The first thing that strikes me, listening to all these recordings, is the sheer intensity of expression in the live performances. What an extraordinary communicator Glenn Gould was in front of audience! All the great pianists like Richter, Rubinstein or William Kapell had the amazing ability to penetrate right into the essence of music and communicate it to listeners with such immediacy and intimacy, Gould was in the same league.
And, what an outstanding concerto player he was! Listen to the performance of Weber's Concert Stuck in Fm, when Gould was only 18 years old, which out-dazzles even Horowitz or the magnificent performances of Emperor Concerto and Brahms' 1st Concerto, which reveal unexpected detail of the scores and are full of inspired moments (and in line with more orthodox interpretation). How deeply passionate he was, not only in such repertoire, but also in atonal music by Schoenberg, Webern and Krenek. The audience may not have understood the music, but the excitement is palpable. Gould loathed the whole aspects of public performance, but it makes you wonder how he might have developed as an artist if he had not abandoned his concert career.
6CDs contain various live recordings which were either previously unreleased or only available among limited circles of collectors. The recording quality is surprisingly good (except the distortion in one track from Schoenberg's Suite for piano) if you consider these are either broadcast or private recordings made between early 50s and 60s. Comes with very informative and interesting booklet with notes by Kevin Bazzana and lots of photos.
CD1
Bach:
Goldberg Variations, BWV988
Previously unreleased. Vancouver Festival, July/23/1958
Keyboard Concerto No. 1 in D minor, BWV1052
Oct/5/1958 Swedish RSO, G.L. Jochum
Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in F minor, BWV1056
Toronto, Sep/11/1957 CBC SO, Goldschmidt
CD2
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV1050
Previously unreleased. Oct/13/1960 Detroit SO, Paul Paray
Haydn: Piano Sonata No. 59 in E flat major, Hob.XVI:49
Previously unreleased. Vancouver; July/23/1958
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor, K491
Previously unreleased. Apr/4/1959 NYPSO, Leonard Bernstein
CD3
Beethoven:
Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major, Op. 19
Oct/13/1960 Detroit SO, Paul Paray
Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major, Op. 69
Stratford Aug/7/1960 (with Leonard Rose)
Piano Trio No.4 'Ghost'
Stratford Festival Aug/7/1960 (with L.Rose & Oscar Shumsky)
CD4
Beethoven:
Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 73 'Emperor'
Nov/6/1960 Buffalo PO, J. Krips
Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109
Vienna, June 7, 1957
Weber: Konzertstück in F minor, Op. 79 for piano & orchestra
Mar/6/1951 Toronto SO, Ernest MacMillan
CD5
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15
Previously unreleased. Oct/8/1959 Winnipeg SO, Victor Feldbrill
Schoenberg: Piano Concerto, Op. 42
Previously unreleased. Nov/26/1959 Cleveland Orchestra, Louis Lane
CD6
Krenek: Sonata No. 3 for Piano, Op. 92, No. 4
Previously unreleased. Leningrad Conservatory; May/19/1957
Schoenberg:
Klavierstücke (3), Op. 11 Previously unreleased. Toronto; Oct/4/1952
15 Gedichte aus Das Buch der Hängenden Gärten, Op. 15
Previously unreleased. Vancouver 8/2/1960, with Kerstin Meyer (mezzo-soprano)
Suite for Piano, Op. 25 (Previously unreleased. Toronto; Oct/4/1952)
Webern: Variations, Op. 27
Previously unreleased. Leningrad Conservatory; May/19/1957
