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Jing music was a sort ck technology. Gould ving become wedded >production. Rather nding from the

ned that there was a st—an artist who

isic with the privacy the more fail-safe tools >. He further

vith the cult of the

ill decline in proportion jmity accorded the

rom the public eye. As ation, the concert as a nmunication will be

by financial

he audience’s

nherent anachronisms ch it is tied: the “non- concert performance, yn which prevents

the actual nature of the at hand.

at there would be two that would arise from becoming not-so-

The first of these is that new technologies, such iesizer, would move nimic the sound of

and begin to create

und. A second theory, y acase of wishful

the limitations of the that the home listener ith certain kits (perhaps hich would enable him vith any number of

es alter the initial

yf a piece of music. rformer’s interpretation ally diminished in its nating the high-relief in artist is set, by infringing the type of hero-worship e back-bone of our

be eliminated. The cult least in music—will

it technology is further “music in that it is cally literate listener. sion, and a stereo ehold, with music being ones and into elevators, 1opping malls, with never previously | environment, there is 3 of people who are lichés of musical w listener is educated in - of according value to qusic will have to

will warrant as much modern man as atonal ic will be as familiar a ital music. This plurality v is right now upon us, r any clearly avant-garde isic world. _ will eventually change accord value to a work longer consider a work accordance to its arest upheaval in yuld’s Artwork-Out-Of- y Theory. It means, of art is only valuable of its continuing ability spect of humanity that Jur outdated manner of

T

planet of the arts vol 3 no 1

k n o W

according a piece of art its value is lampooned

in what Gould called the van Meegeren

syndrome: “Hans van Meegeren was a forger and an artisan who for a long time has been high on my list of private heroes. Indeed, I would go so far as to say that the magnificent morality play which was his trial perfectly epitomizes the confrontation between those values of identity and of personal responsibility-for-authorship

judgements are largely based upon the degree to which we can assure ourselves that a particular artist participated in or, better yet, anticipated the nearest upheaval. Confusing evolution with accomplishment we became blind to those values not explicit in an anology with stylistic metamorphosis.”

And in a rather humorous example of just

how fallible our system of according value to art really is, Gould writes of Richard

a work of art is only valuable under the condition Of its continuing ability to

illuminate some aspect of humanity that

bears illumination.

which post-Renaissance art has until recently accepted, and those pluralistic values which electronic forms assert. In the 1930’s van Meegeren decided to apply himself to a study of Vermeer’s techniques and—for reasons undoubtedly having more to co with an enhancement of his ego than with greed for guilders— distributed the works thus achieved as geruine, if long-lost, masterpieces. His pre-war success was so encouraging that during the German occupation he continued apace with sales destined for private collectors in the Third Reich. With the coming of V.E. Day, he was charged with collaboration as well as with responsibility for the liquidation of national treasures. In his defense van Meegeren confessed that these treasures were but his own invention and, by the values this world applies, quite worthless—an admission which so enraged the critics and historians who had authenticated his collection in the first place that he was re-arraigned on charges of forgery, and some while later passed away in prison.” Gould encapsulates his perception of what is wrong with our art historical value system: “Our sense of history is captive of an analytical method which seeks out isolated moments of stylistic upheaval — pivot points of idiomatic evolution — our value

Strauss’ particular relationship with the art historians of his.time: Most of them think that, having made himself for twenty-five years a bulwark of the avant garde, Strauss lapsed into a draught of inspiration which was terminated only by death.”

In 1967 Gould began work on three radio documentaries which collectively would be called The Solitude Trilogy. He spent nearly ten years of his very productive life working on these documents, and they must be considered his most serious contribution to the history of art and ideas. His approach to radio was both innovative and original. Aldous Huxley once said that the novelist’s job is more difficult than that of the philosopher, because he must tackle the problem of applying philosophies to the lives of individual persons rather than dealing with people in the abstract. Gould added a unique twist to this proposition with his documentaries. He took interviews with various people related to a central theme, and then, by literally thousands of splices, and by placing these conversational bits and pieces against a continuum of sounds which are metaphorically related to his subject, he created tapestries of ideas which are as complex as literature and as euphonious as music. Many people find these documentaries disconcerting. The reason being that much of the conversation Gould collected and edited, he overlapped and

Further Reading: This is only a small introduction to Gould’s thought and ideas. Most of the published writings of Glenn Gould are collected in the Glenn Gould Reader, published by Lester & Orpen Dennys Ltd. c 1984. Geoffrey Payzant, a musician and philosopher, has written a book called Glenn Gould, Music and Mind; it offers a comprehensive analysis of Gould’s work up until the late 1970’s. It is published by Van Nostrand Reinhold Ltd., c 1978. An interesting collection of interviews by Jonathan Cott, for Rolling Stone magazine, have been brought together in Conversations with Glenn Gould, published by Little Brown and Co., c 1984. A collection of memorial tributes to Gould can be found in Glenn Gould: Variations, published by Doubleday and Co., c 1983. B.W. Powe has included a fascinating look at Gould in his newly published book, The Solitary Outlaw. The few quotations I have taken from Harold Schonberg are from his extended gossip column, The Great Pianists. In December the CBC will begin a 23 part series entitled Glenn Gould Plays. They are collected by the

