Why do people like Glen Goulds humming?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

What the heck is there to like about his humming?  It's not even like in harmony With the music he's playing!

I can't listen to a Glen Gould recording in the dark or else I'll freak out.  Kinda creepy...

But when I'm not in the dark, I think it's freaking annoying!  Just shut up and play the damn music!  Jeez, if you like humming so much, then at least take humming lessons!  Because you freaking sound like my dog choking when he's pulling on the chain!

[lostinidlewonder]

Why do people like anything? Cos there always will be someone who does!

I like making noises when I play you can get really drunk with the music when you do it, which is a nice feeling. In front of others I'll control myself though. Many performers make some kind of noise while they play others much more than normally and so much so that it can take away from the musical listening experience like Gould or Helfgott. I was in a concert with Helfgott and could hear him mumble tempo, dynamics etc very irritating lol. What about Arrau's rings clicking on the keys? That's annoying too lol.

[pianowolfi]

You know, my friend, up there in heaven there's no difference between singing, humming and playing an instrument, it is all the same, though it's also different, but you don't need to care about intonation, it will just be there, you won't need to care about tuning, it will tune itself as soon as you think/sing/play.
So Gould, you know, with all that heavenly harmony in himself, from the higher spheres, did just not care if he has a tuned voice or whatever. He had this need to express it all, like he was still up there in heaven. He heard it all so clearly within himself.  It's not important if it's in tune or not. He's not a vocalist.
Listen to his music.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Listen to his music.

I would like to listen to his music, but his humming gets in the way.

It's just like people coughing in concerts!

[ajspiano]

I would like to listen to his music, but his humming gets in the way.

It's just like people coughing in concerts!

Nah. Because the humming is part of the artists expression.

Coughing is an audience member interrupting the artist.

Big difffffffffference.

[j_menz]

Nah. Because the humming is part of the artists expression.

Possibly, but it's still a part I don't care for. But I'm not a Gould groupie in any case.

Oh, and r_f: apostrophe man will be calling on you shortly! 

[ajspiano]

Possibly, but it's still a part I don't care for.

I meant only to highlight that its not the same as someone coughing at a concert..   I can see how it would be annoying for many people, and myself at times.. though I'm usually pretty unconcerned with performance quirks.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

though I'm usually pretty unconcerned with performance quirks.

I don't care either as long as it doesn't affect the performance.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Nah. Because the humming is part of the artists expression.

Coughing is an audience member interrupting the artist.

Big difffffffffference.

You're missing the point.




And you're freaking emphasizing the wrong thing!  It's really supposed to be, 'BIIIIIIIG difference' or just, 'DIFFERENCE...'

Not "Big difffffffffffffference"

[ajspiano]

You're missing the point.

actually I was just picking on you...   sorry for being such an ass.

And you're freaking emphasizing the wrong thing!  It's really supposed to be, 'BIIIIIIIG difference' or just, 'DIFFERENCE...'

Not "Big difffffffffffffference"

my "fffffffffffffff" key gets stuck, and my "backspace" key doesn't work.

[j_menz]

Not "Big difffffffffffffference"

It's aj's Daffy Duck impression. Humour him. 

[ajspiano]

It's aj's Daffy Duck impression. Humour him. 

ohhh  that's a much better reason.

scrap that rubbish I made up in the last post.

*wonder's if rach_forever's generation saw daffy duck at all while growing up..

[j_menz]

*wonder's if rach_forever's generation saw daffy duck at all while growing up..

** wonders if aj has ever heard of "repeats" ourtside a musical context 

[ajspiano]

** wonders if aj has ever heard of "repeats" ourtside a musical context 

wait?! do you mean to say that television stations RE-RUN old shows.. !!!??
 
That explains the profound sense of deja vu I get everytime I see 30 seconds or so of "7 mate"

[rachmaninoff_forever]

*wonder's if rach_forever's generation saw daffy duck at all while growing up..

Yup!

