RE: Händel - with care ?

[Bengt Christensson <Bengt.Christensson@axis.com>]

Pat,
?
Are we talking about the same record?
I find his Haendel harpsichord recording quite fascinating, and I can't
really say that I even hear his singing. Need to listen again! I have the
older rendition on LP and the new Sony CD. 
?
Looking through some of the critics comments at the time, they were unused
to his eccentric rhythm phrasing, his (I agree) strange registration, and
higher tempo on some of the Fugues. Well, pretty standard Gould in a way.
But I have read somewhere that he regretted the way he did it afterwards.
?
The amount ornamentation you hear is pretty standard, Gould mostly did
thorough studying of this. I have heard other artists doing more or less
than Gould. On the other hand is it much up to the interpreter, in the
spirit of Haendel's days, to enrich these suites. Haendel was, as Bach,
famous for their very personal improvisations and they would seldom put
their own version in print (kind of a trademark-preserving cause I guess).
To answer your question: No, not all ornamentation is in print, and if it
is, you as an artist can of course divert from the print. Mordent -> trillo,
etc. (The HIP promoters readers will react to these ground statements, no
doubt)
?
I have Van Asperen, Newman, Kraus, Cuckston, Becker and Gilbert as other
references for harpsichord recordings, but I find them quite boring in
comparison, although smooth and polished.
?
My favorite non-Gould harpsichord interpretation is the is the Van Asperen.
?
I've heard about a live recording by Andras Schiff (piano) at the
Concertgebouw of the Haendel Bb suite - has anyone heard it?
?
/Bengt
?
?

-----Original Message-----
From: Pat Zumstein [mailto:pzumst@bluewin.ch]
Sent: Thursday, December 17, 1998 3:15 PM
To: f_minor@email.rutgers.edu
Subject: GG: Händel - with care ?


G'day f_minorers 

I was listening to GG's recording of the first four Suites for Harpsichord
by GF Händel (and some Bach) tonight. Now this is a very 
unusual recording, even for Gould standards, if not, as some critics have
said,? one of the worst records he ever made. Usually I don't mind his
singing , but on this one.... 


Gould had, as you may recall,? some problems with CD 318 around the time of
the recording and I assume that Gould wasn't all too happy with this one 


In order to be fair and to correct some wrong conclusions I would like to
ask 3 questions: 


1 Are all these trioles and arpeggios noted on the original score ? It would
be no surprise if they wenen't. 


2 Do I hear a few "mistakes" every now and then or is that just Gould's
playing ? 


3 Any suggestions for a reference recording ? 


Have a good day, a merry chtistmas, happy hanuka and all the best for 1999 !



Pat