John Polifronio <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Well, humming most of the time, suggests a musical personality
>concerned more about calling attention to himself than to the music.  His
>disinclination to perform all but "heavy" works.  His contempt for public
>performance.  His holier than thou pronouncements about the immorality of
>"ordinary" human beings.  His cold-blooded, unapologetic and flippantly
>annotated mutilation of his recording of the Beethoven Appassionata
>sonata.

I love that recording, or for that matter, all his Beethoven recordings,
but esp.  the middle period sonatas.  His tempest (Op.31 No.2) has an
overwhelming electricity from start to finish.  And don't forget his
Beethoven concerto recordings; some of the most original readings of this
bread-and-butter repertoire, and flat-out the best in Nos.1 and 2 (more
exciting than even the best HIP versions).

>Additionally, I make that assessment about him based on a general
>impression of the man derived from all the factors mentioned above as well
>as less easily quantifiable observations I've gained from his writings,
>photos, musical style, etc.  I simply felt the man to exude an immodesty
>and preciosity about himself that annoys me.

It seems to me that you simply dislike Gould's music making, and are
trying to justify that preference by arguing that the man was a jerk
anyway.  There are two problems with this: First, some of the greatest
performers and composers had profoundly flawed personalities (there is
little correlation between music-making quality and quality of character),
second, your preferences one way or another need no justification: just
as I don't need to justify my love of Gould's music making by arguing what
a nice guy he was, you have no need to do conversely.

Ulvi
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