Before he was a Canadian legend, a 27-year-old Glenn Gould shared his concerns about performing
In honour of what would have been his 85th birthday, a look back at an interview with the iconic pianist
On what would have been his 85th birthday, we look at back at an intimate interview with legendary Canadian pianist Glenn Gould from the CBC archives.
In 1959, Gould — then only 27 years old — shared with the CBC why he prefers recording in the studio over performing in public.
Most people find that recording is very trying. They feel uneasy in the presence of something that is going to be permanent.- Glenn Gould, pianist
"I much prefer the recording," he said. "I gather that this is not the standard reaction, because most people find that recording is very trying. They feel uneasy in the presence of something that is going to be permanent. And the microphone conveys this to them. But I feel quite the opposite."
In the interview, Gould also said that when he was my teens and still at school, he "didn't do any travelling at all."
"The only city in which I really played was Toronto," he said. "And perhaps once or twice a year there. And so, if I did any performing at all, it had to be on the radio. And I became so used to these media, to being alone in the studio, that nothing else mattered."
For more throwbacks like this one, visit the CBC Digital Archives.