CONVERSATIONS WITH GLENN GOULD

Yet another go-round for Cott's 1974 two-part Glenn Gould interview--which originally appeared in Rolling Stone, resurfaced in Cott's Forever Young collection (1977), and now, after Gould's death, returns in book form. Cott is a flattering, essentially uncritical, well-informed questioner. Gould happily elaborates on his theories of quasi-mystical piano performance. (""The problem then is to have a sufficient advance and/or extra-tactile experience of the music so that anything that the piano does isn't permitted to get in the way."") He discusses his antipathy for Mozart and the Beatles, his ""metaphorical"" article on Petula Clark's greatness (which sounds more nonsensically pretentious than ever), his influences (Rosalyn Tureck above all), his recording techniques, his love for Wagner, Orlando Gibbons, and Barbra Streisand--as well as some of the well-known eccentricities (singing along, posture at the piano), but no real personal material. And this small volume is filled out with the transcript of a post-interview Gould-to-Cott phone call (details on that famous George Szell run-in), a discography, and lists of radio/TV/film appearances. Some curious, provocative musicological material for specialists--but a slight addition overall to the Gould-iana shelf. (See Glenn Gould: Variations, 1983, John McGreevey, Ed., for a more substantial documentary view.)