Though he died at the young age of 50, Glenn Gould left a remarkable legacy in classical recordings.
Child Progidy
Related to Edvard Grieg on his mother’s side (her grandfather was Grieg’s first cousin), Glenn Gould (1932-1982) boasted an impressive musical heritage. A native of Toronto, he began attending the Toronto (later Royal) Conservatory of Music at the age of 10, earning his Associate Diploma by the time he was 14. In 1946, he made his first orchestra appearance performing Beethoven’s Fourth Concerto, and at 15 started playing professional recitals.
Performance Years
- New York: His fame rapidly spreading throughout Canada, Gould first performed in the U.S. in January 1955. Later that year, he recorded Bach’s Goldberg Variations for CBS studios, a recording so well received that it has never been out of print since.
- Soviet Union: Gould’s renown transcended political borders. In 1957, he became the first Canadian (and the first North American) to perform in the Soviet Union. His performance there was well received.
- Germany: Also on the same tour, Gould performed Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto with the Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Herbert von Karajan.
- In 1960, Gould appeared on American television with the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Bernstein.
- He continued to perform through the early 1960s, but decided that the busy touring schedule prevented him from writing, composing, conducting, and pursuing other interests. In 1964, he retired from public performance.
Later Life
Gould continued to record works in the studio until 1982, when soon after re-recording the Goldberg Variations, he suffered a stroke.
Eccentric Recluse
A recluse by choice, (quite possibly due to his autism), Gould preferred to avoid people. He was known to hum along during performance, an eccentricity that studios were never able to fully remove from his recordings.
Bach and Schoenberg Expert
Gould favored late Romantic and 12-note compositional styles. In 1953-55, he composed his only major work, a long 1-movement string quartet. Gould also preferred to perform Baroque, Classical, and the 2nd Viennese School composers. He recorded most of the works of Bach and Schoenberg. He was admired for his technical skill and intellectual understanding of music.
Starter Recordings
- Bach: Two and Three Part Inventions and Sinfonias, BWV 772-801 [Expanded Edition]
- Bach: English Suites, BWV 806 - 808, Volume 1
- Bach: English Suites, BWV 809 - 811, Volume 2
- Bach: Italian Concerto, Partitas Nos. 1 and 2
- Schoenberg: Lieder
- Berg/Krenek/Webern/Ravel/Debussy
The Zenph Re-Performance
Sources Consulted:
- Kevin Bazzana: 'Gould, Glenn (Herbert)', Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed [29 June, 2007])
- Glenn Gould website (See biography under “About”)
