Re: GG/KJ

["Ayako Hosono" <ayakoho@spacelab.net>]

Hello.  Thank you for your response!
I was glad to read your response, honestly.
I only heard the performance of KJ once, so I cannot say anything
thoughtful about his performance, actually, but what I wrote before was
my impression _ which was rather intuitive, I would say, (and intuition
can be wrong or right, yes?) _ on the first hearing on JK.

The other thing I know about JK is that he also plays Jazz and
improvises, and he is wonderful at this.  I also know that he plays the
piano in a state of trance _ that is, by looking from outside he seems
really "into" the music, or it seems he is drunk of it (in a good
sense).

I did not say that he "imitates" GG: what I wanted to say was that
rather than play Bach in a romantic manner  (in a style of19th century)
he kept an objective view and I could hear his intension to keep the
voices separately.  I believe there is another pianist who had this
intension on playing Bach _ Rosalyn Tureck.

"how can you say the Jarrett performance is lacking in drama? I feel
that you were only listening to the "performance", and not the music. 
Well, if this is so, I would listen to Bach played by a robot or
computer, with its perfectly objective view of the composition, playing
exactly the note which was printed in a book.  I think what makes music
come alive is the performer's interpretation of the music he is playing.

What do you mean by KJ's "drama", by your ideas?  Is it like what I
wrote about GG's drama, or something completely different?  What drama
did you perceive from JK's Bach performance?
When I hear GG's performance, I not only hear his careful design of each
voices, but the tension (in italic) between them.  Somehow he was able
to create some kind of tension between voices, provoking conflict even,
much like a drama in a movie or theatre when two or more charcters
interact. (Or is it a conflict with himself?)  I want to understand GG's
music, why it attracted me, and I am simply trying to put them into
words.  I want to write, so that even a person who has never heard GG
can visualize, in a way, about his performance.  You describe KJ's
playing "pristine, well-controlled, and soothing to my ears."  To me,
these descriptions are only words, they don't mean anything to me.

To be honest, I cannot call GG's music "soothing".  By this that it does
not relax me or make me feel comfortable.  For example, I cannot play
his music as background.  GG asks for a listener to be active in music
as much as him, it makes one alert about what he is doing, about the
music.

"Jarrett chooses not to let his personality get in the way of Bach's
music, and it works just as well"  Is it possible that perhaps he is
rather passive about interpretating or understand Bach's music?  Or
perhaps he chose not to go deeper into the music because music is too
perfect?

Thank you for your suggestion about KJ's improvised solo concert albums,
I will listen to it sometime, I am sure.
And excuse me for all those questions.

AH
10 Feb 98

Matthew White wrote:

> I usually don't respond to these, but I feel that Ayako Hosono's
> views about Glenn Gould versus Keith Jarrett are way off the mark. I
> have
> copies of both the GG and KJ Well-Tempered Clavier recordings, and
> listen
> to both equally.
>  It strikes me as extremely odd that Hosono thinks that Jarrett is
> trying
> to imitate Glenn Gould, when his approach to the instrument and
> aesthetic
> battle-plan for playing Bach is based on ideas at the complete
> opposite
> pole from where GG is coming.
>  Jarrett says in the liner notes: "This music does not need my
> assistance." In other words, he believes that the music of Bach is so
> beautiful on its own, that the performer need not impose his ego upon
> it.
> I ask, how can you say the Jarrett performance is lacking in drama? I
> feel
> that you were only listening to the "performance", and not the music.
> Jarrett is quite obviously trying to get the listener to hear how much
>
> drama is in the notes themselves. It is not an expression of his
> personal
> feelings or a romantic outpouring; he chooses to play completely
> without
> ego. He "presents" the music, and believes Bach is too perfect and
> beautiful to be "interpreted".
>  I actually enjoy the KJ performance, and find his approach sound and
> legitimate. It is pristine, well-controlled, and soothing to my ears.
> I enjoy GG's for totally different reasons: It's exciting, daring, and
> a
> lot of fun. It has much "personality". Jarrett chooses not to let his
> personality get in the way of Bach's music, and it works just as well.
>
> Anyone who believes Jarrett has no passion of his own should listen to
> his
> improvised solo concert albums. This should erase all doubts.
> Sincerely,
> M. White