Just scanned the posts on Gould's humming. I guess the only noncontrovesial thing you can say about Gould is that he is controversial. Who are the greatest noisemakers? Gould, Serkin (yes I have heard him humming), Toscanini, Barbirolli too--you can hear him in places in Madama Butterfly. Casals groaned rather than hummed. His groaning was the only thing that caught my roommate's dog's attention back in '64 (Beethoven, ARchduke Trio, Casals-Istomin-Schneider). Any other important candidates? A few have been mentioned in previous posts, I know... Oh, and I'll weigh in by saying I don't think it shows disrespect at all, but rather involvement. Definitely not trying to call one's attention to oneself. No one with a musical ear, leastways the performer, could call it beautiful. Chris Bonds