Bach - Toccata und Fuge

- L.M. 2-11-2008 3:25 am

Lovely. Perfect party music

Check out the great Harpsichordist Wanda Landowska (1879 - 1954)
Revered by Glenn Gould she was the first person to record Bach's
Goldberg Variations (1931)

Responding to catty criticism by fellow harpsichordist Rosalyn Tureck, she once said: "You play Bach your way, and I'll play him his way."
- KW (guest) 2-11-2008 3:57 am


What a treat! Thanks, L.M.

You'd think the shadows of the stops on his music would drive him mad. Although it's clear he's played it once or twice before. Maybe they had the console more brightly lit in order to take the video.

Nice snappy shirt cuffs.
- M. Jean (guest) 2-11-2008 4:22 am


When I was a teenager I had a friend who could butcher this on an electric organ. (and I still loved it)

I'm giggling over the idea of a room full of catty harpsichordists.

I originally thought this was shot at the Berliner Dom, but I remembered it wrong. I did spend an afternoon listening to someone play the pipe organ there. It sounded beautiful and was the most casual church music experience I ever had.

- L.M. 2-11-2008 4:41 am


Here's Wanda from 1927 playing Scarlatti's Capriccio.





- L.M. 2-11-2008 4:53 am




A Comparison of 7 Interpretations of Var.18 from BWV 988.
- L.M. 2-11-2008 4:55 am


Rosalyn Tureck's version at the end of the video above is so bitchy.
- L.M. 2-11-2008 5:08 am


I've just been given a first edition of the music of Mendelssohn's Songs Without Words, that is inscribed in the front by Wanda (in 1901) to a friend that she's giving it to as a gift.

The first owner signed it in 1876, when it came out.

The third owner signed it in 1932, in Rocanville, Saskatchewan.

What a journey, ey?
- M.Jean 2-11-2008 7:29 am


WOW.

That's a lovely gift (and it officially comes from Wanda, really)

- L.M. 2-11-2008 8:07 am


There are two u's in fugue.
- J@simpleposie (guest) 2-11-2008 4:13 pm


Those clips of Landowska really give me the shivers. When I was in high school, and everybody was going apeshit over Elvis, my friends and I had terrific crushes on Glenn Gould (ok, call me effete). We were in a youth choir, and our conductor introduced us to him one night at the old Royal Conservatory in Toronto. We were transported. We stopped in at a Fran's restaurant on the way home, and I was so transported that I had to run downstairs and chuck up the strawberry milkshake I'd unwisely drunk.

But the infatuation meant we knew all the ephemera, like the fact that he was besotted with Landowska. You can really see her playing attitude rubbing off on him. They both address the instrument like some kind of predatory bird.
- M.Jean 2-11-2008 5:27 pm


You're correct, J - But, I suspect our dear L.M was caught up in the glorious rhapsody of the finale prestissimo to notice.
- KW (guest) 2-11-2008 5:34 pm


Dear M. Jean - I must confess to an insufferable (at least to my friends) crush on Glenn Gould, too. He, of course had a thing for Petula Clark.
Indeed, I envy the fact you met him!!
- KW (guest) 2-11-2008 5:45 pm


Yeah, it was brief but glorious.
- M.Jean 2-11-2008 5:55 pm


Hi KW:

I've suspected for awhile now that LM was caught up in the glorious rhapsody of the finale prestissimo.
- J@simpleposie (guest) 2-11-2008 6:15 pm


What I'm wondering is when she will work it into her artist statement?
- J@simpleposie (guest) 2-11-2008 6:16 pm


There was a stunning piece called Decoy, by Michael Maranda, at YYZ in 2004. When you first saw it, from a distance, it was two harpsichords in a warm glowing light, and the first Goldberg Variation was playing. A vision of heaven. But when you got closer, it was clear the harpsichords were gestural, knocked together as almost-instruments, and the Variation was being played, not by Gould, but by somebody who kept making mistakes (Maranda himself, according to the specs).

