Glenn Gould: Hereafter (2006)

Glenn Gould remains an enigmatic, fascinating figure more than two decades after his death. This new film, directed by Gould's friend Bruno Monsaingeon, who has already written four books and made a 23-part TV series about him, is something very special. Taken from Gould's own words, the pianist himself seems to act as narrator in a retrospective on his life and art. A great deal of archival footage of both interviews and performances exemplify the pianist's genius and eccentricities. There are modern-day interviews as well. One with an Italian woman who comes to hang out with a sculpture of Gould in front of the CBC building in Toronto lets us in on the emotional effect he had on people, and many others discuss how he changed their perceptions of music. Gould himself is remarkably insightful in interviews. He seems to have been a man incapable of being boring or thoughtless. And, of course, the music speaks for itself. You'll hear some of the most stunning playing. Even those of us who already know and appreciate Gould will find new things here. This film is an eye- and ear-opening delight. --Robert Levine Amazon.com

Not All Is Gould That Glitters

Mr. Morrisson is a terrific reviewer - and I hate to disagree with him so strongly... but I want to put forward to consideration at least the possibility that this Monsaigneon film about Glenn Gould's Ghost (more or less) is an awful piece of shlock and surely (hopefully) Monsaigneon's worst effort. (I don't much like his Boulanger one either, but that's a.) an early work and b.) not nearly as tacky as this hagiography here.)

I won't say that this film *is* terrible, but I think it will be terrible to many viewers who approach this with high hopes of learning more about GG, the person (or musician, for that matter). Anyone who has read and enjoyed Kevin Bazzana's "A Wondrous Strange", for example, might approach this one with caution. Why? Well, because it's a hooky and kookey collection of reminiscenses about Gould by people who are in love with the idea of Gould. A Russian lady had her rheumaticism cured by listening to Gould on the radio, an Italian lady talks to (and even kisses? I don't remember) his spirit and statue in Toronto... it's the kind of mystisizing of Gould that will seem (legitimately) creepy to a lot of people. I could barely watch the whole thing. 'Tis tacky and really has nothing to do with Gould but rather the wackiness that he inspired in others - others who didn't even know him.

For what it is worth: I have talked to a friend of Glenn Gould's who has written prolifically about him (and edited his letters), who similarly shuddered in disgust about this film.

With so much visual material that is left of Gould himself (CBC material, his radio shows et al.), this can't be considered as seriously contributing to our understanding of Gould. I'd much rather recommend the "Thirty Two Short Films about Glenn Gould" semi-filmography.

To those who feel inclined to agree with the other, very positive reviews: I wish not to be so ungraceful as to take a bone from a dog... but caveat emptor! June 5, 2008

If you like Glenn Gould

This is a Must Have for the many people who really like Glenn Gould. The clips of him discussing things, rehearsing, and playing are priceless. The viewer/listener gets real insights into Gould, his life and his musical insights. July 13, 2007

Y despues?

In his musings about death and the hereafter the poet Garcia Lorca wrote his "Y Despues" which opens with the beautiful line: Los laberintos que crea el tiempo se desvanecen. Just like the literary labyrinth builder Borges, whom Glenn Gould greatly admired, the Canadian pianist may no longer be with us, but his creations still find eager audiences and don't appear to be losing their prominence.

Bruno Monsaigeon worked twice with Gould himself. The first collaboration in the late seventies resulted in a trio of Chemins de la Musique programs, which can now be purchased on the Gould "Alchemist" DVD. The second series in the early eighties resulted in "the question of instrument", "an art of the fugue" and "the Goldberg variations". All three were issued on VHS and later DVD and can be purchased after a little search work

The various Gould biographers have shown how all of these films were scripted from A to Z by Gould himself and how seemingly spontaneous conversations between Monsaigeon and the pianist were penned ahead. While Monsaigneon has since made a number of strong documentaries most notably "Richter, the Enigma" and filmed what may be the best piano recital available on DVD "Sokolov Live in Paris" this brique a brack DVD is disappointing.

In "Hereafter" Monsaigneon has combined some new and a number previously released fragments of Gould footing with the response of some fans. The documentary lacks a clear structure and new viewpoint. In addition, I did not get too much out of the testimony of the Gould groopies. Ok, Freud would be proud to see a hot chick with a tattoo of the opening bar of Bach's Goldberg Variations just a few inches above her erogenous zone, but one has to wonder, and Monsaigneon should have considered, how Gould himself, whom the Frenchman himself referred to as "the last Puritan" would have felt about inclusion of such footage. While fellow reviewers liked the long footage of Gould riding his car over the northern highways, it did not necessarily strike me as the strongest metaphor either.

What remains are some new music fragments and snippets from interviews. These are interesting and this DVD's raison d'etre. To me the most interesting was the warp speed (55'') 1948 home recording of Chopin's second etude from Opus 10. This is a truly intriguing minute of music. Don't get me wrong Glenn was technically far more adept than many may think. I can still remember how a friend of mine who by now has made quite a career as a concert pianist almost fell of his chair when I played him my recently purchased Gould "Little Prelude and Fugue" lp in 1981. Yet, the Chopin etude is played at a speed that I am not even certain Marc-Andre Hamelin could reproduce. This recording may be "authentic', but the level of right to left hand coordination is not up to Gould's par, even at 16 years old. In the late forties Gould had a short Horowitz obsession period in which he even went as far as putting one of the Russian's objects for technique display, Listz's "au bord d'une source" on his concert repertoire. His biographies mention that Glenn invited a friend to split up hands in this very Chopin etude to "out-Horowitize" the master. While the speed of the performance is still so high that even a performance with fingers 1, 2 and 3 is impressive, it would still be a far cry from the intended fingers 3, 4, and 5. Creative lying? We may never know.

