By Penny Johnson, Contributing Author

In an effort to bolster my repertoire of works by Canadian composers as well as to gain an understanding of the compositional processes of Glenn Gould, I recently embarked on the task of learning his 2 Pieces for Piano (1951-52). Written in the twelve-tone style fashioned by Arnold Schoenberg – whose music Gould had been introduced to by his teacher, Alberto Guerrero, around 1948/49 – the work represents one of several composed during the early 1950’s at a time when the young pianist was vigorously exercising his compositional abilities in the post-tonal arena. Other works include the Sonata for Bassoon and Piano, a String Trio, 2 Pieces for Organ (each written in 1950) and the 5 Short Piano Pieces (1951). The following text and audio samples display some of the observations I have made throughout the course of my studies. Clocking in at a fashionably ‘Webernesque’ two minutes and forty seconds, the work contains a host of clues leading to an understanding of the factors that influenced the musical aesthetics of the nineteen year-old.

From a technical standpoint, the 2 Pieces do not pose as ornery finger-busters, nor do they require the physical stamina of such Romantic warhorses as the Second Sonata of Rachmaninoff, or the Transcendental Etudes of Liszt. On the contrary, dense chordal entities and monumental climaxes are relatively non-existent. Given the pervading textural sparseness of the 2 Pieces, one is able to manage the notes with reasonable ease (though I am convinced that even as a teenager Gould must have had exceptionally large hands). Throughout the work, for instance, I have had to spend considerable time aiming for connection between highly disjunct intervals amidst fleeting sixteenth note passages and voice transfers. I find that what makes the passages uniquely challenging is the fact that an overall imitative, and at times, canonic texture (there are two brief canons in each movement) permeate the music. Maintaining the consistency of the musical line by dexterously sharing parts between the hands has always been a trait of Gould’s playing, for which I continue to marvel.

Click to read more...

By Penny Johnson, Contributing Author

Beginning in September, the most recent documentary film about Glenn Gould, Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould (2009) will make its premiere screenings in the United States.

Directed by Gemini award winner, Michèle Hozer and Emmy award winner, Peter Raymont, the film examines the personal side of Gould and gives a never-before-documented glimpse into his relationship with Cornelia Foss. The film also boasts an impressive collection of newly released Gould photos and video footage. Sensitive and insightful interviews with Kevin Bazzana, Don Hunstein, John P. L. Roberts, Ray Roberts, Roxolana Roslak and Lorne Tulk contribute to the overall narrative of the film.

“…Even those of us who don’t know about Gould's work will appreciate this film.” – Steve McLean, MSN.ca

Upcoming US Screenings:

New York City – Lincoln Plaza Cinema and Quad Cinema (Sept. 10/10
Chicago – Music Box Theatre (Sept. 17/10)
Los Angeles – Laemmle Royal (Sept. 24/10)
St. Louis – Landmark Tivoli (Oct. 1/10)
Denver – Landmark Chez Artiste (Oct. 1/10)
Seattle – Landmark Varsity (Oct. 15/10)
Huntington, Long Island NY – Cinema Arts Centre (Oct. 27/10)
Philadelphia – Ritz at The Bourse (Nov. 5/10)
Atlanta – Midtown Art Cinema (Nov. 12/10)

Following its world premiere at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival, Genius Within has since been featured across Canada from Charlottetown to Victoria. The film has also screened internationally in the Netherlands, Cuba, Poland and Greece.

For more information, please visit www.glenngouldmovie.com

By Penny Johnson, Contributing Author

I recently attended the two-day Keyboard Pedagogy Professional Development Summit held at The Royal Conservatory’s TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning in Toronto. I believe I was one of several hundred piano teachers from across North America who have congregated to hear noteworthy figures in the field, as well as to network and advance our ideas for further personal and professional growth. We have already been exposed to presentations on such topics as “Piano Pedagogy 101: In Consideration of the Basics” (Dr. Marvin Blickenstaff); “A Creative Spirit: Pieces” (Dr. Andrew Hisey); “Not Just in Theory: Making the Most of Repertoire Study” (Dr. Janet Lopinski); “Learning How to Learn” (Dr. Kent McWilliams). Yet even with all of our energies focused on piano pedagogy and not on such Gouldian themes as contrapuntal radio, solitude, north or Art of Fugue, Glenn Gould's name came up three times in a very short while. Given the fact that Gould's work as a pioneer of recording techniques is finally realizing it's rightful place in the realm of twenty-first century methodology, I find it reassuring to know that so too in the teaching studio does his manner of performance and interpretation continue to influence piano pedagogues.

Throughout the 1990’s and early 2000’s, I recall Gould being mentioned frequently by piano teachers, particularly when discussing a student’s interpretation of a work by Bach. During my undergraduate and graduate studies at the Eastman School of Music, Gould would be referenced both in the teaching studio and master class setting, as well as informal listening parties with friends, not to mention the countless teachers who played his recordings as part of their lectures. Similarly, a trip to the listening desk at Eastman’s Sibley Music Library just wouldn’t be complete without a Gould disc, which were almost always in circulation.

Click to read more...

By Penny Johnson, Contributing Author

As founder of the Montréal String Quartet (1955-63), first violinist of the Montréal Symphony Orchestra, noteworthy composer, and a teacher at both the McGill Conservatory and the Conservatoire de musique du Québec à Montréal, Otto Joachim will long be remembered for his contribution to Canadian music. Joachim, who collaborated with Glenn Gould on a number of occasions in the 1950’s, passed away on July 30, 2010 at Montréal’s Jewish General Hospital. He was ninety-nine.

Born in Düsseldorf, Germany, in 1910, Joachim fled the Nazis during the 1930’s, thereafter spending fifteen years in Singapore and Shanghai where he worked as a musician. In 1949, Joachim arrived in Montréal, where, despite plans to continue on for Brazil, he stayed for the remainder of his life, becoming a naturalized citizen in 1957.

Click to read more...