Customer Reviews

Hindemith: The 3 Piano Sonatas (The Glenn Gould Edition)

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I concur with the review previous to this one! What a joy this recording! Hindemith's overlooked piano sonatas are given entrancing readings by the High Priest of the pianist's art, Glenn Gould. Surely no modern pianist's work is more moving than that of Gould. That perfectly configured sweetness of sound, always his very own, like an intelligent narcotic -whatever he plays! With the Hindemith, he's in his element, not only meeting all the requirements, but tossing them into the harmonious air page after page, shaping music that is so true to itself, it's scary! The Third Sonata in particular is a lesson in pianism, and in heart! What abandon! Gould always plays from the inside out, there are never any supurfluous thoughts to trim; it is as pure an art as you will encounter. And what marvelous pieces, these sonatas! Hindemith to this day remains under-appreciated, certainly under-played, although a number of recent recordings seem to be addressing this - and there is such a wealth of first-rate music from which to make a renaissance. Hindemith's music never disappoints, and consistently stirs up a heady response. To my mind, there is a discernable element of joy traceable in much of his music; despite the vicissitudes of a remarkable life, the creative flow not only never diminished, but indeed deepened- the quartets are all of a sound beauty, the magnificent Requiem, the essential pieces for solo instruments, all the 'useful' music, and these piano sonatas, perfect pieces in a remarkable panorama of musical delight here perfectly played.

Glenn Gould was always an outsider in every work he played . This position has its risks . Sometimes , (mostly of them) it worked out .
In this particular case , we must to recognize first at all. that Hindemith piano music is built on wide cromatic lines hold by violent armonies and fierce counterpoints . And Gould handled this technique as the Gods . From here his succesful result.
In the third sonate , however I miss the nostalgic eloquence given for Paul Badura Skoda in an old vynil recording from the fifties. I think Mr. Gould lacks a certain level of expresiveness , seeking a striking effect .
However in the First Sonata , Gould plays with powerful conviction , giving a fresh reading and deeply idiomatism.
The Second Sonata, probably is the jewel of the crown . The staccatos are played with clearness . And the whole conception of this work is perfectly translated.
This is another example of the briliiant craft of this extraordinary artist.

Well, Mr. Gould certainly has strong opinions on how to play music. In these sonatas, he takes considerable liberties with the tempi, dynamics and meter that Hindemith clearly indicated in the score. Usually, Gould wins.

The First Sonata is splendid. Gould's very slow first movement is really eloquent. Through the rest of the piece, Gould seems to be trying to explain the music to us: staccatos to separate notes, slow arpeggios, long delays between movements to let us catch our breaths. The final movement, with impossibly crisp playing leading to the massive finale, is better than I imagined the piece to be.

I never liked the Second Sonata but Gould makes it pleasant.

The Third Sonata is sort of dull except for the final fugue. Gould was always a fan of counterpoint and this thing is a real jigsaw puzzle that Gould assembles while you listen. A real wow.

I used to play these sonatas when I could play piano, and this recording showed me a great deal that I had never imagined.

Sometimes a marriage between two minds produces rare offspring. This recording, of Toronto genius Glenn Gould's interpretations of the three piano sonatas by Paul Hindemith, is an endless delight of cool atonal rhythms and the restless, haunting fourths so typical of Hindemith's works. (After a few sessions with my stereo while studying the piano scores I have myself been inspired by this duo to write atonal music, mostly haunting chromatic pieces of short duration.) I'll even do housework to this album! This music may be aurally inaccessible to some, and it takes time to plunge whole-heartedly into this milieu, but start with the first movement of Hindemith's Second Piano Sonata, and I am sure you will be hooked. It reminds me a bit of an old Pavane by Faure and even the jazz classicism of Messrs. Gershwin, and Mr. Gould's steadfast piano beautifully renders this to life. Hindemith, who created lots of unusual music -- horn concertos, Gebrauchsmusik (simpler, interchangeable music for the livingroom performers) and opera carries us forward into a new millenium of musical pathos and color-combinations. Glenn Gould, whose inestimably effortless playing has inspired a new generation of couch-surfing stereoists and thinkers, makes his imprint here with these three piano sonatas. Enjoy with an open heart and the rest will fall in place. This album is sobering, inspiring and ultra-modern. Hindemith's sometimes glittery, sometimes martial, sometimes dolorous movements will have you plunking your own messages on the keyboard and tickling your own ivories, even, as Glenn Gould would often think, if it's all in your head. Piano music has never been more honest. This is a must-buy for any CD collection.

This CD contains Hindemith's three sonatas for solo piano. My first experience with Hindemith was listening to his Symphonic Metamorphoses, which remain some of my favorite orchestral pieces to this day. I knew I could expect well written and inspired music from Hindemith, so with Gould as performer, I had no hesitance buying this recording. These sonatas along with most of Hindemith's music are based in Hindemith's unique system of "expanded" tonality, at the time he was composing he was an opponent of the 12-tone school and trying to renew traditional tonality. Hindemith shows that there is still a huge amount to be said in solo piano music without resorting to extreme virtuosity, extreme romanticism, or completely doing away with tonality. Though to be sure, these sonatas require very clean technique and demand some speed, particularly in the 3rd. Sonatas 2 and 3 are more condensed than no. 1, and my favorites on the disc, although no. 1 is just as well "crafted" and contains plenty of good melodies. Gould seems like the perfect performer for this music and plays these pieces with great enthusiasm.

This a great recording of these works. Hindemith was a great modern composer, and it shows here. The works themselves are very accessible, even tuneful.

Quite an impressive display by Gould. These sonatas are rather cold and abrasive on their own, and Gould's precise and nearly machine-like playing only exaggerate this. I'm not sure if this would constitue more or less authentic playing, but it would probably turn some people off.. (if you like romantic piano, this probably isn't the CD for you) On the other hand, there is something particularly exciting and intriguing about Gould's cerebral style, and it is at top form on these recordings.

If you're interested in listening to Glenn Gould, you should definately start with his Bach recordings, particularly Goldberg Variations. Of course, if you're looking at this, you most likely are very familiar with that recording (and the later one made towards the end of his life..)

A must-have for Gould fanatics. Hindemithians may want to look elsewhere for their piano sonatas.

Glenn Gould has an uncanny ability of being able to delve from the whole to the particular. In a way this is disconcerting - in these sonatas we are struck not by the piece or the movement or the phrase but the individual notes that seem to be imbued with the essence of the music. Since Gould is regularly thought of as a minimalist (many recordings feature only one movement) I was interested in these multi-part, modern, longish works.

Again, those that cannot take the eccentricity and individual style should not be listening in the first place. It is again his subtle treatment of the music - all those inner melodies and inner rhythms, the unexpected highlights, the almost Bachlike clarity. These are not the easiest works to enjoy due to their chromatic nature, lack of soaring memorable themes and their - the closest word is purity. Repeated listenings, though, reveal to the listener new points as they becomes more familiar (like hearing a song until you know the words). This is an important addition to your GG collection.

I got this recording hoping for typical Gouldian gold, such as his recording of the Prokofiev 7th Sonata. However, much of this playing (particularly in the 1st and 2nd Sonatas) lacks focus. There is a lack of clearly delinated phrasing of ideas. The playing lacks direction, and does not have the white intensity of concentration that so much of his Bach has. But, for the die-hard collector, it's still worth it.