Ask Gould for an introduction to his article

Author: [Canada] Zhu Xianjie 2002-9-27

Reprinted from music lovers, number 13 1.

July 2002 issue

Glen, 32 South Wood Road? Gould's former residence. Judging from the map, it shouldn't be far from me. Turn right when you go out, take Victoria Avenue and drive south to Lake Ontario for about 20 minutes.

The radio in the car is playing the on-demand program of Canadian Radio Station, which is the first song of Bach's Partita Suite 6 played by Gould and Tokata. The arpeggios in the first few bars are mixed with Gould's humming. The first time I heard this recording was at the teacher's house. BASF brand opening tapes and Philips tape recorders were the best equipment that private people in Shanghai could own in the early 1970s. However, because of the tearing, the piano sounds a little shaky, which sounds like the sound of rubbing strings on a guitar. At that time, I never thought that one day I would go to Toronto, Gould's city, and have lived there for more than ten years. But over the years, I have never been to Gould's legacy. This year marks the seventieth anniversary of his birth and the twentieth anniversary of his death, which is the season for his visit. I walked around the lake several times in queen street, but I couldn't see the sign of Nanmu Street. It was a mistake to leave the map at home. I parked my car on the side of the road and asked the pedestrians. I asked several people in a row, but I didn't know. Walking into an old furniture store, the owner delivered goods to my house last year and recognized me. "Glen? Gould? I have heard of it. " "Do you know that his hometown is nearby?" "Oh, there seems to be such a thing ... sorry, I can't remember."

Gould was once a cultural symbol of Canada. As a world-famous pianist, his reputation transcends the music industry and is almost a household name in Canada. Decades later, things have changed, and I don't even remember the neighborhood around him, or am I not looking for the right person? Fortunately, I remember that I should check in the library. Here, you may not find Rubinstein's biography on the music shelves in the library, but there must be several books by Gould. In the twenty years after his death, books about him have been published one after another, the latest one is Glenn? Gould's idea was written by a woman in Philadelphia, USA. She spent four years interviewing all Gould's peers, relatives and friends, acquaintances and even childhood classmates and neighbors. After so many years of Gould's death, anyone who came into contact with him still remembers him vividly. She said that she wrote this book because "as a mother, a nurse and a teacher, I am worried that rampant fetishism will almost annihilate human nature. Poetry is disappearing from our culture and being replaced by greed. Life has really become worthless For me and others, Gould represents an ideal life of pursuing platonic perfection. For Gould, music is an elegant kingdom, and he shared it with us in his own unique way. He is a unique genius of our generation, a unique fifty-year-old boy. ..... I dare not expect to tell all his stories. What I want to say is how he changed my life and that of others. "

I went into the queen street Library, took out the books on the shelf and turned to the page with photos of Gould's former residence. The librarian, a middle-aged lady, understood my intention before I spoke. "It's nearby, but the road is impassable to cross a small park from queen street. You have to drive around the back of Kingston Street. This is a path. If you are not careful, you won't see it on the map. " She accompanied me to the door and showed me the way. I thanked her and she said, "Gould has always been my idol."

Gould lived alone and never married, but he was taken care of by many women after his death. Especially for elderly women, it seems that Gould, the "big child", has induced their motherhood. Playwright Tina? Howe wrote: "I write plays and face Gould;" I cooked the children's macaroni and pointed it at Gould; I paid the bill and faced Gould. ..... What impressed me most was his style, so crazy and so elegant. Like Proust, Nishchinski or Van? Gao, he is a real infatuation. "

