“The validity of art lies in the inner burning it kindles in people’s hearts, not in its superficial, outward, public expression. The aim of art is not a momentary adrenaline rush, but rather the gradual, lifelong building of states of wonder and tranquility.” – Glenn Gould
Glenn Gould, one of the greatest classical pianists of the 20th century, shocked the world when he announced his permanent retirement from public performance at the age of 31. Calling concert halls a relative of the Roman Colosseum and denouncing audiences as “forces of evil,” Gould committed the rest of his musical life to recording in a studio in order to preserve his artistic integrity and personal sanity.
Gould is best known for his brilliant and often provocative performances of classical masterpieces, especially his unparalleled recordings of Bach, but he was also a prolific, articulate and provocative critic, and in essays such as “Perspectives on Recording” he discusses performance philosophy and the relationship between technology and music.
He described his experiments with unconventional recording techniques, made bold and often accurate predictions about how recording technology would change the way the public engaged with music, and explicitly rejected many of the stagnant conventions of contemporary classical performance.
In this episode, Thomas talks about Gould’s fascinating (and often funny) views on music and technology and plays some of his recordings. If you’ve never heard Gould play, you’re missing out; if you have, you’ll find this episode even more interesting.
Songs performed in this episode (all performed by Glenn Gould):
JS Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1: Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in C sharp major, Fugue No. 20 in A major, Prelude No. 21 in B flat major
Bach, Inventions for two and three voices: Invention No. 12 in A major, Sinfonia No. 5 in E flat major, Sinfonia No. 9 in F minor
Brahms, Intermezzo No. 2 in A major, Op. 118
Beethoven, Symphony No. 5, IV. Allegro, piano arrangement by Franz Liszt
Tomas Milas’s 2011 essay “Glenn Gould in the Studio” https://thomasmirus.com/2013/05/20/glenn-gould-in-the-studio
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