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Summary: Very good book
Review: "Glenn Gould: A life and variations" is a very good book. Mr. Friederich writes wonderfully. If you want to read a book about mr. Gould, this is the book
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Summary: Genius Writing about a Genius Musician
Review: A lively and thorough review of the life of the genius that was Glenn Gould. Material presented in this biography starts with the days Glenn spent as a child in Toronto preparing himself to play the piano as no person has ever played it before, and few will ever master it in the future. Next was his early ascent to the glories and tribulations of the concert hall at the tender age of 13; his career in radio, TV; how Glenn outlived the shallow penetrating barbs of "professional" music critics; his dependency on prescription drugs to aid him in his hypochondriacal delusions about being in bad health, and finally his untimely death at the age of 50 in 1982. Precluding the tragedy of his death were intimate stories about his charm in relationships with such notable people as Felicia and Leonard Bernstein, to mention just one.It's obvious from this extensively researched material that Glenn Gould's life was not mundane, but highly complex, interesting and full of experimentation. Don't forget, it is Glenn Gould's recordings that are aboard Voyager spacecraft in hopes they will be heard by extraterrestrial beings. True he was known for being an eccentric, however, I prefer to make the case that it was that he was not a follower but an innovator, and was misunderstood by many with whom he did not come in direct contact. This book is the best researched, compiled, written piece I've read, and is a fitting tribute to the memory of Glenn Gould. The sensitivity of this writing makes me wish I had known Glenn - and could write as well as Otto Friedrich.
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Summary: The best Gould bio, period!
Review: Although Mr. Friedrich was a Gould fan, he brought the clear eye of the professional journalist to this work, with a balanced account of the man, the music, and the myth. Much better than Payzant's book, which read like the work of an obsessive sycophant. I'm looking forward to Kevin Bazzana's new bio... this presents a hard act to top.
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Summary: best overall syopsis
Review: Good introduction to the late pianist. Covers practically all aspects of his life/associates/work and gives some personal insight to what he was really like.
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Summary: As brilliant as Gould himself
Review: I am a fanatic when it comes to Bach keyboard music, and so Glenn is my hero. This biography is astounding in its depth, breadth, and compassion. The writing is excellent. Read it... full stop.
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Summary: As brilliant as Gould himself
Review: I am a fanatic when it comes to Bach keyboard music, and so Glenn is my hero. This biography is astounding in its depth, breadth, and compassion. The writing is excellent. Read it... full stop.
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Summary: Great bio
Review: I found this book to be the best overall general biography on Glenn Gould. Mr Friedrich did not personally know Gould, so we have what is a good look, objectively, of Gould. He had some very good interviews with some of Glenn's closest friends and those whom he worked with. I've read it more than 4 times. We are not overwhelmed from a Musician's biographical data here, but more of what is percieved through others here. Of Course, Friedrich has some personal views but really helps to move the book along. The biggest surprise is finding out how some individuals coped with having discussions (pre-written by Gould), and their responses prewritten for them....Interesting.
Great Book....
Rating:
Summary: A very good Biography
Review: I found this book to be the best overall general biography on Glenn Gould. Mr Friedrich did not personally know Gould, so we have what is a good look, objectively, of Gould. He had some very good interviews with some of Glenn's closest friends and those whom he worked with. I've read it more than 4 times. We are not overwhelmed from a Musician's biographical data here, but more of what is percieved through others here. Of Course, Friedrich has some personal views but really helps to move the book along. The biggest surprise is finding out how some individuals coped with having discussions (pre-written by Gould), and their responses prewritten for them....Interesting.
Great Book....
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Summary: Friedrich's book is the comprehensive work on Gould to date
Review: Otto Friedrich has combined spotless research, objectivity, and real empathy in what will probaly go down in history as the definitive book on this complex artist. His real understanding both of music and of a human being making music conspire to shape together a very readable and rereadable work. Gould has been covered in many ways by many authors, but never so comprehensively under one roof as he is here. Truly a must-read for anybody with even the slightest interest in the piano as it pertains to this century of music.
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Summary: The best biography available
Review: Otto Friedrich's biography of legendary pianist Glenn Gould is a dense, finely researched, extensive look at the man George Szell once described with the phrase, "That nut is a genius." I couldn't agree more. As a product of my culture, I was utterly ignorant of classical music growing up, seeing it as that boring music old people listened to when they didn't care anymore about dancing. Glenn Gould changed all that for me. One night at a dinner party, the host heard me say something disdainful about classical music, and he wordlessly turned around and put on Gould's 1955 rendition of the Goldberg Variations. I haven't been the same since. I now own every single recording he ever made; I still find it hard to keep from laughing at people who suggest Gould didn't know Bach better than anyone this side of God. While I can recognize that other renditions have merit, to this day I cannot hear a Bach keyboard piece without comparing it to Gould's version. This book was a wonderful companion to those recordings, and I heartily recommend it to anyone who wants to understand how genius and lunacy go so often hand in hand.
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