Re: JCO: Glenn Gould & the JCO short story Premature Autobiography

Hi, Steve.  In the story "Premature Autobiography," the genius-pianist Breuer listens to the student-heroine play one of her own compositions on the piano; then he remarks: "It is all very cold, what you have done...but is that a bad word 'cold'?  I mean it is logical, it is not very like a girl.  It is not to be expected, this kind of thing.  You are a daughter of Bach....?"

     I think the story, if inspired by Gould, would not have presented Gould directly as a biographical figure -- for example GG's humming along with himself as he plays.  The character Breuer, I think, would be a composite of many elements: Gould, recordings of Gould's playing as heard by JCO, other musicians JCO has heard, other people JCO knows, and JCO herself.

     If anybody is able to get hold of the story "Premature Autobiography," (It's in the 1976 story collection The Goddess and Other Women) let's have a discussion here about it in the days ahead.

      In brief, "Premature Autobiography" is about "a famous man (Breuer) and an unknown girl; a man of 42 and a girl of 18." who meet in 1955 at "Sisley Academy," a music conservatory in the posh Delaware neighborhood of Buffalo, NY (a neighborhood, I note, that contains at least three Frank Lloyd Wright houses built in the early 1900s).  The young girl-composer is, of course, bowled over by her mentor Breuer and (Watch out! I give away the plot here!!!) Has an affair with him, which lifts him out of the clinical depression that has bogged down his work for several years.  There are some nice images & side themes in the story: a long, elegant cigar ash that is thoughtlessly flicked away.  The girl's off-stage mother, whose fate becomes an Appointment in Samara for the girl by the end of the story. An autobiography of Breuer, which is published 14 years after their affair.  I'd love to read it with some of you aficionados.  Anybody game? 

Cyrano

 

In a message dated 8/11/2007 9:00:01 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, jandsmerritt@earthlink.net writes:

Hi Randy, Cyrano and Everyone:

I  don't have a suggestion for a specific story.  Glenn Gould was especially known for certain things:  giving up doing concerts in favor of just making recordings, making vocal noises while he played, and what were considered profound but sometimes eccentric interpretations of composers like Bach.  Does this sound like anyone in a JCO story?

 

Steve 

Hi, Randy.  Well, it's not "Nightmusic" -- that's Mozart.  The trespassing composer in the novel Nemesis resembles Ned Rorem.  Let's see...I would guess the guest genius at a Buffalo conservatory, Breuer, in the the story "Premature Autobiography" (The Goddess & Other Women).  As a little intellectual foreplay, he tells the young heroine to "Talk to me on the piano." I don't know enough about Glenn Gould to say for sure.  What do you think?

 

In a message dated 8/10/2007 11:45:55 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, tinmachine@earthlink.net writes:

Hi All,

Here's a query for you: does anyone recall a JCO story or character that was directly or indirectly inspired by the pianist Glenn Gould? An encyclopedia entry suggests there is such a story, but does not give any further clue.

Thanks

Randy

 

 

---

Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com.

RE: JCO: Glenn Gould

Hi Randy, Cyrano and Everyone:

I  don't have a suggestion for a specific story.  Glenn Gould was especially known for certain things:  giving up doing concerts in favor of just making recordings, making vocal noises while he played, and what were considered profound but sometimes eccentric interpretations of composers like Bach.  Does this sound like anyone in a JCO story?

 

Steve 

Hi, Randy.  Well, it's not "Nightmusic" -- that's Mozart.  The trespassing composer in the novel Nemesis resembles Ned Rorem.  Let's see...I would guess the guest genius at a Buffalo conservatory, Breuer, in the the story "Premature Autobiography" (The Goddess & Other Women).  As a little intellectual foreplay, he tells the young heroine to "Talk to me on the piano." I don't know enough about Glenn Gould to say for sure.  What do you think?

 

In a message dated 8/10/2007 11:45:55 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, tinmachine@earthlink.net writes:

Hi All,

Here's a query for you: does anyone recall a JCO story or character that was directly or indirectly inspired by the pianist Glenn Gould? An encyclopedia entry suggests there is such a story, but does not give any further clue.

Thanks

Randy

 

---

Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com.