Bob Dubois ([log in to unmask]) wrote:

>It was really interesting, except one thing: the Goldberg Variationen
>were performed by Glenn Gould.  He's playing very well, I have to agree,
>but it's very irritating he always singing the pieces.

Very well is definitely an understatement, and I wouldn't trade Gould's
Bach for almost anyone's, whether they were humming or not.  But, I do find
the humming irritating.  I've also heard it in Glemser playing Scriabin and
Harasiewicz playing Chopin.  Usually taking off the headphones helps.

I find it difficult to understand how humming can be considered to be part
of the performance.  I doubt any of the respected performers who's humming
is in question ever claimed to have been humming or grunting or singing for
the listener's benefit, or any but their own.  I think that if I were an
'involuntary hummer' but I could arrange for this to be not picked up by
the microphone without altering the sound, I would, and so would any
performer with the listener's interests at heart.

Performers do a lot of odd things, for whatever reasons.  Kissin sways
and engages in all sorts of visually distracting mannerisms while playing
in the concert hall.  When you want to listen to the music, you just close
your eyes.  As far as I'm concerned the real performance stops at the
sounds the instrument makes.  I'm curious how some of Gould's legendary
performances might sound with humming edited out.  Probably difficult to
impossible to do without compromising or significantly altering the sound
quality...  I'm no sound expert.  What about modern performances? Would it
be easier to edit out Pollini's humming as it is recorded digitally, and
today, than it would be to edit Gould's analog performances which are
decades old?

Michael Cooper
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