Tim Mahon writes:

>Remind me, if you would, why I should admire Gould?  I'm listening to
>Book one of the Well-Tempered Clavier on Sony, and the playing is
>luminous -- awe-inspiring, in fact.  But the accompanying humming is
>driving me nuts.

It drove Gould nuts too(joke).  Plenty of folks are bothered by Gould's
humming, and others aren't.  It doesn't bother me in the least, as I hardly
notice it since I get so wrapped up in his performances.

I checked out my copy on headphones.  If his humming was coming from the
left or right channel, there might be some adjustments which could mitigate
the hum.  However, it's smack-dab in the center of the soundstage.  Gould
didn't want anyone to miss out on his vocal musings.

The resaon to admire Gould? Tim said it just fine - "luminous" and
"awe-inspiring".  Another thought - if Tim starts humming when listening
to Gould, perhaps the Gould hum would be a thing of the past.

Don Satz