[f_minor] Glenn Gould Down Under

[Brett Allen-Bayes]

I don't know if you know or not but Glenn's friend John Roberts is
Australian, migrating to Canada in the early fifties. I recall Gould sending
discs to Roberts's father in Australia. (I think it comes up in the
Letters.) Roberts told me that Gould was very interested in Australia -
particularly in its unique wildlife. However after his protracted illness in
Europe in 59, it was highly unlikely that Gould would travel overseas again;
and of course he did not. Mind you Gould's ties with Australia and the ABC
go back before he made his American debut in '55. There's evidence that the
Australian conductor (sir) Bernard Heinze went home singing his praise after
accompanying the teenaged Gould in one of his very first teenaged orchestral
concerts. By the time that Heinze convinced the ABC of Gould's validity as
an artist, his days as an overseas artist were quickly approaching an end.
And of course the ABC wanted Gould to tour for 4-6 weeks!

 

Brett

 

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From: f_minor-bounces at glenngould.org [mailto:f_minor-bounces at glenngould.org]
On Behalf Of pzumst
Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2011 3:18 AM
To: 'Discussion of the Canadian pianist Glenn Gould.'
Subject: Re: [f_minor] Glenn Gould Down Under

 

I cannot help but wonder what effect such a trip would have on GG. How would
he have gotten there ? Somehow it is sad he never had the experience of
visiting an "isolated" community like Wilcannia NSW or Alice Springs NT. If
you talk to people who live in the extreme conditions of the Northern
Territory (which I have, my godson lives there) you will notice that the
impressions the idea of Isolation and, to an extent Solitude, are similar to
those expressed by people in northern Canada. I bet that the people in Alice
(some of them wonderfully loony, weird and highly eccentric, Land Surveyer
Wally McLean would have fit in nicely) can relate and understand the concept
of Idea of North. With the exeption that the weather is much better all year
round...

 

Anita, please do tell us more. "Eye witness accounts" are quite rare here on
f_minor.

 

Pat

 

From: Brett Allen-Bayes <mailto:brettab at ihug.com.au>  

Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2011 5:47 AM

To: 'Discussion <mailto:f_minor at glenngould.org>  of the Canadian pianist
Glenn Gould.' 

Subject: Re: [f_minor] Glenn Gould Down Under

 

Thanks for your comments and memories Anita. Yes the Australian tour that
almost happened, though it wouldn't have done me any good. I wasn't born
until the end of 1962. Mind you, a former professor of mathematics at the
local university recalled studying at Toronto in the early 'fifties and
hearing Gould regularly during lunchtime concerts. The lucky man!

 

Brett

 

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From: f_minor-bounces at glenngould.org [mailto:f_minor-bounces at glenngould.org]
On Behalf Of RubatoM at aol.com
Sent: Saturday, January 01, 2011 4:10 AM
To: f_minor at glenngould.org
Subject: Re: [f_minor] Glenn Gould Down Under

 

That was interesting about the Australian tour.  I have written to the list
about the concert I was lucky enough to hear in 1960.  At least I think it
was 1960; it could have been 1959 or even 1961.  It was at Winthrop College
in Rock Hill, South Carolina which was at that time only for females.  Now
that I have seen that documentary, I know that he was in Russia before that
event.  He must have been quite disappointed in the Winthrop audience, not
that he was not appreciated, but the auditorium didn't have standing room
only.

Anita

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