There is a forest behind Nanmu Street, from which Nanmu Street may be named. Gould's home is a two-story brown brick house, which is not very big according to the present eyes, but it should be a well-off family at the beginning of last century. Surrounded by century-old houses and big trees. The photo Gould took when he was eighteen months old was taken on the doorstep here. He has been very interested in things like radio since he was a child. He used aluminum cans to thread wires and talk to the children next door, just as he later devoted himself to playing tape recorders and tapes. This is Gould's piano room when he was a child, and his mother was the first teacher. He later entered the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto (a few years ago, the professional department of the institute was renamed "Glen? Gould Conservatory of Music "), learn from Grelleaud. At the age of twelve, he became the youngest graduate in college history. However, he is almost self-taught in music. His piano playing skills are not only unique, but also innate. His classmates said that he "knew who he was from an early age and what he did, including his unusual trajectory, was his own choice." He sets the rules of the game and goes his own way, never caring what the world thinks of him. In the end, he made the world obey his wishes. He seldom practices the piano, sometimes he doesn't touch it for months, but he can always play what he learned twenty years ago. He has never participated in any competition, but he was already a mature artist with his own style when he first came on stage. He retired from the concert hall in less than ten years as an international pianist, but it was enough for many people who had never heard him play to know his name. Toronto has reason to be proud of him. His early playmates said, "Gould is a real Toronto man. He belonged to a group of beach boys when he was a child. After he gained international fame, he was no longer like those artists in lower Manhattan, new york. "

But as an adult, he moved to Room 902,No. St. Clare West Street 1 10, the top floor of a six-bedroom apartment. Uneasy, he later found a recording studio and stayed in an inn in the park. It's a modern hotel, located at the junction of Leslie Street and Ellington Street, with beautiful environment and trees. He moved all the electronic equipment in and finished his work in tape editor there. From 1960 to his death, he was a frequent visitor here. He liked the friendly environment and all-weather hotel service here. Here, it is also a place where he is isolated from the world and is "hidden in the city". He said that he "only communicates with the outside world through radio waves" here.

I walked into the hotel lobby and a young waiter greeted me. I told him that I wanted to see the room where Gould once lived. "Pianist? Oh, yes, we do have a piano here, which is open on weekend nights. " An elderly manager-like man next to him interrupted him and said, "Glen? Gould? I know him. I have been with him for more than ten years, but he is a night owl and seldom sees him during the day. He once rented three rooms here, two for rest and one for recording studio, but that suite has now become a barber shop. Go straight from here and there are three rooms at the end of the corridor. "

Gould believes that concerts have become rigid in form, and the way out for music lies in recording. But the record is no longer a record of continuous performances on the spot, just as the film is not a record of continuous events on the spot, but a spliced structure, which is edited. His exciting records are spliced here. These electronic magic products not only sound energetic, but also surprisingly, they have no trace and are very natural. CBS did almost everything he was told. He said: "The reason why I have worked for CBS for so long, I have never even considered doing anything else, because they never interfere with me." Not only that, CBS even recorded two recordings of Gould's conversation-an honor only granted to historical celebrities like Churchill. In the record, he spoke very quickly, for forty minutes, but clearly, just like his performance.

Gould was born in September 1932. There are other pianists in this era, including brendel (1930), Wiesenberg (1929), Gu Erda (1930) and Moravits (1930), among which Gould is the youngest. Perhaps because he was the only pianist who was not born in Europe, or because of his unique style and eccentric behavior, Gould was regarded as an embarrassing "alien" by his peers. Brendel, in particular, in the article Bach and 1976 Piano, talked about many other pianists' interpretations of Bach, but carefully avoided mentioning Gould. However, in another article, he showed his difference from Gould: "Although Gould gave a funeral speech at the concert, the active concert continued. ..... Live concerts convey different messages after all. We have learned enough from the recording, and now it is time to return to the concert. " (Music starts)

Gould also embarrassed some pianists of the older generation. He challenged tradition in the transitional period. His performance sublated the gentle and sweet legato favored by musicians who specialized in music in the 19th century, and created compact lines with various isolated touch keys. Rothstein, a critic in The New York Times, wrote: "Mr Gould not only has invincible skills, but also can dissect a work, wash it out with standard skills, and return it to an almost ecstatic state of excitement. Every recording he recorded was at least inflammatory. "

Gould never taught students, but he had a great influence on later pianists. Andras? Schiff said Gould was second to none in polyphonic music. "He controls five sounds better than others control two." Yilan recalled: "He was a genius with a formatted mind. The article is written like counterpoint, and everything can be discussed, from secular things to Greek philosophy, which sounds like a discussion made by the gods. " Gould has also become an insurmountable model, and any latecomer who intentionally or unintentionally imitates his eccentric behavior or "out of line" interpretation may be ridiculed and sarcastic. Harold? Schoenberg wrote after Pogrelich's Carnegie concert: "Bo tried to be Gould in the field of romantic music. But Gould is a child prodigy, and what are you? " Schoenberg thought Gould was a genius who didn't have to follow the rules. But don't forget that Schoenberg was also very mean to the young Gould, saying that his Brahms Piano Concerto No.1 was played too slowly because of his lack of skills. Now that Schoenberg has retired and Gould has rested in peace, he doesn't have to be sad for the ridicule of critics, and he won't have the fear of facing the audience.

