The Senator Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 ...would have turned 77 today. The Canadian pianist recorded practically everything Bach wrote for the keyboard, and is considered one of the most brilliant musicians of our time (and one of the most eccentric). He died in 1982, 9 days after his 50th birthday - an occasion upon which he predicted, with bitter ironic accuracy, he would cease to play the piano forever. This video and recording was one of his last - enjoy...
Tcali Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 ...would have turned 77 today. The Canadian pianist recorded practically everything Bach wrote for the keyboard, and is considered one of the most brilliant musicians of our time (and one of the most eccentric). He died in 1982, 9 days after his 50th birthday - an occasion upon which he predicted, with bitter ironic accuracy, he would cease to play the piano forever. This video and recording was one of his last - enjoy... An amazing talent.Some claimed he was mildly autistic. Another fave classical pianist of that generation was Van Cliburn.
KevinRome Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 ...would have turned 77 today. The Canadian pianist recorded practically everything Bach wrote for the keyboard, and is considered one of the most brilliant musicians of our time (and one of the most eccentric). I'm with you brother. My local classical FM radio station plays his recordings often, and I also hear him on one of the Sat radio classical channels. Love his stuff.
BuffaloBill Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Wasn't there a movie made about him in the mid 80's? (I know I could google it but I am being lazy)
Kelly the Dog Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 Wasn't there a movie made about him in the mid 80's? (I know I could google it but I am being lazy) Yeah, it was awesome. Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, Jack Lemmon. A Classic from David Mamet, "Glengarry Glenngould. Actually, the film was terrific, and was called "Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould", which, amazingly, was actually thirty two short films back to back to back about Glenn Gould, set to his music. It really was very good.
The Senator Posted September 25, 2009 Author Posted September 25, 2009 Wasn't there a movie made about him in the mid 80's? (I know I could google it but I am being lazy) There are tons of CBC footage of recitals, documentary, etc. from throughout Gould's life, but I believe you're referring to... Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould The title itself is a reference to Gould's most famous recording - Bach's Goldberg Variations, consisting of an Aria, followed by 30 variations each conforming to the same harmonic sequence, then the Aria Da Capo - hence, 32 short pieces. Each short film deals with an episode from Gould's life - such as his fascinatingly altered Steinway concert grand, serial # CD318, or one of his many idiosyncrasies or neuroses, such as his self-medication and addictions to various prescription drugs. Here's one excerpt - Gould playing a phonograph recording of his bizarrely syncopated interpretation of Beethoven's 'Tempest' Sonata for a German chambermaid...
BuffaloBill Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 There are tons of CBC footage of recitals, documentary, etc. from throughout Gould's life, but I believe your referring to... Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould The title itself is a reference to Gould's most famous recording - Bach's Goldberg Variations, consisting of an Aria, followed by 30 variations each conforming to the same harmonic sequence, then the Aria Da Capo - hence, 32 short pieces. Each short film deals with an episode from Gould's life - sch as this fasciniatingly altered Steinway concert grand serial # CD318, or one of his many idiosyncrasies or neuroses, such as his self-medication and addictions to various prescription drugs. Here's one excerpt - Gould playing his bizarrely syncopated interpretation of Beethoven's 'Tempest' Sonata for a German chambermaid... Yeah I now recall seeing the movie. Thanks
Doc Posted September 25, 2009 Posted September 25, 2009 I'm not impressed with Glenn Gould. Wait, what?