Totally eerie; I'll never forget it.
- M.Jean 2-11-2008 7:34 pm


Images and artist's statement for Decoy are here.
- sally mckay 2-11-2008 8:29 pm


Was J? Lesen Sie nicht Deutschen? (Bach und ich sprechen die gleiche Sprache)
- L.M. 2-11-2008 8:57 pm


Vor ich reibe meinen Bauch und tappe meinen Kopf gleichzeitig professionell beginnend sechs Wochen. Wurde Sie mögen ein sodapop? Möglicherweise ein Käse- und Specksandwich?
- J@simpleposie (guest) 2-12-2008 1:39 am


Forwards I rub mean belly and grope mean head at the same time professional beginning six weeks. Did it become to like sodapop? Possibly cheese and bacon-and-yielded?

I thought babelfish was supposed to help!!
- M.Jean 2-12-2008 1:44 am


Babelfish is only a machine M. Jean.
- J@simpleposie (guest) 2-12-2008 2:02 am


Best web program in the universe.
- L.M. 2-12-2008 2:04 am


And so I guess that's what I get for entering:

I have been rubbing my belly and patting my head professionally starting six weeks ago. Would you like a soda pop? Perhaps a cheese and bacon sandwich?
- J@simpleposie (guest) 2-12-2008 2:06 am


M. Jean, I remember reading that GG used to like the 24 hour Fran's on College street. (but really late at night)

GG
- L.M. 2-12-2008 2:06 am


Yep. But the one I chucked in was on Yonge, up at Eglinton.
- M.Jean 2-12-2008 2:47 am


Fran's at St. Clair and Yonge. Glenn Gould made this particular location his haunt of choice for a 2 a.m. meal with bottomless coffee.

- KW (guest) 2-12-2008 3:41 am


decoy
Michael Maranda - Decoy 2002

One thing I always liked about Maranda's piece was that it didn't look cute or crafty, but it had a Lee Valley Hardware (upscale homemade) vibe to it when you got closer. All his choices for this particular work were great.
- L.M. 2-12-2008 3:48 am


I stand corrected, Kate. If M. Jean had been allowed to stay up later in the big city she could have barfed on Glen Gould himself.
- L.M. 2-12-2008 3:49 am


Well, I always heard it was the College St. one, too. God knows me and my smitten buddies haunted it enough.
- M.Jean 2-12-2008 4:08 am


Since the subject is harpsichords, can anyone identify the composer of a series of variations for Baroque Harpsichord based upon the melody of the song 'Blame Not My Lute' by Thomas Wyatt?

I heard this on CBC Radio a few years ago, and I have often wondered who did it ever since.

(posted by VB via SM)


- sally mckay 2-12-2008 6:25 am


'Blame Not My Lute' (beautiful piece) was written by an anonymous 16th composer - seven variations in all.
- KW (guest) 2-12-2008 9:08 am


http://archives.cbc.ca/IDCC-1-68-320-1708/arts_entertainment/glenn_gould/
here is glen gould on petula clarke--whenever i write my great opus on fandom, i will write about this, there is something so profound about the idea of glen gould going thru the northern ontario towns, and stopping for gas or coffee or something, and hearing clarke on the radio, being transported away from the everyday.

i cannot describe the feeling that gives me, this man who made webern sound like bach and bach sound like webern, who was so isolated and strange, getting turned on, having some kind of pop satori to petula clarke of all people...

i wrote about it for something, somewhere, but i dont remember where, and its not on the blog, but its one of those mysteries of listening, and queerness that has always moved me (queerness in the strange sense, and in the judy sense)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GTeIMmkxw0
- anthony (guest) 2-12-2008 9:23 am


blame not my lute has music set to it?!?! thats awesome!
- anthony (guest) 2-12-2008 9:25 am


Thanks KW; Like my brother once said: "Anonymous is my favourite composer."

Can anyone suggest a nice interpretation of these variations on Harpsichord by a recording artist? I am not an expert on Baroque music, but I would be most curious to find a copy of this piece.

Also note: the melody for this song often pops up all over the place in various compositions from around that time. It was like a pop hit song of the day, I reckon.

(posted by VB via SM)


- sally mckay 2-13-2008 3:14 am


http://www.amazon.com/Harpsichord-William-Byrd-Watkins-Willoughbys/dp/B0013V1YMI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1202880076&sr=8-2
- anthony (guest) 2-13-2008 8:21 am


not these varrations, but you should listen to ti anyways
- anthony (guest) 2-13-2008 8:22 am


Check out the 'Academy of Ancient Music' catalogue:

http://www.aam.co.uk/
- KW (guest) 2-13-2008 5:42 pm





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