French film-maker Bruno Monsaingeon. -

Kelvin Holland is a Vancouver based writer and painter. He studied for two years at U.B.C., and spent two years at E.C.C.A.D. in the painting department. And he listens

to music a lot.

by kelvin

holland

interwove in a manner which he called “contrapuntal radio.” The most famous of these documentaries, and possibly the only one to receive any recognition is The Idea of North. It is also the most easily understood as it is more lineal than the two that followed. All of the documentaries deal with the theme of man in isolation, and the nature and meaning of community. Gould once said that these documentaries are the closest thing we will ever get to a biography of himself. In The Idea of North Wally McLean, a land surveyor interviewed and subsequently spliced by Gould, says: “In detaching, and in reflecting and listening, I suppose I am able to synthesize, to have these different rails meet in the infinity that is our constant hope. . .”. The documentaries are, quite simply his magnum opus, and any attempt to understand Gould will of course eventually rest on them. Ironically the last of the trilogy, The Quiet in the Land, which belongs to the CBC, has never been released, and is only infrequently aired. Glenn Gould died on Oct. 4th, 1982 at the age of fifty. An exerpt from Gould’s writing, “An Argument for Richard Strauss”, could well stand as an epitaph to his own career: “He presents to us an example of the man who makes richer his own time by not being of it; who speaks for all generations by being of none. It is the ultimate argument of individuality — an argument that man can create his own syntheses of time without being bound by the conformities that time imposes. . .” Perhaps no more poignant tribute has been paid to Gould than that of violinist Yehudi Menuhin who wrote: “No supreme pianist has ever given of his heart and mind so overwhelmingly while showing himself so sparingly. This great phenomenon that was Glenn, a jewel produced by geological eons, presented a great rift in the continuity of the expected and the ordinary. Yet these similies are purely figurative, for his was an ephemeral presence and only the recorded echoes of his thoughts and passions remain forever to enlighten and inspire us.” @

oe

ig music was a sort

ck technology. Gould ing become wedded

roduction. Rather

nding from the

ged that there was a

st—an atist who

sic with the privacy

he more fail-safe tools

He further

ith the cult of the

Il decline in proportion

mmity accorded the

rom the public eye. As ton, the concert as @

nmunication will be

by financial

ne audience's

sherent anachronism

ch itis tied: the “"non-

concert performance,

yn which prevents

the actual nature ofthe

at hand.

at there would be two

that would arise from

“becoming not-so-

The first of these is that

new technologies, such

sizer, would move mic the sound of

und begin to create

und. A second theory

y acase of wishful

he limitations of the

that the home listener

th certain kits (perhaps

hich would enable him

vith any number of

alter the initial

fa piece of music.

rformer’s interpretation

ally diminished in its

nating the high-relief in

tists set, by infringing

he type of hero-worship

e back-bone of our

be eliminated. The cult

least in music—will

«technology is further ‘music in that itis

cally literate listener. sion, and a stereo chold, with music being ones and into elevators, opping malls, with never previously ‘environment, there is of people who are lichés of musical

v listener is educated in -of according value to nusie will have to

‘will warrant as much modern man as atonal i will be as familiar a tal music. This plurality vis right now upon us, rany clearly avant-garde sic world,

will eventually change accord value to a work longer consider a work accordance 0 its

rest upheaval in

yuld’s Artwork-Out-OF. ) Theory. It means, fart is only valuable Fits continuing ability pect of humanity that. Jur outdated manner of

keene W

according apiece of atits value is lampooned

{in what Gould called the van Meegeren.

ere ea erases eeeeter earn artisan who for along time has been high ‘on my list of private heroes. Indeed, T would go so far as to say thatthe magnificent morality play which was his

trial perfectly epitomizes the confrontation

the arts vol

judgements are largely based upon the degree to which we can assure ourselves that a particular artist participated in or, better yet, anticipated the nearest ‘upheaval. Confusing evolution with accomplishment we became blind to those values not explicit in an anology with stylistic metamorphosis.”

