The Great Gould

by Peter Goddard

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A startling new portrait of Gould, including never-before-seen material.


Glenn Gould's astonishing recordings deliver that unmistakable jolt of genius to each generation newly discovering the great Canadian pianist. With the support of the Glenn Gould Estate, Peter Goddard draws on his own interviews with Gould and on new, and in some cases overlooked, sources to present a freshly revealing portrait of Gould's unsettled life, his radical decision to quit concertizing, his career as a radio innovator, and his deep response to the Canadian environment. Sci-fi and hi-fi, hockey and Petula Clark, Elvis, jazz, chess, the Beatles, and sex - all these inform this exploration of the pianist's far-reaching imagination. There is even a touching account of the only piano lesson Gould ever gave.

This is the perfect gift for anyone new to classical music and those already immersed in it, for those with an interest in Canadian music, in Glenn Gould himself, and in what led to The Goldberg Variations, one of the greatest recordings in music history.
  • ISBN10 1459733096
  • ISBN13 9781459733091
  • Publish Date 12 September 2017 (first published 19 August 2017)
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country CA
  • Imprint Dundurn Group Ltd
  • Format Hardcover (US Trade)
  • Pages 176
  • Language English