Conversations with Glenn Gould
Conversations with Glenn Gould by Jonathan Cott
Since the inception of Rolling Stone, Jonathan Cott has been a contributing editor, and this book came out of interviews he did for that magazine. Highly respected as an interviewer (Jan Morris called him an “incomparable interviewer”), Jonathan has converted many of his in-depth conversations into books. I have read works where he interviews writers of children’s books as well as musicians like John Lennon and Yoko Ono. As I have gotten increasingly interested in the piano, I decided to read this work in which he conversed with Glenn Gould. Gould does almost all the talking, but Jonathan offers probing prompts which open Gould to new revelations.
Hearing Gould explain himself and his views is a wild, astonishing trip. I have listened to him often on YouTube and see what a quirky and brilliant musician he was, but nothing prepares you for his level of eccentric virtuosity with language. Hilarious! Jonathan is a sympathetic listener and a brilliant commentator. I wondered what would happen when Gould went on a tear against the Beatles, comparing them unfavorably to Petula Clark. Knowing that Jonathan loved the Beatles I wondered if he would let this pass. He did not.
Such a tragedy that Gould died relatively young. Bach and Strauss have never had a better interpreter or champion. (Chopin, not so much). Conductor Szell of the Cleveland Symphony refused to conduct Gould but watched his assistant conduct the concert. Though much false lore haunts Gould’s reputation, it is verifiable that Szell sat in the audience and commented, “The nut’s a genius.”
