On interpretation – Where is Glenn Gould?
A beloved statement by many classical musicians nowadays is the humble and noble device: ‘The task of a performer is to interpret Music according to the intentions of the composer and not according to his personal feelings and emotions’.
In this context I remember an interview with the great harpsichord player Gustav Leonhardt, stating: ‘I really haven’t got a lot to tell. My only task is to act as a medium between a composer and an audience. I don’t understand where this cult of soloists is based on. The composers and only the composers are the real stars.’
It is difficult to overestimate the immense contribution to the understanding and communication of old music that Leonhardt has offered. But I find it difficult to agree with this point of view. What does it imply to claim to understand the intentions of a composer fully?
I think it isn’t possible. There are so many social, physical and psychological aspects that define the real intention of a composer, that we can never grab it entirely. Ultimately, we hardly will be able to present some kind of alternative, but weakened version of the original.
I strongly believe we should engage our personality in music. We should not submit ourselves to the music; we have to play the music according to our personality.
Ofcourse we should be conscious about the style of the music we play. In tonal music we have to understand each note harmonically, contrapuntically. We have to understand the form of the music we play, we have to study phrasing and articulation inherent to the style we play. We might read about the composer, about his life and his social environment; even about the political context.
So, now I seem to agree totally to Leonhardt, undermining my previous argumentation…
Only, having said this all about harmony, counterpoint, stylish consciousness, etc… there is one thing that has to be done before we can truly make music:
We should forget it. And let it free, expressing our inner voice. This is what the cultpianist Glenn Gould was doing, although he expressed as well his outer voice while he played – but this is of no issue here.
And, maybe, Mr. Leonhardt was also expressing unconsciously his personality through the music he played, albeit his cited phrase, and we might agree in the end.
A beloved statement by many classical musicians nowadays is the humble and noble device: ‘The task of a performer is to interpret Music according to the intentions of the composer and not according to his personal feelings and emotions’.
In this context I remember an interview with the great harpsichord player Gustav Leonhardt, stating: ‘I really haven’t got a lot to tell. My only task is to act as a medium between a composer and an audience. I don’t understand where this cult of soloists is based on. The composers and only the composers are the real stars.’
It is difficult to overestimate the immense contribution to the understanding and communication of old music that Leonhardt has offered. But I find it difficult to agree with this point of view. What does it imply to claim to understand the intentions of a composer fully?
I think it isn’t possible. There are so many social, physical and psychological aspects that define the real intention of a composer, that we can never grab it entirely. Ultimately, we hardly will be able to present some kind of alternative, but weakened version of the original.
I strongly believe we should engage our personality in music. We should not submit ourselves to the music; we have to play the music according to our personality.
Ofcourse we should be conscious about the style of the music we play. In tonal music we have to understand each note harmonically, contrapuntically. We have to understand the form of the music we play, we have to study phrasing and articulation inherent to the style we play. We might read about the composer, about his life and his social environment; even about the political context.
So, now I seem to agree totally to Leonhardt, undermining my previous argumentation…
Only, having said this all about harmony, counterpoint, stylish consciousness, etc… there is one thing that has to be done before we can truly make music:
We should forget it. And let it free, expressing our inner voice. This is what the cultpianist Glenn Gould was doing, although he expressed as well his outer voice while he played – but this is of no issue here.
And, maybe, Mr. Leonhardt was also expressing unconsciously his personality through the music he played, albeit his cited phrase, and we might agree in the end.