Customer Reviews

Glenn Gould Edition: Chopin / Mendelssohn / Scriabin / Prokofiev

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These two discs, both made when Gould was in his late 30's or turning 40, are different in origin. The first, containing the Chopin sonata, the Mendelssohn and some Scriabin and Prokofiev, is of broadcasts over CBC. More Prokofiev and Scriabin on disc # 2, but studio recordings this time, done in New York. There is some wonderful playing here, indeed most of it is superb. The downer is the Chopin sonata - oh dear me, this will never do.

Loquacious as ever, Gould lets the world know about Chopin's shortcomings as a composer in large-scale forms. Until I heard the sonata from him I wasn't bothered by this, because he sometimes pontificates on some work to its disfavour and then gives a cracker of a performance, as with Bach's Italian concerto and Chromatic Fantasy. This time the omens were right - he doesn't like Chopin's B minor sonata and it shows. Just to complete the party, Sony apologise for some of the recorded quality on the broadcast disc, and this piece is the one where it's below par. I would not have recognised Gould's highly individual touch, normally unmistakable, from it. The first movement is the worst - far too slow and played with an artificial clarity. The last movement might have been interesting on another day, with the same choppy distinctness in the rondo theme the first time round but with more pedal when it recurs, but it doesn't work for me on this occasion. The two middle movements are better, but the scherzo needs more brilliance and the largo sounds uninvolved. My thoughts reverted enviously to the bright-eyed innocence of Cziffra in both movements.

Once done with that I was back with the great player I bought this set to hear. Most of the Mendelssohn and most of the smaller Scriabin and Prokofiev numbers are new to my collection, which is no model of planning or order. I was delighted instantly by Gould's freshness and clarity in the first Song Without Words, a beautiful and convincing counterbalance to the more romantic account of it that I have on LP from the great Guiomar Novaes, who now seems to be largely forgotten. Everything goes right for me from here on, although Gould's handling of the first movement in the Scriabin sonata # 3 raised my eyebrows a bit. I am used to Horowitz and Ashkenazy in this work. Both take the movement considerably faster, but there is no tempo indication, and Gould strikes me as a natural Scriabin stylist, something I would also say of Horowitz but much less of Ashkenazy. What the composer does say is `Drammatico', and this quiet approach is not my own idea of being dramatic, although Gould does admittedly build up the tone in the latter stages of the movement. The other Scriabin sonata is simply terrific, and in Prokofiev's fearsomely difficult 7th sonata Gould turns in a performance of dumbfounding virtuosity, as he does on another recording of it that I have from him.

Gould's playing is playing that I respond to strongly in general, and this is a set I respond to strongly in general too. On the first disc the recorded quality improves after that sad Chopin, although there is a certain amount of tape-noise in the background. I have no problems at all with the recorded quality on the second disc, and the multi-lingual liner note has an easy job in being informative and interesting owing to the considerable help it gets from the garrulous Mr Gould himself.

After a quarter of Century from his death, Gould `s fame is still increasing. Glenn Gould constituted for Canada and the rest of the world, the new prototype of the rebel generation of the piano. He literally demolished barriers and imposed a new approach in what concerns to play Bach.

This album constitutes a true rarity in all senses. This is a repertoire that few or nothing has to do with him. From his interview of 1959, he stated clearly he did not like Chopin at all, according him, Frederick was not a good composer and just a superb miniaturist. But in the early seventies something deep inside changed and decided to play the Third Piano Sonata and these selected pieces of Mendelssohn.

For all those purists this approach, surely may be not pleasantly well received. It' s an Anti Romantic approach, Gould was always an enfant terrible and these works must be listened taking into account this statement.

His Scriabin is fabulous; enigmatic and loaded of a dark poetry. His Prokoviev is extremely interesting.

And please remember: All new art demands the extinction of the established order. That explains that, behind the ashes of the Romanticism, the Impressionism was borning : Death and transfiguration.

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Glenn Gould's reading of Chopin's Third Sonata (Op. 58) was made for CBC radio in July 1970.

He plays it very well with much conviction: obviously it meant something to him.

(GG said that from time to time he indeed did play Chopin--but only for himself alone.)