Mount plesent Cemetery is located in the northern part of the city, covering an area of 400 acres, the size of a ranch. I looked for the location of Gould's cemetery under the sign, and a huge excavator stopped beside me. The driver got off the bus and asked me if I needed help. He said, "Who are you looking for? There are many celebrities here, or should I say former celebrities. Because they are now lying here forever like ordinary people. " I told him I was looking for Gould. "oh? That's a little different. People from all over the world come here to find him. " He asked me to follow him, drove along the winding cemetery mountain road for a few minutes, and finally stopped at Area 38 1050. The Gould family is buried here. A simple marble slab with decorative patterns on the edge reads:

Gould

Florence? E

1July 26, 975

Russell? Gould's dear wife

190 1 year165438+1October 22nd-199665438+1October 4th.

Their dearest son

Glenn. h？ Gould

1982101October 4th

Gould's father lived for fourteen years after his death. He should be nearly ninety-five. Glenn. Gould belonged to a long-lived family, but he died young at the age of 50, which made lovers all over the world mourn. A few months before his death, he looked like an old man, slow and pale. Suffering from hypertension, lung pain, chills and many imaginary diseases for a long time, I have always relied on sedatives and sleeping pills. The doctor said that he had a poor diet and lacked exercise, but he didn't care and still worked hard. Schiff recalled that the last time they met was nine months before Gould died, and they talked until six in the morning. "I think the person in front of me is a very happy and fulfilling person, living according to his own wishes. I think his 50-year life is worthwhile. "

Gould himself doesn't think so. He always has something to do. In a TV interview at the end of 1980, the reporter asked him: "If there are 25 years, do you have a new direction and master plan?" He said: "I signed a contract with CBS for 50 years, and then there will be a shift change, just like I gave up the concert 20 years ago-I'd better not talk about it at present." I always like change because I want to do too many things. "

Gould hinted that he might turn to the field of command. What kind of conductor would he be if he lived longer? Now we can only imagine it through the recording he left. In the recording of Beethoven's Piano Symphony No.6 (adapted by Liszt), it is a typical Gould interpretation, unconventional and convincing. If he were alive today, would he be happy with the rapid development of electronic technology and become a pioneer of electronic network? Unfortunately, death came in such a hurry that all good hopes and conjectures were buried in this cemetery.

Before leaving the cemetery, I was still looking for a stone engraved with notes. This is mentioned in many of his biographies. Finally, I saw in the right front of the cemetery, a few steps away on the grass, lying a piece of dark gray granite with a square foot. The shape of a grand piano was marked around the stone, engraved with a line of Chinese characters:

Glenn Gould

1932— 1982

Just below this line, there is a high-pitched score and the notes of the first few bars of Bach's Goldberg Variations. 1955, Gould's legendary recording made him famous all over the world, and his name was closely linked with Bach from then on. This record has been selling well for decades. A spokesman for Columbia Records said in 1967 that Gould "created the history of classical music recording". Like many fans, I still cherish this first album of 1955.

Casals, a cellist, said, "Bach is a volcano". And Gould's Variations on Goldberg made this long-silent volcano erupt again. How brilliant and radiant it was!

And this song and this place are Gould's final destination.

