Gould Playing the Sixth Symphony 1st Mov't

[DavidO]

I'm experiencing an upload frenzy. I hope the site owners don't mind if I do this. I looked around for a posting FAQ but didn't find one.

Here's Glenn Gould -- the freakazoid of freakazoids & wildly erratic & brilliant at the snap of a finger -- playing Symphony No. 6, 1st movement:
http://download.yousendit.com/19C490EA685C4D4F

If you feed your dog while listening to this performance, your dog will lift his or her left ear first & then lift his right ear. Finally, he will frown & squint his eyes at you, & then back away three steps. It never fails!

[Chaszz]

Originally posted by DavidO:
I'm experiencing an upload frenzy. I hope the site owners don't mind if I do this. I looked around for a posting FAQ but didn't find one.

Here's Glenn Gould -- the freakazoid of freakazoids & wildly erratic & brilliant at the snap of a finger -- playing Symphony No. 6, 1st movement:
http://download.yousendit.com/19C490EA685C4D4F

If you feed your dog while listening to this performance, your dog will lift his or her left ear first & then lift his right ear. Finally, he will frown & squint his eyes at you, & then back away three steps. It never fails!

This download site is too busy every time I go there, and keeps asking me to come back later. Perhaps Mysharefile.com would be a better choice for an upload that we could listen to...

[sjwenger]

> If you feed your dog while listening to this performance, your dog will lift his or her left ear first & then lift his right ear. Finally, he will frown & squint his eyes at you, & then back away three steps. It never fails!

I believe the sequence would be reversed in the Southern Hemisphere : }

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[DavidO]

Originally posted by Chaszz:

This download site is too busy every time I go there, and keeps asking me to come back later. Perhaps Mysharefile.com would be a better choice for an upload that we could listen to...

Sorry about that, Chaszz. I empathize with the frustration of continually finding one of these free upload sites busy.

I uploaded to MyShare (use either of these links):
http://snipurl.com/xh52
http://www.mysharefile.com/v/274682/...en.mp.mp3.html

[Peter]

I'm experimenting with some Glenn Gould technique - he was taught a staccato method of resting the fingers on the keyboard then tapping the tips with the other hand to make the sound, all very very slowly - apparently he spent 32 hours going through the Goldberg variations like that prior to recording them in 1955!


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'Man know thyself'

[Joy]

Originally posted by Peter:
I'm experimenting with some Glenn Gould technique - he was taught a staccato method of resting the fingers on the keyboard then tapping the tips with the other hand to make the sound, all very very slowly - apparently he spent 32 hours going through the Goldberg variations like that prior to recording them in 1955!

Just don't develope his 'humming while playing' technique!



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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Peter]

Originally posted by Joy:
Just don't develope his 'humming while playing' technique!

Well I do actually sing and hum as I practice, but I think I have it under control as I've never been told off about it in public, mind you I haven't quite had the same recording contracts to worry about, nor have I designed my own piano chair! This finger tapping wasn't actually his idea but that of his teacher Guerrero who got the idea from watching a 3 year old Chinese boy perform the most amazing dance with incredible physical ease -he went back stage and was told of this method of the teacher moving the pupil's limbs. Anyhow it is supposed to account for Gould's incredible finger technique!

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'Man know thyself'

[Nightklavier]

Originally posted by Joy:
Just don't develope his 'humming while playing' technique!

Exactly... I'm sorry but I absolutely hate when pianists do that. Whatever happened to the Liszt approach? It's not just the showmanship, wild hair, and virtuoso barnstorming that appealed to so many people. He used to look into people's faces while he played, giving them facial expressions according to the music. He frowned at melancholy chords, smiled at heavenly arpeggios, and he made people feel like he was playing just for them.

Who does that anymore?

[Joy]

Originally posted by Peter:
Well I do actually sing and hum as I practice, but I think I have it under control as I've never been told off about it in public, mind you I haven't quite had the same recording contracts to worry about, nor have I designed my own piano chair! This finger tapping wasn't actually his idea but that of his teacher Guerrero who got the idea from watching a 3 year old Chinese boy perform the most amazing dance with incredible physical ease -he went back stage and was told of this method of the teacher moving the pupil's limbs. Anyhow it is supposed to account for Gould's incredible finger technique!