[rachmaninoff_forever]

** wonders if aj has ever heard of "repeats" ourtside a musical context 

Wonders if J Menz has ever played anything outside of Alkan.   

[j_menz]

Wonders if J Menz has ever played anything outside of Alkan.   

Playing anything inside of him would be difficult these days, and rather cramped and unpleasant in earlier times.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Playing anything inside of him would be difficult these days, and rather cramped and unpleasant in earlier times.

Ooooooooh good response!

[chopin2015]

When he plays Bach, he hums another voice! It is flippin sweet! My mom tells me to sing and hum along to when I play. It is really hard. Keith Jarett hums and sings too, and moans and humps his piano.

[j_menz]

When he plays Bach, he hums another voice!

If only that were true, I'd like him a whole lot more.

[chopin2015]

There is some footage in the documentary about him where he actually does hum "correctly". I am sure that is not mostly the case. I'd rather talk about Keith Jarett.

[ajspiano]

My mom tells me to sing and hum along to when I play. It is really hard.

With your jazz, when improvising you should be practice singing or humming what you're about to play without having to hear it from the piano first. The singing should lead the playing, not the other way around...  or at least make sure you do that in your head if not out loud.

[outin]

I often sing when I play, but only in my head

I don't really get the greatness of Gould. But it could be because watching him play makes me feel uncomfortable (because of his posture) the same way I feel pain in my throat when I listen to someone sing with a very tense voice. I think I should listen to a record instead of watching him on film. Did he record something alse than Bach?

[chopin2015]

With your jazz, when improvising you should be practice singing or humming what you're about to play without having to hear it from the piano first. The singing should lead the playing, not the other way around...  or at least make sure you do that in your head if not out loud.

That is a great idea! I definitely have to keep on that more. Lately, I am a lot more proficient with classical than jazz. But I really only do it all for jazz (and Chopin).

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Did he record something alse than Bach?

There's a recording of him on YouTube playing Beethoven's Pathetique sonata Op. 8 No. 13.  Or is it Op. 10?

But whatever you do...

DON'T LISTEN TO IT!

[chopin2015]

I like his La Valse-Ravel

[j_menz]

There's a recording of him on YouTube playing Beethoven's Pathetique sonata Op. 8 No. 13.  Or is it Op. 10?

But whatever you do...

DON'T LISTEN TO IT!

LOL. Not a fan of Mr Gould's take on Beethoven, then?

Incidentally (Ha!!), how long have you been playing this without knowing the Op number for sure?

Its his 8th Piano Sonata, Op. 13.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Incidentally (Ha!!), how long have you been playing this without knowing the Op number for sure?

Its his 8th Piano Sonata, Op. 13.

I'm usually really good with Op and No's but this one I just can't manage to lock down.

[j_menz]

I'm usually really good with Op and No's but this one I just can't manage to lock down.

I'm usually quite hopeless at it, but the odd one sticks. You were just unlucky. 

[outin]

Did he record something else than Bach?

OK, so did he record anything else than Bach or Beethoven?

I guess I meant to ask if he wrote anything I would like  

EDIT: I asked Mr. Google and it seems Glenn and I just don't match when it comes to taste in music. So no wonder I have avoided him. He managed to record almost every major composer that I don't like 

There's some Brahms, maybe if I can get my hands on those...

[j_menz]

I guess I meant to ask if he wrote anything I would like 

His "So you want to write a fugue" is rather witty.

[outin]

His "So you want to write a fugue" is rather witty.

Ooops, I meant record of course 

[j_menz]

Ooops, I meant record of course 

For both you and Rachmaninoff_forever:

And:

[outin]

Thanks! Have to go to work now but I'll listen to these tonight...

[mikeowski]

Gould recorded so so so much more than bach and beethoven.
He recorded Debussy, Webern, Berg, Ravel, Mozart, Prokfiev, Grieg, Schönberg, Chopin, Liszt, Sibelius, Scarlatti, Bizet, Brahms and probably more that I couldn't find on youtube.