Singles?

[PROMONDE@aol.com]

Let me pose a question: 

What if you had to make an album of "Singles" as played by Glenn Gould? It 
could be designed and edited any way you like as long as the source material 
was by GG and nothing lasted longer than   2: 30 -3:00 , just like 
traditional 45's. 

In other words, what if the "Allegro" from this was followed by the 6th 
Variation from that. Gibbon's ending is lengthend with a 30-second excerpt 
from a Beethoven Bagatelle, leading into one of his Sonatas. Some Brahms 
could be married to  the Storm scene in the 6th Symphony Transcription, etc. 
Not purist by a long shot. But, wouldn't he do something like this, if he 
felt he could get away with it? Of course, he would. It would make an 
interesting exercise for the upcoming gathering if those  attending could 
submit their ideal 74-minutes as a demo for a possible Sony  release. It 
would be like "re-composing with found recordings" or dropping all the sheet 
music on the floor and playing it in "1-2-3 Pickup" handful order.  It could 
be a bit of a contest. Anathema (a contest) to the artist, I know, but fair 
to the fans. Is this too much heresy? Sacrilege? Well, don't you think it is 
more sacrilege that there are millions of people out there who have never 
even heard of GG, or what he meant. What if this became their "doorway" 
leading to this world? (the "Images" disc is nice but isn't what I am 
thinking of, and the "Art of Glenn Gould" issue certainly doesn't present the 
best showcase for the uninitiated either)

Many of you listen for your own reasons; critical, cultural, musical, 
scholarly, technical, etc.  I just listen because I like his playing and how 
it affects me. But if you never have a chance listen, then how can you be 
affected? Glenn Gould is like the Macintosh Computer. When it was first 
released, the MIS guys only knew how to compute using mysterious codes, and 
if you didn't understand them, then you couldn't possibly run a computer. I 
still don't understand them today after 15-years of running my computers, 
because Macintoshes made learning all that code unnecessary. I like using it. 
I don't need to know how it works, it just does. Glenn Gould is my musical 
Macintosh. I don't care how, whatever he did, works (though I actually do 
know a lot about him) it only matters to me how his playing makes me feel. 
And it feels OK. I know some of you may have to hold you nose to respond to 
such a premise, but hey, they aren't making any more new GG recordings and 
those that are out there need to live forever, and they will if they can hit 
new ears, and stir new emotions.  (PS, I wouldn't want this to become some 
sort of "Glenn Gould for Driving"  type of affair either. It is nice that you 
have a few constants over most of his career: ie. studios, pianos, engineers, 
producers, so matching some of these wouldn't be that difficult. Anyways, if 
this is all too crazy for you, then I'll let it drop.  DP