Graham English

This video is a magnificent example of musical peak performance. It’s possible that Glenn Gould had Asperger syndrome, a disorder related to autism. He really makes Johann Sebastian Bach come alive!

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Tags: autistic savants, classical music, Google, peak performance, videos

This entry was posted on Tuesday, November 28th, 2006 at 12:41 pm and is filed under Music Education, Video. You can leave a comment if you follow my Living Room Rules. If not, you can leave a trackback from your own site.

Comments

1. Dana Jordan says:
   

   November 29th, 2006 at 5:01 pm (#)

   Where did you find out that G.G. could have had Asperger’s??
   I worked in Spec. Ed. and I also teach piano. I really believe that a lot of people in the Arts are just an inch away from a number of various syndromes; not meaning to poke fun at anyone who has an affliction of course. Peace DJ

2. Graham English says:
   

   November 29th, 2006 at 6:48 pm (#)

   I remembered reading about Gould having asperger’s a while back, but for this post, I referenced his Wikipedia entry (See link in post above). There’s also dispute that this was indeed a fact becuase the diagnosis was done post-mortem.

   Your theory is interesting. Because there’s a part of me — just a part of me — that has always wanted to be an autistic savant. I envy their freakish artistic skills! See my post, Foolish Wise Ones. In particular, pay attention to Professor Allan Snyder. His theory is similar to yours.

3. Anthony says:
   

   November 30th, 2006 at 3:50 am (#)

   Wow! This guy Glenn is AWESOME!!!!!
   What a study in Technique!!!!!

4. Graham English says:
   

   November 30th, 2006 at 9:26 am (#)

   Gould was the quintessential interpreter of Bach’s music. There’s a cool movie about him called Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould.

5. Dana Jordan says:
   

   November 30th, 2006 at 12:37 pm (#)

   Anthony,
   G.G. had chops, that’s for sure. But, I’ve never thought about technique when I hear his recordings. I grew up listening to his “Goldberg Variations.” He recorded them twice: Once in the 50’s and again in the 80’s. He was the first “Concert Pianist” of the 20th century to not only play the music of J.S. Bach in public, but to adapt it to the modern piano and make it rock! Peace DJ

6. Anthony says:
   

   December 5th, 2006 at 4:38 pm (#)

   Hi Dana and Graham,I’d heard of him but wow so cool! and your ideas are stimulating…One of your comments Graham comes to mind about the importance of singinng what you play…..
   Hey get that META going!!!!
   ROCK ON!!!!!

7. Wendy Bull says:
   

   December 9th, 2006 at 3:04 pm (#)

   Wonderful both to watch and listen to. So many people with this and similar learning disabilaties are briliant when it comes to music.
   Wendy

8. Nolwe says:
   

   April 30th, 2007 at 2:29 pm (#)

   Interestingly, he’s fairly well spoken, too. I really enjoy listening to Gould play Bach. I have both of the Goldberg Variation recordings, as well as the Art of Fugue, the first few keyboard concerti and select Inventions and such. They’re easily some of my favorite Bach recordings.

9. Graham English says:
   

   May 4th, 2007 at 1:31 pm (#)

   Mine too.

10. Top Peak Performance Articles for 2006 by Graham English says:
    

    December 9th, 2007 at 11:02 pm (#)

    [...] Glenn Gould Playing Bach’s Goldberg Variations [...]

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