Out of the cemetery, the car passed St. Paul's Cathedral at 227 Landong Street. On1October 4th, 20 years ago, more than 3,000 people, many of them from all over the world, attended Gould's memorial service and paid their last respects to him. I think of Gould's cousin Jesse? Greg's memory:

"He believes in the afterlife ... he always tells me his dreams. In that dream, he stood on his own body and looked down at all the people from a height, but he had no body. He said,' I hope to attend my own funeral'. I asked him why, and he said,' I want to know who will attend.' When I was in St. Paul's Cathedral that day, I thought Gould never knew how great he was. "

At the memorial service, musicians played the music of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, as well as the Canadian mezzo-soprano Maureen? Forrest sang an aria from Bach's The Passion of Matthew, praising him as "a unique and true modern man and innovator" ... He cares about the human situation in his own way, and is a moral man and the purest man. But the most touching moment was that the technicians of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation played the aria in The Variations of Goldberg through pre-installed speakers and audio equipment.

Jesse said, "When Goldberg's Variations echoed in the church, I knew he attended his own funeral. There he is. "

Maybe Gould didn't need to look for it. Wherever you hear his Goldberg Variations, he is already there.

Loneliness and Transcendence —— Gould's Bach Realm

Author: Miao sulfone 2002-9-27

I have known Gould for a long time. But not long ago, I really knew and fell in love with his interpretation. At that moment, Gould showed me the essence of Bach's music, and I once again realized the greatness of Bach's soul.

In fact, a long time ago, I heard Gould play Variations on Goldberg (BWV? 988)。 I like that simple but warm theme very much. But I don't have a recording at hand, so I can't play it again and again. So, I haven't paid attention to Gould for a long time. Although I love Bach.

I'm not in a particularly good mood these days. Just like this morning, it rained on a cloudy day. I curled up in the corner alone, listening to Gould's English Suite. I can't tell you how I felt at that time, but I think the sound of the piano is particularly suitable for my mood. Bach's music, I always think that the form is rigorous, the structure is extremely rigorous and the logic is very strong, just like a perfect proof that any step of reasoning is absolutely necessary, otherwise it will destroy the concise whole. But beneath the seemingly flat surface, there is a broad tenderness, holy brilliance and touching feelings. I have the Law of Average played by Schiff. He is more faithful to the original style of Bach's works, which is sacred, serene, elegant and solemn. He played more softly, with a feeling of "Mu Mu" and "velvet". Gould is special. His touch of keys is very powerful, short and logical. Bach's realm created by him has unspeakable beauty. Listen, under his fingers, Bach's rational and rigorous phrases seem to be full of life and become crystal clear. It is an absolute purity and affection. I am surprised that he can freely mobilize all the voices, making the whole music look so orderly and seamless; With his unique counterpoint technique, he quickly established a magnificent palace, which is perfect and spectacular from any angle. My favorite "English Suite" is the second song, BWV in A minor? 807。 Especially the prelude. Music whirled down with a gust of wind and rain, like cold raindrops hitting the window. There is a feeling that the memory is slightly sour, but the mood is clear. Bach's masterpieces, such as Gothenburg and The Art of Fugue (BWV? 1080), The Contribution of Music (BWV? 1079), etc. , all developed from a theme, and after several variations, they returned to the original theme. This is a bit like a person's life, from birth, to growth, to adulthood, experienced mountains and rivers, ups and downs, and finally returned to calm and turned into dust. It is a kind of detachment between heaven and earth, full of infinite warmth, and makes people want to cry. This is what Gould refers to as Bach, which seems to be far away from us, but it is actually very close; He is actually in your heart. Gould showed us a brand-new realm, but you must obey it absolutely to appreciate its beauty. He sang softly to himself. I listened silently and sincerely. Under that arrogant and cold appearance, there is such solemn and sacred emotion, reflecting a noble and warm light, such as the return of the sunset. It is this detachment that moves me and makes me unable to control myself.

Saw Gould's documentary short film. The Canadian pianist is obviously an eccentric in people's eyes. He has many strange behaviors, such as humming counterpoint to music while playing (this is especially obvious in documentaries); When playing, he only sits on the creaking old folding chair made by his father. The chair is much shorter than the ordinary piano bench, and the back of his hand can only be parallel to or even lower than the keys. When he plays, his behavior is very casual, and his dancing and shaking his head are particularly exaggerated. I even saw him playing with his legs crossed in a documentary. He always takes all kinds of pills, but the doctor diagnosed everything as normal; Even in hot weather, you should still be wrapped up; I especially cherish my hands, avoid shaking hands with others, and even wear gloves in summer ... but to be honest, I don't think it means anything. The media sometimes exaggerate or even distort the quirks of musicians, but often ignore their own musical value.

