Glenn Gould - Life & Times [DVD];

Kultur Video presents an insightful biography of the multi-faceted Glenn Gould: the man and the musician—eccentric, loner, genius, jokester, broadcaster, documentary producer and world-acclaimed pianist. When Glenn Gould made his professional debut at the age of 14, classical music lovers had never heard anything like him and his vibrant and bold approach to the classics enthralled audiences. His technique on the piano and his music interpretations were unique, just like the man himself. The popular image of Gould as a tortured genius—the frail hypochondriac who lived a solitary nocturnal existence—is only partly true; he was also witty and fun-loving. He suffered chronic stage fright, and would sit very low in his chair, humming and singing as he played. Gould stopped performing in public when he was 32: "I detest audiences…I think they are a force of evil," he once said. Later in life, when recording his music and radio documentaries, he started working only at night. Towards the end, Gould obsessively catalogued every aspect of his health. He stopped eating properly, rarely slept and died of a stroke when he was only 50 years old. This documentary includes remarkable archival footage of Gould performing, relaxing, working in his recording studio, and being interviewed. BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE: • A performance of Bach: Concerto No. 5 in F minor, Largo and Presto • A performance of Bach: Fugue No. 4 NTSC - Region 1 • A short CBC-TV clip of Gould speaking to an audience of children.