Glenn Gould - The Radio Artist (2007)

This special edition 5 CD box set brings together all of the documentaries in the CBC Records catalogue featuring Glenn Gould in a role he excelled in, that of the radio artist.

Through almost a decade of international touring and public performances (1955-1964), Gould regularly played studio recitals, appeared with the CBC’s radio orchestras, and gave on-air interviews and talks on musical subjects. Gould’s exit from the concert stage in 1964 released his full energy into the electronic media. His multi-layered ‘contrapuntal’ structure in documentary-making was extremely innovative at the time of its creation and remains entirely unique in that landscape.

The Solitude Trilogy, as prepared and produced by Gould, presents three radio documentaries which examine the lives of people living in isolation. CD 1, The Idea of North, was a natural topic for Gould as the north had fascinated him since childhood. Gould describes it as follows, “The Idea of North is that condition of solitude which is neither exclusive to the north nor the prerogative of those who go north but which does, perhaps, appear, with all its ramifications, a bit more clearly to those who have made, if only in their imagination, the journey north.”

For CD 2, The Latecomers, Gould turns to Newfoundland, a province historically somewhat distant and separate from the rest of Canada. Gould states, “Newfoundland itself is a fantasy – a disadvantaged piece of real-estate set adrift between two cultures – unable to forget its spiritual tie to one, unable to wholly accept its economic dependence on the other.

CD 3, The Quiet in the Land, examines the isolated life of the Mennonite community at Red River, Manitoba. The documentary looks at this religious group, long separate from the mainstream of Canadian life and how they cope with the increasing pressures from so-called modern and contemporary influences.

As innovative as Gould was in weaving talk and music through the relatively serious topic of isolation in the Solitude Trilogy, the Radio Documentaries based on the lives of musicians Pablo Casals – CD 4, and Leopold Stokowski – CD 5, allowed Gould to present some extraordinary moments with two extraordinary artists. As one fan states, “ Brilliant … he has Stokowski discussing not just music, but the planets, the solar system … and the Casals material … Pablo’s infectious yearning for music expressed to and from his students is inspiring.”