Re: Your personal...

[Mike Flemmer <mikejf@freewwweb.com>]

BONG wrote:

> It is well known there's no point in arguing about the greatness of certain
> composer or piece so I'm asking for utterly personal opinions just because
> I'm always glad to try out others' preferences as if they were mine. After
> such a long Preambulum here's my question: what is your favorite performance
> of Bach by Gould?
>
> Juozas Rimas

If I could only have one GG Bach recording it would be the 1981 Goldberg
Variations.  Better yet, the 1981 Goldberg video!  In fact, I like it so much,
I just recently posted a review at amazon.com (which I have found to have
the most customer reviews and ratings for CD's than any other place).
I rated it 5 stars as did the other 2 or 3 posters there.

Below is a copy of my review I placed at amazon.cam, designed to entice
newbies!  Did I do a good job, gang?  :-)

Mike

                       ------------------------------------

"This cannot be", said a famous conductor after viewing this performance.
 I thought the same thing after watching it too! Do not buy anything else
untill you get this next.  It's Gould up close for about an hour in the studio
on a Yamaha grand piano. It's the most astonishing display of piano
virtuosity I've ever seen. Gould worked very hard to produce this video
and it was a very demanding task. We are very fortunate that is was
completed before Gould died about a year later."

"Very well produced and edited. This is how I wish all pianists were
filmed- long close up shots of the hands on the piano.   The audio is stereo
and I highly recommend watching this video on a stereo VCR with
headphones. You will feel like you are in the room with Gould.  You can
hear everything including chair noises, piano sqeeks, etc..  These noises
are infrequent and do not interfere with the music but actually add to the
whole experience.  If you don't like Gould's humming, surprisingly, he
hums very quietly here."

"Bach wrote this masterpiece for double manual harpsichord and this gave
Bach the ability to write this great music with long phrases where two hands
can pass over each other and not bump together (as they would on a single
manual keyboard).   That's why only the best pianists attempt to play this
work- the two hands 'bump' into each other on a single keyboard.  You'll
see how Gould manages this difficult task with apparent ease in a dazzling
display of virtuosity. And you'll also see why the keyboard cover on the
piano was removed to facilitate the hands crossing over each other.

This is one of Gould's most successfull accomplishments.  It's one of Bach's
most enduring masterpieces.  Do not hesitate.  Get it."