From everything I heard about him, I had shaped my image of Glenn Gould as some serious and grumpy person, but the more clips I see about him the more he seems like a genuinely funny and cheerful guy actually
He had a great talent and didn't have to deal with the normal work bullshit most people do. No wonder he was happy - in the bliss of Bach and other music.
"...certainly I've never encountered so attentive an audience before". This from one of the most celebrated pianists of our time. You've gotta love it...
Glenn was not a nutcase; he was a genius. (Far too often, people confuse the two; and that is simply because they themselves are unable to attain the intellectual level of the person whose intelligence they are mocking.) I can't believe it's now been an entire quarter-century since Glenn's passing; however (thankfully) his works, both played and spoken, continue to enlighten the masses.
He was certainly eccentric: He was averse to cold, and wore heavy clothing and gloves even in warm places. The temperature of his performing space had to be extremely warm. This caused problems in a recording with Elizabeth Schwarzkopf since she refused to sing at such high temperatures. He was once arrested, being mistaken for a vagrant, because of the way he was dressed. His piano had to be set at a certain height and would be raised on wooden blocks if necessary. A rug would be required for his feet. He had to sit exactly 14 inches above the floor, and would play concerts only with the chair his father had made. He used this chair even when the seat was completely worn out. He hated being touched. Once, on a visit to Steinway Hall in New York the chief piano technician greeted Gould with a slap on the back. Big mistake. Gould complained of aching, lack of coordination, and fatigue because of it and went on to explore the possibility of litigation against Steinway & Sons. He wrote hostile reviews of his own performances under fake names and even made fake radio broadcasts pretending to be someone else saying how bad he was. His one-time lover Cornelia Foss noticed disturbing signs in Gould, stating that he was more than "just neurotic". Specifically, he believed that someone was spying on him. He was a hypochondriac - he took a lot of medication for ailments that, according to the autopsy after his death, turned out to be imaginary. He frequently went several days without sleep, had spasmodic extreme increases in energy, drove recklessly, and in later life endured severe depressive episodes. People have speculated that he may have been autistic, bipolar or suffering from dystonia.
Just about never in history will you find examples of extreme geniuses without equally extreme eccentricities- Einstein, Newton, you name it. Best summarized in this quote from one of the most intelligent humans to have ever lived, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: “People of uncommon abilities generally fall into eccentricities when their sphere of life is not adequate to their abilities.”
This is a great video. Too many people see him as the unfeeling mathematical piano player that mastered Bach... He was much more than that, he had so much heart and passion for nature. A good example of his passion for nature that reminds me of this video in a lot of ways is his version of Beethoven's 6th symphony arranged by Franz Liszt for piano. I think he captures the mood and passion of that symphony more than most orchestras do.
This is probably one of the most enjoyable things I’ve seen on RU-vid! So, at the age of 6, he made an important discovery that he was getting along much better with animals than with humans. Well, not judging by the animals’ reaction to his presence in this video :) He sounds so down to earth, “normal”. Indeed, there will never be another Glenn Gould… Genius.
i love this guy! he is a true genius and his love for animals touches my heart! i have worked with exotic animals and for a shelter here taking care of the sick ones and for 3 vets until i got sick and couldn't do it any more. i do feed stray cats and my husband and i are trying to get them all spayed and neutered and helping other animals that are in need of care. i know my neighbors think i am crazy when they see me out in the street whistling to the birdies. thank you again for posting!
I believe this was Gould appearing in the 1979 TV series, *Cities* , the TV documentaries produced by John McGreevy, in which celebrities presented their favorite world city in a one hour program. George Plimpton did New York; Studs Terkel, Chicago; John Huston, Dublin; Jonathan Miller, London, Peter Ustinov, Leningrad, etc. They were all good, as I recall. Glenn showed (for the most part) Toronto's tourist attractions: The CNE, one of North America's longest running national fairs and exhibitions; the CN Tower, the tallest (at the time) free standing structure in the world; Yonge Street, touted by Torontonians (and others) as one of the longest (if not the longest) continuously traveled streets in the world; the Toronto Zoo which you see above, and other Toronto landmarks. Gould was quite good - very articulate - and I think I learned as much about Glenn as I did about Toronto.
