WKCR BACHFEST 2008!

For me the holiday season does bring something cool to NYC. Thanks to the good people at WKCR, I get to listen to a week of great music from J.S. Bach. I look forward to it every year and I keep the radio tuned to 89.9 throughout the apartment. Glenn Gould gets a noteworthy chunk of airtime, of course. Keith Jarrett, Wanda Landowski, Rosalyn Tureck, E. Power Biggs, Segovia and many other great musicians that have put down some incredible performances juice up the airwaves. So glad that these artists existed and that circumstances enabled them to leave these recordings behind. 

As a pianist it is impossible for me to have learned without listening to Gould. His sense of time and insight into this music as well as his perspective on life make for a truly rich connection. Upon first hearing Glenn's recordings I was immediately blown away. After discovering all the film footage of him performing and discussing music I felt as though I had found a mini music school. I probably learned more from this than much of my time studying at the conservatory. His radio programs were incredible. I remember one in which he traveled 1000 miles due north of Winnipeg to a tiny town called Churchill on Hudson Bay. He was, to say the least, all encompassing of interesting things. Most of all was the sweet music.

Back to listening...