The Senator Posted September 26, 2009 Author Posted September 26, 2009 An amazing talent.Some claimed he was mildly autistic.Another fave classical pianist of that generation was Van Cliburn. Van Cliburn is certainly a very fine pianist, but his career benefited greatly from winning, as a young American pianist from Texas in 1958 - the very height of the Cold War, the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow - one of the most prestigious music competitions in the world. (It was a great propaganda victory for the U.S at the time, and Cliburn even got the ticker-tape parade treatment in NYC upon his return.) Of that generation of pianists, I think the very best (aside from Gould, who's so unique I can't really compare him to others of any era) was Vladimir Ashkenazy - who shared the Tchaikovsky Competition 1st place prize with American John Browning in 1962, four years after Cliburn. (Ashkenazy also won second prize in the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1955, and the first prize in the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in Brussels in 1956.) I had the great privilege of seeing him perform about a half-dozen times - his recordings of Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev are just unbelievable... link - ashkenazy - chopin etude op. 10, no.1
The Dean Posted September 26, 2009 Posted September 26, 2009 Yeah, it was awesome. Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, Jack Lemmon. A Classic from David Mamet, "Glengarry Glenngould. Actually, the film was terrific, and was called "Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould", which, amazingly, was actually thirty two short films back to back to back about Glenn Gould, set to his music. It really was very good. Terrific movie. Gould was an interesting cat. He sure grunted a lot when he played, though. (So does Keith Jarrett.)
The Senator Posted September 26, 2009 Author Posted September 26, 2009 Terrific movie. Gould was an interesting cat. He sure grunted a lot when he played, though. (So does Keith Jarrett.) So did...
Tcali Posted September 26, 2009 Posted September 26, 2009 Van Cliburn is certainly a very fine pianist, but his career benefited greatly from winning, as a young American pianist from Texas in 1958 - the very height of the Cold War, the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow - one of the most prestigious music competitions in the world. (It was a great propaganda victory for the U.S at the time, and Cliburn even got the ticker-tape parade treatment in NYC upon his return.) Of that generation of pianists, I think the very best (aside from Gould, who's so unique I can't really compare him to others of any era) was Vladimir Ashkenazy - who shared the Tchaikovsky Competition 1st place prize with American John Browning in 1962, four years after Cliburn. (Ashkenazy also won second prize in the International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw in 1955, and the first prize in the Queen Elisabeth Music Competition in Brussels in 1956.) I had the great privilege of seeing him perform about a half-dozen times - his recordings of Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Prokofiev are just unbelievable... link - ashkenazy - chopin etude op. 10, no.1 magnificent.heavenly
The Dean Posted September 26, 2009 Posted September 26, 2009 So did... Indeed, but Oscar grunts softer and more melodically than the others. Gould, Peterson, Ashkenazy, Horowitz are some of my favorite pianists...along with The Senator, of course. (Actually, The Sen turned me on to the classical pianists on that list). I thought Van Cliburn became famous when he won the Cliburn Competition. And, WTF, no love for Liberace?
Tcali Posted September 26, 2009 Posted September 26, 2009 Indeed, but Oscar grunts softer and more melodically than the others. Gould, Peterson, Ashkenazy, Horowitz are some of my favorite pianists...along with The Senator, of course. (Actually, The Sen turned me on to the classical pianists on that list). I thought Van Cliburn became famous when he won the Cliburn Competition. And, WTF, no love for Liberace? hehe-- ..my dad told me that when Horowitz was coming to town that the ad for him in the paper would be one word..HOROWITZ-in the classified section ..along with time and place of course.
The Senator Posted September 26, 2009 Author Posted September 26, 2009 And, WTF, no love for Liberace? Michael Douglas To Play Liberace
The Dean Posted September 26, 2009 Posted September 26, 2009 Michael Douglas To Play Liberace I see Matt Damon is also in the movie.
The Senator Posted October 8, 2009 Author Posted October 8, 2009 Indeed, but Oscar grunts softer and more melodically than the others. Gould, Peterson, Ashkenazy, Horowitz are some of my favorite pianists...along with The Senator, of course. (Actually, The Sen turned me on to the classical pianists on that list). I thought Van Cliburn became famous when he won the Cliburn Competition. And, WTF, no love for Liberace? It occurred to me, Deano, that I should have also introduced you to the likes of Rudolph Serkin, Artur Schnabel, Lazar Berman, Sviatoslav Richter, Daniel Barenboim, Alicia de Larrocha, and countless others, but - especially in your case... Maurizio Pollini and... Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli BTW - you know I consider Bösendorfer the 'Rolls Royce' of pianos, but this past summer I made a point to get to Toronto and finally got to play the 'Ferrari'....
