[f_minor] Being Kind and Kevin Bazzana

[maryellen jensen]

Hejsan Jorgen,

Thank you and K. Bazzana for answering. I hope that other people on this site are interested in these
questions/subjects but who knows? It's terrific to have Kevin Bazzana, lazy and sullen as he may be, clarify a few things.

I myself have been suffering a post barbecue/Sancerre hangover. If I offended anyone earlier I apologize sincerely.

It was never my intention to imply "wrongdoings" on the part of Ray Roberts. I was simply struck by the image of
perishable materials being kept in a private residence as opposed to an Archive: the heart wants what the heart wants but
some of that needs to be kept far away from central heating and in an environment of controlled humidity/temperature which
only a proper Archive offers. Items being "held back" makes no sense in this context: it seems that irreplacable tapes may be disintegrating
tragically for no other reason than misplaced sentimentality and 'pudeur'. I just don't understand. 

Kevin Bazzana: "Wondrous Strange" isn't a bad title considering that "Pale Fire" was already taken:
"The moon's an arrant thief, / And her pale fire she snatches from the sun" (Act IV, scene 3), Timon of Athens.
"Wondrous Strange Snow" would never have 'worked' but I loved the entire verslet presented on its own page 
en face de "Contents". It worked for me. If Gould wasn't "hot ice" then I really am confused...

Again to Kevin Bazzana via Jorgen: thanks for the clarification as to Joseph Stephens. Anyone who has read the 
Friedrich and Ostwald biographies must be just a little surprised by your statement. Whatever. No matter. 
What the late Joe Stephens did for the late Agi Jambor was worth the telling, even without those Toccatas, even
without Gould. 

Mary





Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2011 00:14:47 +0200
From: jorgen.lundmark at sundsvall.nu
To: f_minor at glenngould.org
Subject: Re: [f_minor] Being Kind and Kevin Bazzana



  


    
  
  
    Hello Mary,

    

    I didn't comment on the Ray Roberts part of your message since I
    don't have details. Kevin Bazzana on the other hand does:

    

    = FYI, yes it is Ray Roberts who has the “basement of mystery” where
    so much Gould material resides (assuming it hasn’t finally been
    moved to Ottawa)—definitely the recordings kept back by the estate,
    maybe also photos and such. (At some point, Bert Gould gave the
    estate a big trove of photos, many unique, some of which appeared in
    the “Life in Pictures” book—I don’t know if these have been put in
    the Ottawa archive.) There’s nothing “questionable” here; Ray has
    always had some sort of official consulting relationship with the GG
    estate. My point was not that anyone is doing anything illegal or
    underhanded, just that by scholarly/archival standards they are
    being shockingly cavalier about some unique and important and
    priceless material.

    

    = As to Joseph Stephens, just to clarify: he was never really
    “close” to Gould, and never claimed he was. They knew each other
    over a long period, but it was a not-very-deep telephone
    relationship, not a close friendship. JS actually stressed that to
    me when I chatted with him for my biography. Stephens and Peter
    Ostwald are often referred to in the literature close friends of
    Gould’s, but that was never the case—Ostwald’s conclusions have
    sometimes been given undue weight for this reason. His is a good
    book, but not because of any special, profound personal access to
    the subject.

    

    Two other vitally imporant matters:

    

    = I am not “far away and unapproachable”; just lazy and sullen and
    reluctant to get involved in most things.

    

    = “Wondrous Strange” is a terrible title but it is all I could come
    up with. I came up with it at the very last minute (ie, late on the
    night before the deadline for picking a title) while desperately
    flipping through Shakespeare, after a fruitless evening spent
    brainstorming with my wife. As far as I can tell, everyone on earth
    loves this title except me—strange. Incidentally, the original title
    (same Shakespeare reference) was “Wondrous Strange Snow”, which I
    actually like better, esp. with its appropriate “wintery” allusion
    and more direct connection to Shakespeare’s “hot ice” image, but I
    let my editor chop off the noun; by then I was too weary to care.
    I’ve written 2 other books and they too have the same problem: a
    title that I came up with desperately at the last minute and that
    everyone likes except me. If I ever write another book, I will WRITE
    THE TITLE FIRST and make sure it’s perfect before proceeding to Page
    1.

    

    K

    

    Hope this answers your questions.

    

    Regards,

    Jorgen

    

    maryellen jensen skrev 2011-06-21 04:04:
    
      
      
        

          Jorgen, You
          are Just. I was not Kind I was Honest. You merit that.
          

          

          I would love to pose a dozen or more questions to Kevin
          Bazzana but he seems

          so far away and unapproachable. 'Wondrous Strange' is a
          brilliant title for a brilliant biography.

          

          No one has answered my question about Ray Roberts.

          

          Only one person on F Minor ever acknowledged my email
          about Dr. Joe Stephens and Agi Jambor and

          it wasn't Kevin Bazzana. It was K. Papademas.

          

          The End of the Concert: you're correct. It's not a question of
          either/or. It never was, it never will be.

          I love chamber music live, I'm not worried about it.

          

          Zenph is utter crap and anyone who listens to it is crap as
          well.  

          

          If Sony wants to spend 3 Million Dollars to sign up Lang Lang
          why not? China is the big market. 

          China is also the largest market for bootleg crap but Sony
          prohibits M&A from distributing Honest 

          Gould Live. Go figure that one.  

          

          nota bene: You can still have holes in your socks on stage and
          on film in the recording studio. I have

          spoken with men who have even worn women's undergarments at
          war. It's all true, everything is permitted. 

          

          Mary

          

          

        
    
    

  


 		 	   		  
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