Stupid Mail - A New Approach To Getting Guff About Gould From Gumbys

Every time some fan boy of the very dead, very late, very ex-pianist G.Gould brings him up to throw at me, I know they generally don't really care much about the music, they just know they love to mellow out to "Gould's Goldberg" or something.  Or they are showing their vintage in their conception of prestige and officially designated greatness.  That kind of kulcha does't interest me.

Instead of going over that most over-rated of 20th century pianists again, I'd rather post something played by his near-contemporary, the in just about every way superior musician, John Browning.  

I won't post his Bach playing because I'm not a huge fan of Bach played on piano and I disagree with some of his interpretation though I disagree with more in Gould's.  For the record, Browning played harpsichord but I don't believe he ever recorded on it or played it in recital.  I believe his approach to Bach changed over his playing career, too.  Gould's did as well, though I don't think the late recording of the Goldberg Variations is any improvement over the one that made him famous. 

Instead, here's John Browning playing Samuel Barber's Sonata op. 26.   Browning and Barber had a long association,  Barber composing some of his most significant music for Browning to play.  I would never call any such recording "definitive", only the composer could have possibly said that and I doubt Barber would have been stupid enough to say something like that.  I'm certain Browning would never have, he was one of the most thoughtful and subtle thinkers among the pianists of his generation. 

I have never heard a recording by the aforementioned most overly adulated pianist that approaches this level of playing.  

Browning had something in common with my dear, late piano teacher, both were students of the legendary piano teacher, the universally beloved Rosina Lhévinne.  Though I can't claim to have been taught the method he sets out in this fascinating movie,  I wish I'd seen this a long time ago.  If I were thirty or even twenty years younger some of it might have improved my playing.  

What he says about B Major being the key that falls most naturally under the hand is something I realized the first time I played in that key, I find it and its relative minor the most gratifying keys for my hands.  

I have seen the point made here also made elsewhere,  that of the foremost American pianists of his generation (Fleisher, Graffman, etc), Browning  was the only one whose career wasn't blighted by hand problems*.  That fact, alone, is enough to make this an important video to watch.  

What is said about knowing the piece as minutely as described beginning at 8:37 or so isn't possible except among those who have that particular skill, I'm not sure I think it's essential for us mere mortals.  It makes me think of the fact that the great, great, Jazz vibe player Gary Burton's sudden loss of his skill of perfect pitch disturbed him enough that he gave up playing.  No doubt his skill was a good part of why he was such a great improviser and endless source of musical newness, but there are people who never had that skill who, as well, were great.  Joseph Lhévinne's book, Basic Principles in Pianoforte Playing, is in print in an inexpensive Dover edition and is extremely valuable.  You can download the Louis Plaidy exercises at IMSLP, I haven't used them but as soon as I can print them out I will try them.  You're never too old to try new things. 

* Rumor has it that it was his chain-smoking that did him in, in the end.  He died far too young.