Gould left the stage before he was 30 and lived alone in northern Canada. He dedicated the rest of his life to his beloved "quiet as a uterus" recording studio and microphone. He thought alone in loneliness and felt the essence of Bach. I didn't understand why he did it at first. His future should be bright, but he isolated himself from the stage, and people can only know him through records. I remember Gould said in an interview that he hated the feeling of live performance. He thinks that at the concert, there are performers on the stage and audiences under the stage, and the boundaries are too obvious to achieve good communication at all. "I miss that era very much," Gould said. "At 18C, the performers and the audience were equal, and they had a very good exchange in an occasion similar to a salon. The performer is often the composer himself, and quite a few people in the audience can play and compose music by themselves. " However, that era is gone forever. He believes that "this is a kind of sadness."

Gould has many other artistic activities besides piano. He is also a TV producer and freelance writer. In this respect, the most striking is his radio documentary "The Lonely Trilogy", which consists of three parts: Thoughts of the North, Latecomers and Peace on the Earth.

The idea of the North is an interview with five residents living in northern Canada by Gould, and then these dialogues are collaged into radio works. The content of the conversation is about the special telepathy brought by lonely life. These dialogues are not directly related to music, but in a sense, they embody a very important concept: loneliness, thinking in loneliness, surpassing human subjective consciousness. Bach's music is actually like this, silent in loneliness, reaching the detachment of the soul.

Gould seems out of step with his time. But he is not a simple rebel. He is just a perfectionist and a stubborn conservative. He emphasized the influence of people's subjective consciousness and spiritual strength on people. A kind of self-confidence, but it must be a kind of helplessness. Meditate in loneliness, but achieve transcendence. That's it.

Gould is gone. But the theme he represents has gone far beyond music and his times, including our times today. He represents an era. And an extreme.

Ps: I remember when I was in junior high school, I bought a tape called Mozart makes you smarter. Including Mozart's piano sonata (K? 33 1). And when I listen to it, I always feel as if someone is humming softly in it. But at that time, I was too young to know some people in the music world, so I didn't delve into it and soon forgot it. Although it was strange at the time.

Now, when I listen to Gould playing the English Suite, I find that feeling again. I suddenly remembered all this. Rummaging through the closet at once, looking for the tape that I haven't listened to for years. In the process of searching, my heart has been beating wildly. Actually, I already know the answer I just want to make sure. Yes, I quickly turned out the catalogue, and each song was marked with the number, performer, recording place and time. In (k? 33 1), the name of the player is impressively printed: glenn gould. It's him.

I listened to the show. Still full of tension and vitality. That is one of the best Mozart works I have ever heard. I have been thinking this way since I bought this tape.

——0 1? 7? nine

At night, I actually had a hunch, but I still couldn't believe it when I turned on the radio-today's Ashin Philharmonic Orchestra is really Bach's Variations on Goldberg! But not Gould's version, but played on the harpsichord. Is the player Christopher whose temperament is very similar to Beethoven? Christophe rossetter. I remember once I sent an email asking Ashen who this person was. I remember on Deka's website that he seemed to be a conductor and harpsichord player. ) I moved out of the tape recorder in a hurry and finally found a tape with a blank face and wanted to record it. Since the CD army, tapes have almost been eliminated by me, especially recording, and the sound effect is far worse than CD. I feel very distressed. Alwa's tape recorder, which I bought only a few weeks ago, was put in the freezer and covered with a CD. Now it's being carried out again. It's urgent. )

There was not enough space, but most of the tracks were recorded. Especially the theme and the last variation. The effect of harpsichord is good, quite real. Rossetter's performance is very good, with stable rhythm, full of spirituality and unobtrusiveness.

Listen to these recordings repeatedly, in the middle of the night. Now, every time I listen to it, every variation, especially the theme that has been reproduced at the beginning and end, I want to cry and have a good cry. It touches my heart so much. It is really an infinite memory and gratitude for life. In the final reply to the theme, the sadness with death and the transcendental artistic conception seem to be affectionate and infinite nostalgia. I don't know what adjectives to use to express my feelings. I was so attracted by it that I could hardly extricate myself.

