The amount of musical academic wisdom and insight which pours forth from Gould at the beginning of these eminently timeless lecture/performances, is like a fountain of spiritual knowledge. As much a scholar as a pianist/demagogue, Gould transcends the literature he is performing by choice comparisons with contemporary and historically relative composers and their aesthetics: his mature profundity is an absolute pleasure to intake, and reminds us of the greatness of intellectual classicism.
Terrific fugue. Hindemith was a prophet of an age which seems to have eluded us. Glenn plays this work in such a way that every detail of fugal structure can be heard.
Gould and Hindemith both fantastic . We should should be exposed to more Hindemith . I think Hindemith is very much overlooked and sometimes fogotten but Glenn Gould obviously was very into his music . Thanks Glenn and Paul .
The balance between chaos and structure is the blades edge walked by all warriors. To know this edge is the real freedom. Free your music and the mind will follow.
I was doing phone support for a company for a while, and got a call. It was a woman with the last name of Hindemith. I asked her if she was related to Paul Hindemith. Yes! she replied. I was the first person she had talked to that recognized the name. Funny, but also sad.
And if you skip right to the music, you are missing an important aspect of the performance. Never miss an opportunity to hear Gould's thoughts on music. They are often as potent as his performances. I'm not a classical musician, but as an experimental musician, his musical though has impacted my work as much, if not more than his playing.