Sing and Hum! OH, No!!! Not you too!!! Well, you must not be doing it too loudly if no one has mentioned it to you.

Interesting method with the Chinese boy. Have you tried the finger tapping technique yet?

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[This message has been edited by Joy (edited 10-06-2006).]

[Joy]

Originally posted by Nightklavier:
Exactly... I'm sorry but I absolutely hate when pianists do that. Whatever happened to the Liszt approach? It's not just the showmanship, wild hair, and virtuoso barnstorming that appealed to so many people. He used to look into people's faces while he played, giving them facial expressions according to the music. He frowned at melancholy chords, smiled at heavenly arpeggios, and he made people feel like he was playing just for them.

Who does that anymore?

What a showman! Now that would have been something to see!



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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Peter]

Originally posted by Joy:
Sing and Hum! OH, No!!! Not you too!!! Well, you must not be doing it too loudly if no one has mentioned it to you.

Interesting method with the Chinese boy. Have you tried the finger tapping technique yet?

I've had a go but it does seem incredibly laborious and I'm hardly convinced of the effectiveness anyway - Guerrero was a great teacher though so I think it's a case of an old dog learning new tricks - these things need mastery at an early age.

As for singing and humming, it is an important part of learning music and I encourage my pupils to do it - however, ONLY in private - Gould was so possessed by his music that he was unable to control his mannerisms on stage. He once said he tried but that it was detrimental to his playing.

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'Man know thyself'

[Sorrano]

That's understandable. Have you ever tried playing while thinking about whether you are watching your hands more or the music? It's terribly distracting, so better to ignore whatever mannerisms there might be and concentrate on the music.

Originally posted by Peter:
I've had a go but it does seem incredibly laborious and I'm hardly convinced of the effectiveness anyway - Guerrero was a great teacher though so I think it's a case of an old dog learning new tricks - these things need mastery at an early age.

As for singing and humming, it is an important part of learning music and I encourage my pupils to do it - however, ONLY in private - Gould was so possessed by his music that he was unable to control his mannerisms on stage. He once said he tried but that it was detrimental to his playing.

[Joy]

Originally posted by Sorrano:
That's understandable. Have you ever tried playing while thinking about whether you are watching your hands more or the music? It's terribly distracting, so better to ignore whatever mannerisms there might be and concentrate on the music.

Do you watch your hands more while you are playing or just the music? Which is the 'proper' way? I've heard from some that you should never look at you hands only the music?



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'Truth and beauty joined'

[Sorrano]

Originally posted by Joy:
Do you watch your hands more while you are playing or just the music? Which is the 'proper' way? I've heard from some that you should never look at you hands only the music?

I don't really know! When everything clicks I concentrate so much on the music that I have no idea where my eyes are. If things do not click I probably am looking at my hands more because I am feeling insecure. I suppose my eyes are more on the music when things go well, but that is a good question!

[Peter]

Originally posted by Joy:
Do you watch your hands more while you are playing or just the music? Which is the 'proper' way? I've heard from some that you should never look at you hands only the music?

You have to go through several processes, obviously looking at the music to learn it and this is actually best approached at first away from the piano. Try hearing it from the score and listening to recordings, conduct and yes sing it! Analysis - understanding what is going on harmonically is crucial. These first preliminary stages are the ones that most do not bother with and the results are apparent.

When sight-reading through you should be entirely focused on the music with only a slight glance to the hands for awkward position changes, this way you develop a proper tactile relationship with the keyboard.

Then look at your hands for technical reasons (sorting out those wrong notes and any difficult fingering) but ultimately it should be from memory when you don't look at either! I try to play with only occasional glances at the hands, focusing on some image in the room such as a painting - it is the best way to truly develop your ear which is why you see pianists frequently looking up in recitals or even with their eyes shut. John Ogden famously played the fiendish opening octaves of the Liszt 1st concerto without once looking at his hands!

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'Man know thyself'

[This message has been edited by Peter (edited 10-08-2006).]