——0 1? 8? 23

Gould Glenn? Gould, an enigmatic name, an immortal legend. In his short life of 50 years, his hands carved a deep and gorgeous music world on the keyboard.

It should be stated in advance that any attempt to briefly describe Gould's life in only a few thousand words is unrealistic. Of course, he is a talented pianist, a profound philosopher, an intriguing composer with few works, and a rare media master ... As far as his piano performance is concerned, he is the best spokesman for Bach in the eyes of millions of listeners, and even he is the embodiment of Bach. Gould once claimed that Bach's works were not his favorite, but his Bach became the favorite of millions of listeners. In fact, from Gibbons in the Renaissance to Beethoven and Mozart in the classical period, from Mendelssohn and Wagner in The Romantic Period to Hendry and Schoenberg in this century, Gould devoted all his efforts. Here I only introduce Gu's mental process of interpreting Baroque music or Bach's music.

Be a novice

1September 25th, 932, Glen? Gould was born in Toronto, Canada. Like most musicians, young Gould was lucky enough to be born in a family with a strong musical atmosphere: his mother Florence is a music teacher and plays the piano very well; My father is also an excellent amateur violinist. The musical atmosphere of the family made young Gould learn to read music when he was still illiterate, and established an absolute sense of intonation. The game he often plays with his mother is that her mother plays different chords, and every time young Gould can recognize it through hearing at the other end of the room.

Under the careful care and guidance of his mother, young Gould soon found his ideal on the keyboard. One day when he was five years old, he said to his father, "I will be a concert pianist." Music has a mysterious affinity for him, so learning music is not a chore, but a natural need.

/kloc-at the age of 0/0, Gould had completely mastered the equal rhythm of the first volume of Bach's Piano Music Collection. His parents don't think they can continue to educate their son. After searching, they sent him to the door of Professor Guerrero of Toronto Conservatory of Music. The discerning professor soon discovered the uniqueness of the child, so he adopted an unusual way of education: no repression, no coercion. On the specific issues of piano technology, the professor allowed Gould to argue with himself or even disobey him. Teachers and students always went to the same level to discuss and communicate. This creative and enlightening educational method has a far-reaching influence on Gould's unique and even rebellious playing style in the future.

Besides piano, Gould also systematically studied organ, harmony, counterpoint and music analysis. Personally, he thinks that the organ has a great influence on him, which has taught him the importance of bass line and cultivated his love for Bach's music-after all, Bach is an unparalleled organ master in the history of music. When we listen to Gould's performance, we will find the benefits brought by the clear bass lines of the organ.

Eton Concert Hall in Toronto 1945. Gould, 13 years old, performed publicly for the first time in his life. This is an organ solo concert, and Bach's fugue in G minor is one of the tracks. His wonderful performance won high praise from the media. The local newspaper commented: "from beginning to end, his performance showed the authority and control of a master ... he never made mistakes." The bass pedal in Bach's fugue in G minor is as clear as a song ... not only the playing technique is amazing, but also the depth of explanation has reached maturity. " In this way, Gould's acting career became an instant hit.

stage career

Gould, 19 years old, started his career as a concert pianist. Starting from his hometown of Toronto, young pianists have traveled thousands of miles in Vancouver, Calgary, Strafford ... He brought a series of concerts with unique performances, leaving a lot of applause and praise.

An American music critic exclaimed after listening to Gould's Bach Goldberg Variations at a concert: "Where did you learn to play Bach like this?" Later, he commented in an important American music magazine: "... the audience will soon meet an artist who is not inferior to Landowska and Selking." As a result, Gould had become a news figure in the music industry before he appeared in the United States.

Young Gould lost no time to enter the United States, held two recitals in Washington and new york, and quickly reached the highest level in the music circle with his impeccable performance. In addition, new york's scene also brought him unexpected gains: Oppenheimer, the director of classical music department of Columbia Records Company, had a good eye for English, signed a contract with Gould and started cooperation for 28 years. This is another story.

Detroit, Pittsburgh, Dallas ... became famous in ancient times.