Customer Reviews

Philosopher at the Keyboard

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1 star:		(2)

 

 

Hoping for an interesting perspective on the ideas of Glenn Gould, I purchased this book. For the most part, the book sounded like an overdone research paper, in which the author stated a thesis, and spent the rest of the book attempting to validate this thesis. If I were grading this paper, I would definitely subtract points for the repetetive set of ideas that kept resurfacing under different headings. These ideas were well recieved the first time around, but I would expect a fan of Glenn Gould to come up with a more creative way of proving that Mr. Gould's ideas were consistent and meaningful. For anyone interested in Glenn Gould, I would suggest something written by Mr. Gould himself, he knew what he was saying, and I see the interpetations of others as a hindrance to Gould's message.

I must agree with an earlier reviewer, who called this book "an overdone research paper." Utterly useless, pedantic... I wasn't surprised to learn that it began as a dissertation. (Heavens, this is what passes for erudition in our halls of learning these days?) Much, much better: Kevin Bazzana's book, A Performer in the Work.

Philosopher at the Keyboard is a scholarly, well written acoount of Gould's intellectual legacy. This book is a must have in any serious reader's library.

This book stimulates the reader to probe deeper into Glenn Gould's written opus. The author presents a thorough analysis of Gould's thought in the light of the philosophy of music and music education. The book is not for the reader who wants to skim along. It requires re-reading and lots of reflection. But, it is certainly worth the effort. I wholeheartedly recommend it to especially the serious music student, teacher or Gould enthusiast.