Gould rejected most of the Romantic piano literature by Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and others in favour of Bach and Beethoven mainly, along with some late-Romantic and modernist composers. Gould also recorded pre-Baroque composers such as Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, William Byrd, and Orlando Gibbons, Classical composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Brahms, and 20th-century composers including Paul Hindemith, Arnold Schoenberg, Alexander Scriabin, and Richard Strauss.
Life and Career
Gould was also a writer and broadcaster, and dabbled in composing and conducting. He produced television programmes about classical music, in which he would speak and perform, or interact with an interviewer in a scripted manner. He made three musique concrète radio documentaries, collectively the Solitude Trilogy, about isolated areas of Canada. He was a prolific contributor to music journals, in which he discussed music theory. Gould was known for his eccentricities, ranging from his unorthodox musical interpretations and mannerisms at the keyboard to aspects of his lifestyle and behaviour. He disliked public performance, and stopped giving concerts at age 31 to concentrate on studio recording and media. His recording of the Prelude and Fugue in C major (BWV 870) from The Well Tempered Clavier, Book 2 is included on the Voyager Golden Record, a sample of the sights and sounds of Earth sent into space with the Voyager spacecraft.
Key Facts
- Born: September 25, 1932 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Died: 1982
- Field: Music
- Awards: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2013) Grammy, 1973, 1982 Juno Award
Awards and Recognition
Glenn Gould received significant recognition for his contributions:
- Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (2013) Grammy
- 1973
- 1982 Juno Award
Legacy and Impact
The influence of Glenn Gould extends far beyond his own lifetime. He fundamentally shaped the landscape of music, and his compositions and musical innovations remain foundational to this day.
Though he passed away in 1982, his ideas continue to be studied, debated, and built upon by scholars and practitioners worldwide.
Glenn Gould remains one of the most celebrated minds to emerge from Canada, a testament to the rich intellectual heritage of the region.
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