Among the 20th century's most fascinating and eccentric pianists, Gould is best known for his mesmerizing performances of repertoire ranging from Bach to Schoenberg. What's more, he made a name for himself as a recording artist, radio and television producer, writer, and an outspoken apologist for the electronic media. WNYC explores these multiple roles as they contributed to his greater mystique--one that influences countless artists to this day.
Below is a complete summary for WNYC programming between September 21-October 5. Also, read more about the new 3-CD set featuring Gould's two vastly different depictions of Bach's Goldberg Variations (on Sony Classical, including outtakes, freshly commissioned liner notes, etc.).
Airs Saturday, September 21 at 7AM at AM 820 and Sunday, September 22 at 10AM at 93.9FM
On the eve of pianist Gould’s 70th birthday, OTM's Arun Rath considers why he abandoned live performance to express himself solely through the media. Plenty of artists before Gould understood the power of media to reach a mass audience, but like no classical artist before him Gould embraced the power of media to manipulate, process, and (to Gould's mind anyway) perfect musical performance. What's more, his ideas about the media (which he wrote and discussed in detail) have seemed to hold up remarkably well 20 years after his death. More about Glenn Gould's Media
The Fishko Files
Airs Wednesday, September 25 at 7PM on 93.9FM
Repeated Sunday, September 29 at 9PM on 93.9FM and AM 820 on Radio Lab
The supremely gifted and wildly eccentric pianist Glenn Gould died 20 years
ago this October 4. To mark the occasion, WNYC will present a special Fishko
Files, "20 years After Glenn Gould," examining Bach as it is played
on the modern piano, especially as it has -- or has not -- been influenced by
Gould's style. Distinguished pianists Murray Perahia, Vladimir Feltsman, Angela
Hewitt, Edward Aldwell, Maria Tipo and Sergei Schepkin are among the participants.
The program traces the rise and fall and rise of Bach on the piano, from the
years of Wanda Landowska and Rosalyn Tureck, through the Gould years to the
present. Ample excerpts of performances by the pianists, as well as by Gould
himself, will illustrate the commentary.
Glenn Gould's arresting version of the Bach Goldberg Variations, first released in the mid-1950's, brought worldwide attention to both the pianist and the composition. More recordings and performances of Bach followed, in a style so distinctive as to have all but eclipsed other Bach players of his generation. Gould famously chose the recording studio over the concert stage early in his career, declaring, 'the concert is dead.' Known for his peculiar work habits (most notably his obsession with temperature in the studios) and a contrarian's approach to music in general (he dismissed many of Beethoven's greatest works while becoming fascinated by Petula Clark) Gould was one of the rare classical musicians to cross over into popular consciousness. But before the world knew about the oddities of his behavior, they knew about his Bach playing. It is his performance of the music of Bach and its effect that will be examined in '20 Years after Glenn Gould.'
Soundcheck
Airs Thursday, September 26 at 2PM on 93.9FM
Gould's Goldbergs and Radio Art: Infamous for his unorthodox concert programming,
Glenn Gould declared at the end of his performance career that the classical
concert was dead. Thursday's program is dedicated to the iconoclastic Gould,
who eventually went on to work in radio. Tim Page, editor of The Glenn Gould
Reader and classical music critic for the Washington Post, will discuss Gould's
recordings of Bach's Goldberg Variations. Plus, WNYC's Sarah Montague will examine
the ways that Gould expressed himself through his radio dramas.
Radio Lab
Airs Sunday, Sunday 29 at 8PM on AM 820
This week's Radio Lab looks at many different facets of the Gould phenomenon
and features some of his highly unusual radio productions. Sara Fishko explores
how Gould's ideas on technology and the studio are still influencing classical
music production techniques, while On the Media's Arun Rath considers what would
have happened if if Gould had lived long enough to become a conductor.
Evening Music
Week of September 25 - October 4 at 7PM on 93.9 FM
Evening Music hosts David Garland and Margaret Juntwait showcase the extraordinary
variety of Gould's recorded work, bracketed by the pianist's early and late
recordings of the Goldberg Variations.
Overnight Music
Week of September 25 - October 4 at Midnight on 93.9 FM
Host George Preston explores some of Gould's recordings of 20th century music.
While a lot of this is Schoenberg, of course, there are also works by Hindemith,
Krenek, Shostakovich, Scriabin, and Berg, among others. Preston says, "The
clarity and precision of his approach in this repertoire can be revelatory,
and his humor with many of these pieces is delightfully fun."