The Dean Posted October 9, 2009 Posted October 9, 2009 It occurred to me, Deano, that I should have also introduced you to the likes of Rudolph Serkin, Artur Schnabel, Lazar Berman, Sviatoslav Richter, Daniel Barenboim, Alicia de Larrocha, and countless others, but - especially in your case... Maurizio Pollini and... Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli BTW - you know I consider Bösendorfer the 'Rolls Royce' of pianos, but this past summer I made a point to get to Toronto and finally got to play the 'Ferrari'.... Very interesting, Sen. This article has a little bit of cultural stereotyping: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5...the.html?cat=33 Piano makers in Germany were a bit flummoxed to learn then about the Italians trying to make a world-class piano. To that time,Germany was the leading piano manufacturer globally. At that time, also, a lot of jazz and classical pianists were having fits of praise for the awesome German-produced 9-foot Bosendorfer piano...complete with several extra bass notes. German piano manufacturers perhaps might be considered to be more about engineering a piano that enabled sheer power and depth of sound and with an excess in design. The Italians were arguably more careful in detailing the nuances of a piano's design and the subtleties of tone. And I found this to be particularly interesting, too: From the start, the mission of making the Fazioli was to focus on creating a piano that made a sound that would be the most pleasing to the discerning ear. Their mission statement was to create a piano tone that enabled even harmonic components, being able to go from a triple pianissimo (ppp) to a triple fortissimo (fff) (very quiet to very loud for those not familiar with piano terms) without muddying the sound as is usually the case when doing a triple fortissimo, create a longer duration in certain tones played to enable an essence of cantabile (or a "sweeter" tone) and manufacture each key so you can distinguish every tone individually when playing a polyphonic work by Bach or other contrapuntal composers. Here's a smaller one at a reasonable price: http://www.pianocompanystore.com/images/faz1.jpg 50% off its original price ($165,400): $82,700 http://www.pianocompanystore.com/sale.html The one goes for $409,000: http://www.luxist.com/gallery/fazioli-pianos/591524/ http://www.luxist.com/2008/01/18/fazioli-p...highest-prices/ You should pick one up, Sen. But, I like the looks of the Bosendorfer better, I think. Although, this one is pretty slick: http://www.luxist.com/gallery/fazioli-pianos/591530/
The Senator Posted October 9, 2009 Author Posted October 9, 2009 Very interesting, Sen. This article has a little bit of cultural stereotyping: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5...the.html?cat=33 And I found this to be particularly interesting, too: rs. Here's a smaller one at a reasonable price: http://www.pianocompanystore.com/images/faz1.jpg 50% off its original price ($165,400): $82,700 http://www.pianocompanystore.com/sale.html The one goes for $409,000: http://www.luxist.com/gallery/fazioli-pianos/591524/ http://www.luxist.com/2008/01/18/fazioli-p...highest-prices/ You should pick one up, Sen. But, I like the looks of the Bosendorfer better, I think. Although, this one is pretty slick: http://www.luxist.com/gallery/fazioli-pianos/591530/ A little cultural stereotyping??? (Great article, though - thanks.) I was very impressed when I drove the Ferrari, er, played the Fazioli - the thing has 4 pedals instead of the usual 3, and is over 10' long. Was surprised that the strings are not individually hitched, but the tone is absolutely unique - an extremely clean, clear, un-muddled, utterly pristine timbre that cuts through the room like a knife and makes you sound better than you actually are. I have a line on an '83 Bösendorfer Imperial - like the one at Cornell, only newer - here in WNY for $45K. Wanna loan me the $$$$ ??? Sen's New Toy? Better View It's really quite the bargain - a new one goes for over $200K - and this one has real ivory keys, which you can't get on any piano since about 1988. It's 9' 6" long and has 9 extra keys (total of 97), which makes it a good foot wider than your