Glenn Gould: The Ecstasy and Tragedy of Genius
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.48 (783 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0393040771 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 368 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 0000-00-00 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
In this acclaimed biography, the late psychiatrist Peter Ostwald - an accomplished violinist and longtime personal friend of Gould's - raises many questions about Gould and his music. The Canadian pianist Glenn Gould was a child prodigy and a musical genius whose 1955 recording of Bach's "Goldberg Variations" catapulted him to world fame. He died at fifty of a massive stroke. Was his genius sponsored by eccentricity or vice versa? Do those with genius sacrifice themselves for a higher ideal while remaining personally unfulfilled? Ostwald lays bare the energy and contradiction behind Gould's brilliance.. He was also plagued by lifelong depression, was terrified of playing before live audiences, and consumed prescription drugs by the handful
Lucid prose captures Gould's formidable, unconventional virtuosity and unmasks a deeply troubled man who was uncomfortable with audiences, fearful of human contact, and able to maintain relationships only when he was in complete control. The eccentricities and the genius, as Ostwald persuasively demonstrates, were inextricably intertwined. Peter Ostwald, who died shortly after completing this sensitive analysis of the legendary Canadian pianist Glenn Gould (1932-82), is one of those rare biographers equally qualified to assess his subject's artistry and psychology. . Founder of the Health Program for Performing Artists, the psychiatrist-author was also Gould's friend for 20 years
I found this book exploitative at best. Quite frankly a condescending work. A cold, clinical summation of a man's life. A clumsy attempt by Ostwald to portray himself as a musical expert while sprinkling an utterly dry work with his own medical opinion of a man who was never his patient. Whatever the author's relationship to the artist, I found this book exploitative at best.. Interesting, but should be read with reservations. A Customer Glenn Gould was, by all accounts, a fascinating and extraordinary man, but difficult to know ; apart from his art, he was renowned for his perceived eccentricity, his reclusiveness, and his wish to keep his private life entirely hidden and separate from his public persona. Various books and endless articles have attempted to present a portrait of Gould, but to my mind, no writer has ever come c. "An excellent, interesting life review and interpretation" according to Paul T. Dube', MD. Ostwald has done an excellent job of ferreting out the details of an unusual life and making it readable, regardless of the readers experience in music and/or medicine. The book can be read cover to cover, or the reader can easily jump around without losing too much from not reading previous chapters.I have heard it said that Ostwald is somehow "jealous" of Gould and that his book is a restitut