Love, Russia and the Next Glenn Gould

Glenn in Love?

The enigma
“I think there were a lot of misconceptions about Glenn and it was partly because he was so very private. But I assure you, he was an extremely heterosexual man. Our relationship was, among other things, quite sexual.”
Cornelia Foss – (read more here)

Two paintings by Cornelia Foss and more here.

His secret love affair has not been translated into another film project as of this date. Now Youtube has a great film on his journey to Russia, divided into six parts.

Gould’s 1957 trip to the Soviet Union, when he became, at age 24, the first North American to perform behind the Iron Curtain

part one

Part Two
Bach was banned in Russia, his music considered to be a church music. Glenn seemed to have come from Mars, Moscow’s public were electrified.
Part Three
Glenn introduced Viennese school to Russian musicians, Schoneberg Berg and Webern.
Glenn’s post card includes his observation about the dogs (or lack of them) in Moscow.
Part four
Conquering Leningrad
Part five
Plays Dimitri Shostokovich and Prokofiev.
Part six
He will remain the greatest communicator of Bach in our time.

The “Next Glenn Gould” is a young mother living in Brooklyn.
Her name is Simone Dinnerstein.
(Read The Goldberg Variations Made New from Slate.)

Visit her space here.

Gould as Umeboshi

Bach, Beethoven and Glenn Gould