For such a "madman" he seems to be the sanest person to have walked this earth. If he was mad, I certainly wouldn't mind being mad right along with him, though I suppose that you have to figure out your meaning of the word mad for yourself. As no one definition of any single word seems to ever really apply to one person to the next, though I do mean that conservatively. Obviously, most words have a singular meaning, but if you have any sense you'll understand my ramblings.
I think he was making a pun on music by Schoenberg, "Tod und Verklaerung". It means Death & Transfiguration. He may have meant it to be heard as "Toad" (not "Tod" -- which is pronounced much the same in German as the English "Toad"), as a reference to the animal world! Often, when listening to Gould speak, it is mandatory to listen VERY carefully. His mind was always awhirl with other ideas, and they often got mixed into whatever he was talking about!
Animals are beautiful. They're innocent, and honest - you know where you stand with them. It's easy to earn their full acceptance and they're completely loyal to those they trust. The same can be said for children.
I love Glenn's rendition of "Des Knaben Wunderhorn". Die Predigt hat g'fallen, sie blieben wie allen! Genius. This clip is hysterical, thanks for posting.
This is from Cities "A thirteen-part series featuring Peter Ustinov in Leningrad, Elie Wiesel in Jerusalem, George Plimpton in New York, R.D. Laing in Glasgow, Glenn Gould in Toronto, Jonathan Miller in London, Hildegard Knef in Berlin, Germaine Greer in Sydney, Studs Terkel in Chicago, Mai Zetterling in Stockholm, John Huston in Dublin, Anthony Burgess in Rome and Melina Mercouri in Athens, Only Gould's Toronto is available ANYWHERE. You will find it in 6 parts on RU-vid.
OMG I nearly fell out of my chair laughing...Toad und Verklown! "Why the elephants?" several comments below questioned. Why not? He was at a bloody animal preserve/zoo. The section (2:17) where the polar bear put its paw over its face as if to say, "Oh, vey" was a scream. As for all of you pseudo-analysts/psychologists: you self-aggrandising fools, LOOSEN UP!!! Can you not tell someone having a good spoof when you see him?! First off, most you in this category are obviously unfamiliar w/ the subtleties of British comedy and the generally higher level of British oratory; Gould, w/ his education & fondness for the CBC, was well exposed to that. Doubt me? - watch his clips as a music critic, a conductor and other personae - this was a man of great wit. Second, anyone who watches this clip to the end can tell what a good romp Gould had doing it - he and the film crew are laughing at the whole thing. "I glanced at the cows, and they... at me...It was an extraordinarily touching occasion, I really felt that a very special bond had been established. Certainly, I'd never encountered so attentive an audience before." - as the camera close-ups to the antelope staring intently from the hillside. Done with *perfect* timing and deadpan expression, this is uproariously funny. No one with half a clue can fail to see this for the spoof it is. It is true that as an individual he had more than his share of problems - the sad use of anti-depressants etc. is well known. But let's not make this man into some couch case that he wasn't. And bear in mind as well that most individuals at this level of giftedness are what the rest of society considers rather "out there". When does the round jewel fit into the square hole made for others? Quit poking at a deceased individual to make yourselves sound intellectual! - accept that we ALL have our flaws, oddities and rough spots we need to work on; and appreciate this man for the artist and, yes, very funny person he was.
In his biography it is said that the filming of this 48-Min-story (Glenn Gould´s Toronto) was one of the happiest times of his life (Bio by Kevin Bazzana)
I think you mistake honeat eccentricity and self directed humor for "spoofing." He and the crew are laughing because he's being funny, not because they're making something fake.
@a z I think it's unfair to judge CBC back in to the 60s and 70s with the abomination that it has become the past 15 years. Glen Gould's 'Solitude' trilogy for CBC radio is outstanding.
