As I like very much the music of the Norwegian composer Fartein Valen
(1887-1952, check out his symphonic output on the Simax label!) I picked up
this disc in the Sony Glen Gould edition which features contemporary piano
works, among these Valens 2nd piano sonata op.  38.  As I understand from
the booklet Gould was not too fond of contemporary composers and indeed I
would not come up with Glen Gould when thinking of contemporary (or 20th
century) piano music performers.  For some reason though he was sort of
fond of Valens music (maybe because both were quite queer and egocentric
persons?).  The other works on this disc are from composers I never heard
of so far (Morawetz, Anhalt, Hetu and Pentland) and were recorded for a
project on contemporary Canadian composers apparently published on LP in
the late 6ties.  Anhalts Fantasia is very nice, also Hetu's Variations op.
8 (though the composer seems to have been very shocked when he heard Goulds
*interpretation*) but the treasure of the disc remains Valens sonata (I
hope Valen would have been happy with Goulds recording/interpretation)!
Unusual Gould - but great music!

Achim Breiling