In despite of the novel footage, the lack of a clear structure and the fan blabber that could be gathered for almost every artist greatly reduced my enthusiasm. Not convinced? Compare this documentary to "the Russian Journey" that is also available on dvd. That program contains many of the elements of "Hereafter" but is much more substantial, insightful and "Gould" than the current issue.

For those interested, the following is a listing of all musical fragments appearing on this dvd:

PROKOFIEV: Vision Fugitive Op.22 No.1 - 1973
BRAHMS: Intermezzo Op.117 No.2 - 1964
J.S. BACH: Goldberg Variations - Aria - 1982
J.S. BACH: Goldberg Variations - Aria, suite / Goldberg Variations - Variation 15 / Partita No.5, BWV 829 - 1957
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No.4 (Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Ernest MacMillan) - 1951
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No.1 (CBC Symphony orchestra, conducted by Paul Sherman) - 1954
MENDELSSOHN: Rondo Capriccioso - 1948 (Home recording)
God Save the Queen - 1961
GOULD: Lieberson Madrigal for 4 voices and piano - 1990
CHOPIN: Etude Op.10 No.2 - 1948 (Home recording)
Star Spangled Banner - 1961
SCHUBERT (arr Gould) - Symphony No.5 - 1955
J.S. BACH: E flat major Fugue for organ - 1962
J.S. BACH: Cantata; BWV 54 "Wiederstehe doch der Sünde" (Glenn Gould, piano and conductor String Orchestra - Russel Oberlin, Counter-tenor) - 1962
GIBBONS: Lord of Salisbury Pavan - 1974
HINDEMITH: Sonata No.3 in B flat major - 1950
J.S. BACH: Goldberg Variations - Aria - 1964
SCARLATTI: Sonata in B minor L.475 - 1946 (Home recording)
BEETHOVEN: "Eroica" Variations - 1961
BEETHOVEN: Sonata Op.109 - 1963
WEBER: Konzertstück for piano and orchestra (Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Ernest MacMillan) - 1951
J.S. BACH: The Art of the Fugue - 1979
J.S. BACH: English Suite No.1 - 1974
SIBELIUS: Sonatina Op.67 No.1 - 1973
BEETHOVEN: Sonata Op.10 No.2 - 1956 (Home recording)
MOZART: Fantasy and Fugue in C major K.394 - 1957
J.S. BACH: Goldberg Variations (Rehearsal) - 1981
GOULD: Improvisation on a theme by Chopin - 1981
MOZART: Sonata in A major K.331 - 1966
GOULD: String Quartet, Op.1 (Bruno Monsaingeon, Gilles Apap, Jean-Marc Apap, Marc Coppey) - 1991
SCHÖNBERG: Violin and Piano Fantasy (Yehudi Menuhin, Glenn Gould) - 1966
STRAUSS (arr Gould): Elektra - 1966
BACH: The Art of the Fugue - Contrapunctus XV - 1981
WAGNER: Siegfried Idyll (Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Glenn Gould) - 1982
WAGNER (arr Gould): Siegfried Idyll - 1973

Spoiler:
A short search on youtube will give you access to this whole documentary and also "the Russian Journey" that I mentioned above.
April 20, 2007

A Revealing Perspective on a Musical Genius

This is a DVD which captures the spirit of Glenn Gould. He was a musician who transcended the accepted, the mechanical, the artificial. He was one with the composer. Mr. Monsaingeon successfully conveys these ideas through his film.
Among the treasures of this work are some excerpts where Gould conducts elephants in a zoo, or when private recordings of his practice sessions are revealed (exposing his substantial voice accompaniment to his piano playing).

It is a DVD of importance and inspiration. November 20, 2006

more than Gouldiana

Glenn Gould has become a cottage industry, I guess. What does it matter, when films this fine come along. Bruno Monsaigneon strikes gold with a fresh look at a music giant. All Monsaigneon's films are gems. (his film of Menuhin's return to Russia - the patience and vision sticks with me. It should be made available again.) Monsaigneon arranges his films like subtle puzzles, like paintings. Hereafter is exquisite in that way. Most of the footage used is new to me, and that's saying something since video Gouldiana is abundant, most of it repetitive in varying degrees. Hereafter's colors and sounds are modern and true, even kindly, in their way, as Gould was in his. Monsaigneon divulges a keen cinematic palette so authoritatively it seems nonchalant. Rather much like Gould's playing. His honest affection for Gould is evident. It is, moreover, adoration of Gould's art that sings and makes this film what it is. Gould's playing throughout is stupendous, baronial, overwhelming. I've never seen footage like it! A few high wires, and always that truth-telling sound that was Gould's alone, that wins souls. Absolute recommendation to both acolyte and novice. Thanks Monsaigneon for your painstaking work. And for always looking after Glenn Gould. This piece is a winner - don't hesitate. November 6, 2006

More reviews at Amazon.com ...