Gould's Liszt's Beethoven's Fifth...
Sébastien Melmoth | Hôtel d'Alsace, PARIS | 04/14/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
".
Gould's Liszt's Beethoven's Fifth is a strange realization.
Gould sees the piece as a gestalt--which is a good thing.
The first movement he plays like the early Beethoven sonatas.
He expands the time scale of the second movement, which is also a good thing.
However, in the third movement GG seems a little fussy to me: but I hasten to add that I think this is Liszt's fault: I think Liszt's transcription is quirky. The last movement has those tremolos which Gould termed, "the worst excesses of Aunt Sadie at the upright [!]." One might imagine an old silent film accompaniment with the villan tieing the heroine to the railroad tracks: it's bathos at it's worst: hilarious. But Gould is just following Liszt's score.
Recommend art lovers obtain the whole recording of GG's B's Sixth Glenn Gould Edition: Beethoven/Liszt.
."
Beethoven's Fifth for Piano Solo
Thomas Clark | Weatogue, CT United States | 01/19/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This CD is top-rate. The recording quality is excellent. Some piano recordings can sound distant--not this one. You feel like you're standing next to the piano. Glenn Gould plays Beethoven's Fifth Symphony with flawless virtuosity, and he stays true to the symphony. The piano arrangement by Liszt captures the symphony's message, and you will want to turn up the volume and listen to every note. If you like Beethoven's Fifth and you like solo piano, this CD is a winner. Note that only the first movement of the Sixth Symphony is on this CD."
One of the most pyramidal achievements of Mr Gould!
Hiram Gomez Pardo | Valencia, Venezuela | 03/02/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This record is simply a musical treasure. Glenn Gould made a glorious and breathtaking performance of this score, maintaining an expressive lyricism, and idiomatic approach about this hard to play transcription. Gould knew to express the inner tensions and the force of this quintessential Symphony. You won't miss the original version for whole orchestra.
A sublime masterwork which proved again the huge loss that meant for all the world the early vanishing of this giant keyboardist.
In memoriam: 1932-1982."