‘And in a rather humorous example of just

between those values of identity and of —_how fallible our system of according value personal responsibility-for-authorship __to at really is, Gould writes of Richard

A work of art is only valuable under the condition of its continuing ability to illuminate some aspect of humanity that

bears illumination.

which post-Renaissance art has until recently accepted, and those pluralistic values which electronic forms assert. In the 1930's van Meegeren decided to apply himself to a study of Vermeer’s techniques and—for reasons undoubtedly having more to ¢o with an enhancement of his ego than with greed for guilders — discributed the works thus achieved as ‘geruine, iflong-lost, masterpieces. His Dre-war success was so encouraging that Guting the German occupation be continued apace with sales destined for private collectors in the Third Reich, ‘With the coming of V.E. Day, he was charged wit collaboration as well as with responsibility forthe liquidation of national treasures. In his defense van Meegeren confessed that these treasures ‘were but his own invention and, by th values this world applies, qui ‘worthless—an admission which so enraged the critics and historians who had authenticated his collection in the first place that he was re-arraigned on charges Of forgery, and some while later passed away in prison.” Gould encapsulates his perception of what is wrong with our art historical value system: “Our sense of history is captive of an analytical method which seeks out isolated sti upheaval — pivot ic evolution — our value

Strauss" particular relationship withthe art historians of his ime: Most of them think that, having made himself for twenty-five years bulwark ofthe avant garde, Strauss lapsed into a draught of inspiration which was terminated only by death.”

In 1967 Gould began work on three radio documentaries which collectively would be called The Solitude Trilogy. He spent nearly ten years of his very productive life working ‘on these documents, and they must be considered his most serious contribution to the history of art and ideas. His approach to radio was both innovative and original Aldous Huxley once said thatthe novelis’s {job is more difficult than that ofthe philosopher, because he must tackle the problem of applying philosophies to the lives of individual persons rather than dealing with people in the abstract. Gould added a "unique twist to this proposition with his documentaries. He took interviews with various people related to a central theme, and then, by literally thousands of splices, and by placing these conversational bits and pieces against a continuum of sounds which ‘are metaphorically related to his subject, he created tapestries of ideas which are as complex as literature and as euphonious as ‘music. Many people find these documentaries disconcerting, The reason boeing that much of the conversation Gould collected and edited, he overlapped and

Further Reading: This is only a small introduction to Gould’s thought and ideas. Most

‘of the published writings of Glenn Gould are collected in the Gle

Gould Reader

published by Lester & Orpen Dennys Lid. ¢ 1984. Geoffrey Payzant, a musician and philosopher, has written a book called Glenn Gould, Music and Mind: it offers a

‘comprel

jive analysis of Gould's work up

til the late 1970's. Ivis published by

‘Van Nostrand Reinhold Lid.,¢ 1978. An interesting collection of interviewsby Jonathan

Cott, for Rolling S

tone magazine, have been brought together in Conversations with

Glenn Gould, published by Little Brown and Co... ¢ 1984. A collection of memorial tributes to Gould can be found in Glenn Gould: Variations, published by Doubleday and Co.,.¢ 1983. B.W, Powe has included a fascinating look at Gould in his newly published book, The Solitary Outlaw. The few quotations [have taken from Harold Schonberg are from his extended gossip column, The Great Pianists. In December the CBC will begin a 23 part series entitled Glenn Gould Plays. They are collected by the French film-maker Bruno Monsaingeon,

Kelvin Holland is a Vancouver based writer and painter. He studied for two years at U.B.C. and spent two years at E.C.C.A.D. in the painting department. And he listens to musica lot

by kelvin holland

interwove in a manner which he called “contrapuntal radio.” The most famous of these documentaries, and possibly the only ‘one to receive any recognition is The Idea of North. Wis also the most easily understood ast is more lineal than the two that followed, All of the documentaries deal with the theme ‘of man in isolation, and the nature and ‘meaning of community. Gould once said that these documentaries are the closest thing we will ever get toa biography of himself In The Idea of North Wally McLean, land surveyor interviewed and subsequently spliced by Gould, says: “In detaching, and ineflecting and listening, I suppose Tam able to synthesize, to have these different nity that is our constant hhope. ..". The documentaries are, quite simply his magnum opus, and any attempt to ntually reston them. Ironically the last of the trilogy, The Quiet in the Land, which belongs to the CBC, has never been feleased, and is only infrequently aired, Glenn Gould died on Oct. 4th, 1982 atthe age of fifty. An exerpt from Gould’ writing, “An Argument for Richard Strauss”, could ‘well stand as an epitaph to his own career: “He presents to us an example of the man who makes richer his own time by not

‘being of it; who speaks forall genera

by being of none, Itis the ultimate

argument of individuality —an argument

that man can create his own syntheses of time without being bound by the

‘conformities that time imposes.

Perhaps no more poignant tribute has been paid to Gould than that of violinist Yehudi Menuhin who weote

“No supreme pianist has ever given of his

heart and mind so overwhelmingly while

1g himself so sparingly. This great

nenon that was Glenn, a jewel produced by geological eons, presented a great rift in the continuity ofthe expected ‘and the ordinary. Yet these similies are purely figurative, forhis wasan ephemeral presence and only the recorded echoes of his thoughts and passions remain forever toenlighten and inspire us.” ml