised from that as Glen was no ginger. Purely a ladies man our Glen but Lennie swung both ways. Good old Lennie.
“Too fast and mechanically”…..well, I don’t know how on Earth anybody could say that about _Gould,_ who was absolutely passionate about everything he played, and I cannot remember ever hearing him playing like a metronome. And usually, Gould was criticized for taking everything _too slowly,_ even in this comments section, someone said that this “wasn’t Beethoven” for that very reason! You must be speaking about his Bach recordings….many people don’t have an ear for Bach, so that would be understandable. They want to hear Bach played like a Tchaikovsky piano concerto, or they think it’s mechanical. So ridiculous!
All of his Mozart sonatas are ridicolously fast and mechanical. And much of his Bach too. He fared better in Beethoven or Haydn, also because the 'fast and metheonomic' side was already taken and he had to explore other venues to distinguish himself. As Brendel once said, Gould never surpassed his edipic phase and always had to argue 'against' something, to do things differently. I find this fascinating and problematic at the same time.
@@daniele8716Gould’s Mozart was mostly godawful-and I say that as a huge fan-although he does have some interesting insights. Worth listening to at least once
@@aallpprr8998 yes, you are completely correct. Not all geniuses are good interpreters and all great interpreters are not geniuses. Sure, being a genius might give you a boost, but that applies for everything whether it's academics or sports.
I came here after listening Evgeny Kissin playing the same piece. Kissin’s performance: wow! Gould’s performance: ......... (I’m speechless in awe) One and only Glenn Gould
i personally prefer kissin's- i see what you mean about both being astounding! i do think gould sets himself away from others with the dynamic changes (😍), personally i feel that while the slow tempo means that all emotion can be milked from this, i prefer kissin's tempi for the variations.
I don't think he loved Piano. I think he loved Music. I think he was grateful for his mother starting him on piano and his aptitude for piano playing. If the only instrument he had was a rusty kazoo, he'd play it as only Glenn Gould could, and we'd love it.
Mind numbing. Thank God Glenn Gould occurred at a time in history when audio (and even video) recording existed. Could whoever uploads these please include at least the most obvious, basic information like when and where it was recorded ?
In this live performance the breaks between the Variations are imperceptible. It sounds like one piece. Whereas the breaks are quite noticeable in studio version. Not bad or good, just the way it is and another reason to watch and listen to Gould as much as possible. Variations on Variations.
One of the greatest performing geniuses of the 20th century, but one of the greatest kooks as well. His spastic gyrations at and the end of this performance are priceless.
surprised not more people are mentioning those gyrations at the end. As well as being hilarious, they do show just how connected he is with the music, for anyone too musically deaf to hear it
The variation form - a form that can be inherently tedious and sectional - is turned into a work of supreme artistry and sustained expression by Beethoven's fertile imagination. He never ceases to amaze me.
This is definitely not Beethoven, but everybody plays like Arrau or Giles, it will be very boring. Gould is a very individualistic pianist, he cares not what other people think. While everybody is playing very fast , he is playing rather slow. He open our vision that music can be expressed in such a new dimension. Well done , G Gould!
I am coming round more and more to this point of view. Having just listened to Gould playing Mozart sonatas, they seem to be imbued with extraordinary spirit and depth, very different from the usual way of playing him. They are a real experience!
@@davetubervid Finally someone like me who ACTUALLY LISTENED to Goulds Mozart instead of dismissing it with the usual clichés: too fast, he didn't like Mozart, was making fun of everybody, was merely fulfilling a contract with CBS by recording them, blah blah...
This pianist should be more obliged to the score of the composer, his playing is simply too subjective. May be Arrau is "boring"(?), but Gilels surely not in his singular golden sound. The best record of this WoO 80 I do know is that of the young Peraiha.
La variación es tan propio a la creatividad como el fluir en la naturaleza, habitual en todas las artes y profuso en la creación musical de todos los tiempos. Juego, técnica, desafío y divertimento, la variación asienta saberes y alumbra imaginario. Nada extraño pues que Beethoven recurriera a ella con cierta frecuencia, a modo de andamiaje para articular conocimientos y superarlos. «Desde las primeras obras de Beethoven, la Variación se afirma como una de las formas más cercanas de su espíritu, de su naturaleza» (Boucourechliev 1963: 77).
Pour enregistrer ce Maître alors qu'il écoutait son travail depuis son banc ; la seule manière dont je ferais, et pour lui, un honneur de me souvenir jusqu'à mon dernier souffle. Cecilia smiles with special favor...
Relegated to Work-without-Opus. Yet, it teaches you probably all you need to know about music: Present a theme, vary it. In this case, through a piano virtuoso lens. Glenn takes some liberties. In Variation 4, I think my favorite of all of them, starting here at 1:27, Beethoven marks the melody, in the middle voice, staccato. Not Glenn. Still, I think Mister Gould taught me to love it. A worthy piece to take on, and nice results.
En général, (ce n'est qu'une vue personnelle,bien sûr),je n'apprécie pas particulièrement les interprétations par G.Gould de Beethoven; mais là,il y a une telle MAÎTRISE et une telle CLARTÉ, dans le domaine technique comme dans le domaine musical,qu'il me semble bien difficile de seulement imaginer mieux !
Y como te digo una cosa te digo la otra. Estoy escuchando y viendo el maravilloso carnaval, uruguayo. Ahora a Metele que son pasteles. De todo se nutre la vivir.
