Gould, Glenn

The Goldberg Variations - Glenn Gould Plays Bach

Glenn Gould - The Alchemist

Glenn Gould: Hereafter

Glenn Gould remains an enigmatic, fascinating figure more than two decades after his death. This new film, directed by Gould's friend Bruno Monsaingeon, who has already written four books and made a 23-part TV series about him, is something very special. Taken from Gould's own words, the pianist himself seems to act as narrator in a retrospective on his life and art. A great deal of archival footage of both interviews and performances exemplify the pianist's genius and eccentricities. There are modern-day interviews as well. One with an Italian woman who comes to hang out with a sculpture of Gould in front of the CBC building in Toronto lets us in on the emotional effect he had on people, and many others discuss how he changed their perceptions of music. Gould himself is remarkably insightful in interviews. He seems to have been a man incapable of being boring or thoughtless. And, of course, the music speaks for itself. You'll hear some of the most stunning playing. Even those of us who already know and appreciate Gould will find new things here. This film is an eye- and ear-opening delight. --Robert Levine

Glenn Gould - On & Off the Record

One of the world's most legendary pianists reveals new aspects of his life and music in this pair of compelling films. In "Off the Record," Gould revels in his freedom from the public at his college retreat near Lake Simcoe, Ontario, and plays for an audience of one: his collie. In "On the Record," Gould arrives in New York for a recording session, joking and bantering as he reveals his role as a vigorous, sensitive, and critical creator and interpreter of music.

The Glenn Gould Collection (The Russian Journey / Life & Times / Extasis)

Glenn Gould - Life & Times

Kultur Video presents an insightful biography of the multi-faceted Glenn Gould: the man and the musician—eccentric, loner, genius, jokester, broadcaster, documentary producer and world-acclaimed pianist. When Glenn Gould made his professional debut at the age of 14, classical music lovers had never heard anything like him and his vibrant and bold approach to the classics enthralled audiences. His technique on the piano and his music interpretations were unique, just like the man himself. The popular image of Gould as a tortured genius—the frail hypochondriac who lived a solitary nocturnal existence—is only partly true; he was also witty and fun-loving. He suffered chronic stage fright, and would sit very low in his chair, humming and singing as he played. Gould stopped performing in public when he was 32: "I detest audiences…I think they are a force of evil," he once said. Later in life, when recording his music and radio documentaries, he started working only at night. Towards the end, Gould obsessively catalogued every aspect of his health. He stopped eating properly, rarely slept and died of a stroke when he was only 50 years old. This documentary includes remarkable archival footage of Gould performing, relaxing, working in his recording studio, and being interviewed. BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE: • A performance of Bach: Concerto No. 5 in F minor, Largo and Presto • A performance of Bach: Fugue No. 4 NTSC - Region 1 • A short CBC-TV clip of Gould speaking to an audience of children.

32 Short Films About Glenn Gould

François Girard originally conceived 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould as a biography to try to explain the bizarre genius of the master pianist who stopped touring in 1963 at the height of his success. The 32 parts play out key moments of Gould's life without stringing them together. They go from realistic (a scene in a Hamburg hotel in which Gould turns a maid on to the wonder of music) to nihilistic (a segment solely made up of the drugs Gould presumably took). Stratford actor Colm Feore is quite good as the slyly introverted, soft-spoken figure, although this film is more of an examination of loneliness than of music. The key question is, Does this docudrama enlighten us better than a straightforward documentary on Gould would? Probably not. --Doug Thomas

Glenn Gould - Extasis

The extraordinarily talented Canadian pianist Glenn Gould defined ecstasy as a "delicate thread binding together music, performance, performer and listener in a web of shared awareness, of innerness." Brilliant but controversial, Gould did not always enjoy unanimous support, and his performances were occasionally criticized. Marked by obsessive behavior and at times considered cold and distant, he was nonetheless a favorable influence for many people. Extasis helps us better understand Glenn Gould the man, and Glenn Gould the musician. In addition to recalling different stages of his life, the film focuses in particular on the passions he was capable of unleashing as well as on the sensitivity and intensity which this eminent musician would draw on to "recreate" the works he was performing. Combining images and music, this remarkable documentary chronicles the legacy of one of the greatest pianists of all times. - Includes special bonus performance footage of Fantasy for Organ by Sweelinck. - Includes both French and English audio soundtracks.

Glenn Gould - The Russian Journey

To this day, Glenn Gould remains a classical music icon, one of the best-known and most accomplished pianists of all time. This is not a conventional biography of a musician, but the story of one great event in Gould classical music icon, one of the best-known and most accomplished pianists of all time. This is not a conventional biography of a musician, but the story of one great event in Gould's life—his 1957 trip to Russia—an event that had a long-lasting effect on the performer and his audiences, and would influence future generations of Russian musicians. Along with new facts and details about Gould's visit, this program features original Moscow and Leningrad recordings of Gould's concerts, including the unreleased recording of Gould's lecture/recital at the Leningrad Conservatory. Also featured are previously unknown, unreleased documents and photographs of Gould's trip, many from his `confidential' file in the Department of Foreign Affairs. The impact of his visit is also recaptured through the words of celebrated contemporary musicians Mstislav Rostropovich, Vladimir Ashkenazy, and other prominent musicians, musicologists, film and theater directors. OVER 30-MINUTES OF BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE: • Extra interview with Gould after his return from Russia • Extended interview with Walter Homburger, Gould's manager. NTSC - Region 1 • Gould performing Beethoven's Bagatelle, Op. 126 No. 3

GLENN GOULD: THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS

A Film by Bruno Monsaingeon Pianist Glenn Gould made his New York debut on January 11, 1955. His first recording, Bach's "Goldberg Variations," took place that June. The record won instant acclaim. In 1981 Gould departed from his custom of not re-recording a work and, 26 years after his first recording of the "Goldberg Variations," went into the same New York studio for his second recording of the work. Gould viewed the two interpretations as substantially different. This new recording won two Grammy Awards. The Glenn Gould Collection: Prepared, shot and edited over a period of five years from 1976 to 1981, the three-part series Glenn Gould Plays Bach has so far only been seen via the limited parameters of television transmission. Now, for the first time, this testament is made available with a sound and picture reproduction faithful to the original conception. Glenn Gould's first recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations in 1955 had made his name legendary. This film, shot in New York in April 1981, marks his life - as if interpolated between the two peaceful Arias and the two recordings, the one opening, the other closing his career - with a symbol of cyclic perfections (Bruno Monsaingeon)