Glenn Gould and His Pianistic Obsession
Katie on May 15th, 2008
This is a Web site and blog about Glenn Gould, the pianos Gould knew and loved, and the world of piano tuning. And it is about musicians and their relationship to their instruments.
The blog will focus on the publication of A Romance on Three Legs: Glenn Gould’s Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano just published by BloomsburyUSA.
Advance praise for the book:
“The musical version of Seabiscuit . . . Lucidly grasps[s] the essential: the complex interaction among an artist, a craftsman and the precious tool they both revered. Written with authority and enthusiasm, a treat for armchair musicologists, Gould fanatics and even those who never heard a note he played.” — Kirkus Reviews.
“The story of Glenn Gould’s haunted and relentless search for the perfect piano, one that felt right and sounded as beautiful as the one in his imagination, is a story for all music lovers. And for musicians it is especially bittersweet, as we find that there is a bit of Gould’s compulsive drive for the perfect sound in all of us.” — Daniel J. Levitin, author of This is your Brain on Music.
Listen to: The Aria from the Goldberg Variations
Hi, just a note to say I picked up a copy of your book and enjoyed it tremendously! It had been a while so out came all the Glenn Gould recordings and I’m reminded just how great an artist he was and how sorely he is missed today. You captured every nuance of his fears and phobias and brilliance in a way that was captivating, read the book in just two sittings!
Best, and congratulations on a terrific book,
Paul Marotta
Hi Katie,
I enjoyed every page of your book – devoured it over the 4th of July weekend at my cabin. Well done!
My piano teacher in college had a Steinway grand with “accelerated action” in his studio. But it was by far the stiffest and heaviest piano I’ve ever played. (Extreme effort was required to get anything louder than forte.) That experience seems to disagree with your suggestion that Steinway invented accelerated action in reponse to Glenn. It’s a minor point, but it had me scratching my head.
Congratulations on a fabulous book.
Ms. Hafner-
Just finished your book late last night. Thank you so much for your work. The title as quite apt considering the convoluted relationships involved between the instrument, the artist and the manufacturers, as well as the various technicians. As a lifelong pianist, it was a welcome read. Back to the bench.
Thanks again.