It's a very convincing and distinctive performance, as Gould clearly reveals his inner Romantic affection: note the sonic parallel with GG's reading of Richard Strauss' Sonata (Op. 5)--both in the key of b-minor.

The parallel is especially strong in the dashing finales of both works.

Compare timings for Chopin's Third Sonata:

Glenn Gould (1970):

I. [10'01"]

II. [02'18"]

III. [08'34"]

IV. [04'58"]

Tamás Vásáry (1963):

I. [08'53"]

II. [02'51"]

III. [09'22"]

IV. [05'09"]

Wilhelm Kempff (1958):

I. [08'51"]

II. [02'40"]

III. [08'32"]

IV. [05'22"]

Cyprien Katsaris (1991):

I. [13'28"]

II. [03'06"]

III. [10'13"]

IV. [05'03"]

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GG had intended to record the complete canon of Skryabin's Sonatas; unfortunately, due to his busy schedule, he left us only Nos. 3 & 5; still, they are the finest Nos. 3 & 5 extant.

Compare timings:

Skryabin Sonata in f#-minor, Op. 23:

Glenn Gould:

I. [08'03"]

II. [02'44"]

III. [05'13"]

IV. [07'12"]

Roberto Szidon:

I. [07'18"]

II. [02'10"]

III. [04'54"]

IV. [06'02"]

Severin von Eckardstein:

I. [06'25"]

II. [02'16"]

III. [05'29"]

IV. [05'26"]

Bernd Glemser:

I. [05'54"]

II. [02'39"]

III. [04'41"]

IV. [05'44"]

Ruth Laredo:

I. [05'55"]

II. [02'30"]

III. [04'46"]

IV. [05'48"]

M.-A. Hamelin:

I. [06'49"]

II. [02'29"]

III. [04'38"]

IV. [05'41"]

John Ogdon:

I. [05'57"]

II. [02'18"]

III. [05'57"]

IV. [04'29"]

Anatol Ugorski (2010):

I. [07'54"]

II. [02'32"]

III. [05'14"]

IV. [07'01"]

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Skryabin Sonata in F#-major, Op. 53:

Gould: [13'10"]

Ugorski: [13'55"]

Szidon: [12'59"]

Hamelin: [12'46"]

Laredo: [10'39"]

Ogdon: [12'15"]

Glemser: [11'40"]

Jablonski: [13'07"]

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Katsaris Chopin Sonatas

Ugorski Skryabin Sonatas

Szidon Skryabin Sonatas

Gould Strauss Sonata

Gould Strauss Sonata

Gould Strauss-Tennyson, Enoch Arden

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This is a wonderful collection of Gould's recordings of romantic and early Twentieth Century music. The Chopin is played more in the style of Bach, rather than the overly schmaltzy romantic stlye, with much more emphasis on the left hand. However he treats the Mendelssohn and Scriabin in more of the passionate style that is heard in traditional interpretations, although filtered though Gould's sensitivity.

The Prokofiev 7th Sonata completely overwhelmed me. His treatment of the 2nd movement is the most beautiful performance I've ever heard of this piece. The phrasing, the attention to counterpoint, and to allowing the harmonics to resonate bring out the lushness of this movement.

His performance of the 3rd movement (which is in 7/8 meter) is at a breakneck speed, and played with such accuracy and clarity that one can feel every note. This piece was written between 1939-1942, so my guess is that Prokofiev had heard some American boogie-woogie. I can't imagine how anyone could listen to this 3rd movement without being thoroughly excited by the rhythms.

This must be one of the finest treatments of the 7th sonata. I can't imagine how it could be improved upon. In contrast, Horowitz' performance of the piece is flat. In my view the phrasings and note patterns Horowitz chose to emphasize are wrong, whereas Gould's interpretation seems perfect, and breathtaking.

Art Tripp

Gould himself said that Chopin left him with a feeling of "unease". and knowing that Gould doesn't fit with romanticism, his play on Chopin gave me discomfortable feelings. Clarity and speed is shown here too,but mixture of logical articulation and romantics by gould doesn't seem to be a good recipe. I would listen Bach played by Gould but this one...

I am totally satisfied with the condition of the cd and it was delivred promptly and in perfect condition.

Thank you very much.