No fear! I can understand being worried but I feel so much confident in humans - I cannot think about anything more clever,brave and spirited all in one - even though there such a long way till doubts will be vanishing! Pls.forgive my poor english=
The lieder, as he mentioned, is St. Anthony of Padua's Sermon To The Fishes (Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt) and it's from Des Knaben Wunderhorn. The lyrics of the first two verses are: Antonius zur Predigt Die Kirche findt ledig. Er geht zu den Flüssen und predigt den Fischen; Sie schlagen mit den Schwänzen, Im Sonnenschein glänzen. Die Karpfen mit Rogen Sind all' hierher zogen, Haben d'Mäuler aufrissen... At this point the audience requests something in a slower tempo.
Thank you for posting. Interesting that he had this kind of premonition re nature and animals - also he is taking the mickey, obviously, as usual. How funny and quirky!
@1Thompsonmusic Do a little research. Glenn Gould is one of the most important pianists of the 20th century. His music and his opinions/eccentricities are what make him fascinating (but mostly, his music). Listen to his Bach interpretations, and it should all make sense.
I don't know why, but it's true. At the end of a hard day, if I am feeling incurably depressed, there's two things will pull me out; listening to Beethoven, or watching a video of Glenn just being his crazy self. I don't mean realy crazy at all, of course, he was most sane,...wacky!
Un1234I I think he would have been just as famous now - I think he was ahead of his time and would have loved the internet and modern ways of recording...
Yea I love it at 2:08 where he goes into a sort of computer generated baritone!! CLASS!! Mind you the elephants don't seem to approve of his voice, as they quickly start to move away from him, about 2 seconds after he starts singing!!!LOL!!!! The bellow at 1:56 means 'God he's fucking singing to us now, bloody Mahler too!! What a nut!'
As a performer Ihave often received the greatest reception from an animal audience. I Have found aquatic birds to be very appreciative of my guitar playing. With careful choice of repertoire I have often held them entranced for long periods. Of course liberal sprinklings of bread crumbs may have helped.
If they ever make a non-documentary movie about Glenn Gould (and they should) it should be an absolute requirement that the part be played by Sam Rockwell. A colorful eccentric playing a colorful eccentric, and one with whom a striking physical resemblance is shared.
...Maybe my fascination and admiration for animals and young children comes from the fact that I can relate to them more than adults - I was an autistic child myself and still in many ways have the brain of a child - this has gotten me into trouble many times in the adult world, where I have been too straightforward in my remarks. I've not learned to fake interest and hospitality towards people I dislike, and my social relationships (with fellow adults) have suffered as a result.
You're thinking of Dr. Evil, played by Mike Myers - both guys were born in the Greater Toronto Area and Gould is singing in an exaggerated local accent at the end of the song.
@skyd171 You are latching onto character traits that Gould purposefully amplified when in front of an audience or on camera. His exceptional skills at piano come from a very early start and the decision at age 7 to become a concert pianist, along with practice. The 'noises' you refer to were actually Gould singing along with the piece, as his mother had originally trained him as a singer - by having him sing along with everything he played.
I agree with you. I'd say retrospective diagnosis is valid if it's grounded on sound historical analysis and it can be useful. Other than that, if anyone is familiar with autistic spectrum disorders it seems likely he was high on the spectrum. This shouldn't be viewed negatively. A certain level of eccentricity which is visible to everybody is not always just that and may affect people's lives in more substantial ways than may be realised by others.
Bienvenue! Aussi, Gould fait des autres blagues - il dit "Toad" (crapaud en anglais) au lieu de "Tod" (la mort en allemand) pour son "Opera Aquatique", un jeux de mot tellement mauvais qu'il fait ses apologies a l'emeu , et vers la fin de chanson il chante avec un accent torontois, qui, comme on a deja remarque, semble a celui qui le comedien torontois Mike Myers adopte plus tard pour son interpretation du Docteur Denfer des films d'Austin Powers. Un esprit remarquable!
