Search - Ludwig van Beethoven, Alban Berg, Franz Joseph Haydn :: Glenn Gould in Stockholm, 1958

Sublime

H.Berns | Winnetka, IL | 12/23/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Mozart C minor concerto was always one of Gould's most sublime interpretations and this live performance only enhances that mythology. This is a highly sculptured, 3-dimensional performance filled with unerring intellect and intoxicating ectasy. The Mozart Concerto is paired with the B flat Beethoven Concerto which Gould championed throughout his career and brought back into the concert hall almost single-handedly through the sheer scope and genius of his interpretation along, of course, with the brilliant writing of Beethoven in this, his finest piano concerto. The live solo recital only adds to the Gould mythology with a seminal performance of the E flat Haydn sonata and the most brilliant, introspective and ecstatic performance of the Beethoven Opus 110. These live performances are quite different than his studio recordings of the same pieces and only prove that Gould could play a piece in a multitude of ways that were all equally valid and compelling. His great passion for music and love affair with the piano is never more evident than in these performances. A note: these are live performances from 1958 (Gould was approximately 24) and the sound is not all that could be hoped for - but since the performances are - who cares."

Gould - live and unedited

Neil Ford | London | 04/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These wonderous disks capturing Gould in concerto and recital live from Sweden make you want to question Gould's won preference for studio recording. Without the editing process, we hear 'one take' Glenn, free and spontaneous. The Beethoven 2nd concerto has more fun and sparkle than either the live Leningrad recording or the studio disc with Bernstein. The music making is pure joy throughout, sunny, happy and played to perfection.The Mozart C minor (one of Gould's most inspired interpretations) is a lighter and less intense than the brooding studio recording. The Haydn and Beethoven have their moments, but Gould went on to rediscover Haydn towards the end of his career with more obvious relish. Of course these are live, unedited performances. Not a note is out of place."

Glenn Gould ' live performances!

Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 02/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"GG 's vivid performances in this decade revealed the presence of a sparkling and free joy of living (Gould was in his 26). He specially had a fascinating admiration for Mozart 's Piano Concerto in C minor (the tragic tonality for definition) and altough he plays the work a mite lighter than other references recordings of this score, he knows to extract the essential spirit of this piece.



In which the Sonata No. 31 concerns, there is something to comment about it. This is a work feature by the memory, it is fundamentally a nostalgic, contemplative and introspective work, where the famous fugue in the last movement sugets us the evasion out of this world. And Gould was a true master to remark this aspect.



Recommended for all those who still remind and admire this singular pianist."