Here’s a strikingly unconventional interpretation of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 1806 composition, 32 Variations on an Original Theme in C minor, by the Canadian virtuoso pianist Glenn Gould. It was recorded in Toronto in March of 1966 for a special program, “Conversations with Glenn Gould,” which featured an in-depth discussion between Gould and the BBC arts reporter Humphrey Burton. You can find the complete program broken up into pieces at the CBC Web site. And for an especially interesting 35-minute segment, in which Gould explains and demonstrates his idiosyncratic approach to interpreting Beethoven, see below:
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Magic!