<HTML><HEAD></HEAD>
<BODY dir=ltr>
<DIV dir=ltr>
<DIV style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<DIV><FONT size=5>Dear all</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5>In the introduction to the first Humprey Burton interview we
are being cautioned by a british record producer that GG will exaggerating in
some of his opinions on recording and the current state of the public
performance. Mainly that recording is the future and the concert a thing of the
past. We are in the spring of 1966 and GG is talking to Humphrey Burton for the
BBC in a CBC Studio in Toronto. John Culshaw, the record producer, claims that
after this program being aired on the BBC the phone lines of reception were kept
busy by furious callers claiming this to be nonsense. NOw..who exactly was
exaggerating here I wonder ?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5>Maybe GG did shock his contemporaries with his views, normally
he was a very reluctant and conservative person imo. The idea of the Last
Puritan is not far-feched, but when it comes to his views on recrding that is a
different story. Wether he liked it or not (and so did McLuhan who also made
valid predictions which did not please him), he had a feeling where new
technolgies would lead both performer and listener.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5>Yet listeing to GG’s arguments in 2011 (i.e. a Tchaikowsky
Contcerto in 1999 would be considered an absurdity, cutting, splicing etc can be
seen as an additional instrument ) I find it courious that he was actually more
than right, come to think of it. Wether he would embrace the technolgy on offer
today we will never know, alas.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5>GG is absoluetly right, the time of the composer composing
largely for himself is over. He claims to have more than one opinion on
Beethoven and the interpretation of his works. That is interesting for a man who
mocked the idea of chance in music (Satie, the whole ambient idea etc) and only
being interested in contrapunctual music. Now I for one find that rather
extrordinary. Of course he never released these albums with 14 different
interpretations of one Beethoven Sonata, but it is nice to know he could have.
Making such a comment these days it would almost be expected of him to do just
that on a bonus CD of a new release wehr he still with us.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5>Within that context GG has a few strong and valid points in
declaring that the concert experience as such is obsolete. Despite the fact that
most concert halls have very good sound systems (surround, tons of speakers etc)
nowdays, but back in his time both recording technique and concert equipment
were rather primitive, therefore he had the right to have his doubts. GG gives
the example of a Bach Partita that he claims corrputed one of his recordings
after being performed too much. He claims that performing on stage is only valid
for exhibitionists, a funny comment from someone who frequently appeared on
radio and television and one has to wonder wether his excuse of playing
different tempi in the Emperor was’t just a gimmick or trying to fill a niche
not occupied yet as he claims.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5>GG’s anecdote of cutting together 2 different takes for the
WTC2 must have been shocking at the time for the classical crowd wanting
“authenticity” but was nothing new to rock musicians, in the very same month the
Bealles were working on Revolver and used different takes, splices etc for the
final mix much to their advantage and also having a concert drop-out the same
year coming to the same conclusions as GG did. Not to mention the tons of
remixes you can find from numerous artists(tracks (12 different approaches to a
Beehoven Sonata so to speak but I digress.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5>These are old hats today of course, back in 1966 that was
still post-modernism, the world has turned in so many ways. These changes in
technology have also altered our views of GG. It is therefore most interesting
to see things from his point in the time line. Absolutely fascinating, no matter
if you agree with him or not (which I do just in case you haven’t
noticed).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5>These days it is absolutely normal to create your own playlist
of, say Mahler’s 1st with the 1st movement from Bernstein, 2nd from Kubelik etc.
Mash-ups, remixes, 7.5 Surround Sound and live audio and even video streams from
your favourite performer on your very huge HDTV or PC are no problem these days.
Or mobile devices that can carry your music collection. And with audio
sequencing software like Ableton or FL Studio even idiots like me are able to
program a sequencer and send the results within seconds around the world. Oh,
show me a semi-pro musician no matter what field who claims not to have ever
worked with ProTools and I’ll show you one who always arrives on time. Such is
the state of technology nowdays. Shame, GG never got to see that. But at least
he had a vague idea of what was coming, contrary to most of his
contemporaries.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5>I must admit that I had become rather critical, even had
doubts about Our St. Glenn Of Uptergrove, but this DVD box set and the first
Humphrey Burton Interview in particular have put me back in the Party Line
Perspective so to speak, at least for the time being. He knew what was coming
while the 2 pommie knobs did not. Not exactly surprising, but good to
know.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5>If you have not yet bought this DVD set, plese consider, just
this interview alone will be worth it, let alone the rest of the set. If you
can’t afford it right now, sell some of your Apple gadgets or ask your auntie
for a few fivers, skip the pub a few times or ask the missus to go shopping with
a full stomach and an empty wallet. If you can, hurry up to the next record
store, you will not regret it. Taken in small doses this set will provide fun,
insights and good music for a very long time. Just the pure joy of seeing Glenn
Gould talk and play....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=5>Pat</FONT></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>