typical concert grand. The things are freaking huge - a full 3' 6" longer than my Lombard Street-Yamaha C3. But if you want exotic cases, Schimmel puts the other piano houses to shame... The Schimmel Glas (would look great in Salvatore's - or the NF casino, but they bought a cheap, crummy Steinway which they hate and which has given them nothing but problems, including a complete re-stringing of the bass) The Schimmel Otmar Alt (would be perfect at the Albright Knox, but they also overpaid for an extremely inferior, very lousy new Steinway, probably because they're quite stupid and don't know sh_t about pianos - someone said 'Steinway', and the board said, "I've heard of him! ) The Schimmel Pegasus (Prince has one, Vladimir Putin has two) The Schimmel Whatever (at 20', it's gotta be the world's longest piano - a 'one-off' design for the NYC Freedom Tower) Anywho, in addition to my own musical toys, I now have access to a 9' Young Chang to pound on - but I keep trying to figure out how to get my hands on and justify $45K for a frivolous indulgence like that Bösendorfer, and wonder where the heck I'm gonna put the darn thing While I work that all out, enjoy some of Rachmaninov's Piano Sonata #2 on one of the cleanest sounding pianos you'll ever hear... link
The Dean Posted October 9, 2009 Posted October 9, 2009 A little cultural stereotyping??? (Great article, though - thanks.) I was very impressed when I drove the Ferrari, er, played the Fazioli - the thing has 4 pedals instead of the usual 3, and is over 10' long. Was surprised that the strings are not individually hitched, but the tone is absolutely unique - an extremely clean, clear, un-muddled, utterly pristine timbre that cuts through the room like a knife and makes you sound better than you actually are. I have a line on an '83 Bösendorfer Imperial - like the one at Cornell, only newer - here in WNY for $45K. Wanna loan me the $$$$ ??? Sen's New Toy? Better View It's really quite the bargain - a new one goes for over $200K - and this one has real ivory keys, which you can't get on any piano since about 1988. It's 9' 6" long and has 9 extra keys (total of 97), which makes it a good foot wider than your typical concert grand. The things are freaking huge - a full 3' 6" longer than my Lombard Street-Yamaha C3. But if you want exotic cases, Schimmel puts the other piano houses to shame... The Schimmel Glas (would look great in Salvatore's - or the NF casino, but they bought a cheap, crummy Steinway which they hate and which has given them nothing but problems, including a complete re-stringing of the bass) The Schimmel Otmar Alt (would be perfect at the Albright Knox, but they also overpaid for an extremely inferior, very lousy new Steinway, probably because they're quite stupid and don't know sh_t about pianos - someone said 'Steinway', and the board said, "I've heard of him! ) The Schimmel Pegasus (Prince has one, Vladimir Putin has two) The Schimmel Whatever (at 20', it's gotta be the world's longest piano - a 'one-off' design for the NYC Freedom Tower) Anywho, in addition to my own musical toys, I now have access to a 9' Young Chang to pound on - but I keep trying to figure out how to get my hands on and justify $45K for a frivolous indulgence like that Bösendorfer, and wonder where the heck I'm gonna put the darn thing While I work that all out, enjoy some of Rachmaninov's Piano Sonata #2 on one of the cleanest sounding pianos you'll ever hear... link I hadn't seen that World Trade Center Schimmel until now. Very unusual. I really dig the Otmar Alt, though Schimmel really is doing some bizarre things with the piano. I guess if they sound great, it is a good thing. This article has some more pics of some of those same Shimmels and some of the unusual Bosendorfer: http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2008/0...-your-eyes.html Bosendorfer's new design with Audi is unusual: http://ifitshipitshere.blogspot.com/2009/0...chord-with.html And of course, there is this thing: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_zqFoq3qej2c/SlYY.../Picture+53.png Now, get back to practicing and maybe you can play your way to the Bosendorfer or the Fazioli.
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