It seems right to mention, on the day that Leonard Cohen is set to receive the Glenn Gould Prize at Massey Hall, that Sony Classical has reissued Toronto-based Rhombus Media’s Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould on DVD.
- Classical Music 101: What Does A Conductor Do? - June 17, 2019
- Classical Music 101 | What Does Period Instrument Mean? - May 6, 2019
- CLASSICAL MUSIC 101 | What Does It Mean To Be In Tune? - April 23, 2019
We’re only a year shy of marking François Girard’s wonderful film’s 20th anniversary, yet it still feels fresh.
Colm Feore, although so different from Gould physically, somehow manages to capture the broad outlines of the legendary pianist’s presence and speech.
Many biographical books later, Gould remains as much a mystery as he was while alive. The beauty of Girard’s 32 vignettes, meant to mirror the flow of the Goldberg Variations, is how they evoke and suggest just enough to help us think we know a little bit more about the person behind the extraordinary pianist.
Sony Classical, which tries hard to keep its web information as hard-to-find as possible, has cheaped out by not adding a shred of background to this DVD. There are no extras, nor is there even a booklet.
Here, customer, watch the film and don’t ask questions, the media giant appears to be saying. Thank goodness Girard’s work largely speaks for itself.
Here’s a fine 45-second slice:
John Terauds
- Classical Music 101: What Does A Conductor Do? - June 17, 2019
- Classical Music 101 | What Does Period Instrument Mean? - May 6, 2019
- CLASSICAL MUSIC 101 | What Does It Mean To Be In Tune? - April 23, 2019
