Wondrous Strange: The Life and Art of Glenn Gould

by Kevin Bazzana

Book Overview

When Mikhail Baryshnikov defected in Toronto in 1974, he admitted that he knew only three things about Canada: It had great hockey teams, a lot of wheatfields, and Glenn Gould.
In Wondrous Strange, Kevin Bazzana vividly recaptures the life of Glenn Gould, one of the most celebrated pianists of our time. Drawing on twenty years of intensive research, including unrestricted access to Gould's private papers and interviews with scores of friends and...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195174402
• ISBN13: 9780195174403
• Release Date: April 2004
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 528 Pages
• Weight: 2.18 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

the mysteries of a perfect art

This unstoppably heartrending biography of Canadian pianist Glenn Gould unveils the mysteries of a perfect art more cogently and beautifully than has any other artist's biography I've ever come across. Kevin Bazzana has opened up Gould's eccentricities and placed them where finally they must sleep - merely deep in the natural whole of one of the inescapable musicians of the 20th century. Those lucky enough to know the meaning of the art of Glenn Gould will always be grateful for that achievement. This is a tremendous book. The moments when Bazzana's utterly secure love for Gould's art shines through are the most extraordinary aspect of a completely worthy biography. With deep and glistening writing Bazzana evokes every aspect of looking-at-Gould with the same sound character found in Gould's playing - it's an amazing experience! This is biographical literature extensive and schooled, and even wise; reading is like gliding on glass, so perfect is the author's determination, and Gould lives on every page. What could be better? Was ever a pianist's art more wonderful? Gould's playing is always extraordinary by every standard, and beyond. And not only the playing, of course; his mind, his understanding of music, his humor - these form the scaffolding of a remarkable artistic vision. For all his reclusion, his is the most giving human art, reaching to infinity. Art of the gods obtains dimensions the proof of which can be heard in everything he played. It's a consuming art, yet so freeing. The wondrous thing about it is how Gould kept so much of himself even as he spent lavishly on Bach and Byrd and Schoenberg. Music never overtook Gould - that task inevitably fell to Gould himself. By literature of this kind, the sadness that still lingers around Gould's death seems entirely transformed. This is a great book that ends too quickly and lingers too pervasively. Afford yourself the wealth.

This will stand as the definitive biography of Glenn Gould

The definitive biography of the idiosyncratic pianist Glenn Gould, who died of a massive stroke in 1982, nine days after his 50th birthday. Gould is often regarded as an anomaly, outside of any tradition, but this book places him in the context of his upper middle class Protestant upbringing and the cultural milieu of mid-twentieth century Canada. This book also dispels long-held myths about Glenn Gould.

Distinctive probe of Gould's memorable traits and influences

Twenty years of interviews with friends and colleagues of classical pianist Glenn Gould contribute to the biography Wonderous Strange: The Life And Art Of Glenn Gould: a masterpiece probing not just Gould's artistic life, but his family and social relationships. Kevin Bazzana holds a doctorate in music history: perhaps this is why his coverage is so scholarly and detailed in scope: yet as a freelance writer and editor, he's also more than able to add spice and insight into his work, making Wonderous Strange a distinctive probe of Gould's memorable traits and influences.

Extraordinary Bio...Very Accessible, Very Intelligent...

I've been perusing this book every chance I get at Borders. I can't wait to buy it! This has got to be hands-down the best bio on Gould you can read. And it is remarkably accessible. I'm no musician so hate it when writers go off on tangents describing a certain "contrapuntal line in 3/10 time over a 2/8...etc, etc", but this book is nothing of the kind. Anyone can come to it and enjoy it for what it is -- a candid, in-depth, and intelligent portrait of a genius. Also, full of revealing photographs. A must-buy for any music-lover, Classical or not, doesn't matter. Gould is indispensable and I agree with the author when he talks about a "cult of personality" surrounding Gould, a cult that approaches a "James Dean, Elvis Presley" stature. Believe it!

The book we have been waiting for

This book is extremely well written, well researched and covers all aspects of Gould's life including his early childhood, his health problems, his radio and TV activities and many things more. It is occasionally very entertaining (I had a lot of good laughs) and hard to put down. I lost two nights sleep over it in a most pleasant way but was nevertheless strangely alert the next morning. Somehow the uplifting energies of the master must have slipped in.Buy it, read it and give it as a gift to anybody who likes music or reading.I may hallucinate this, but even the style the book is written in seems to be "Gouldian"