Glenn Gould, long viewed as an enigmatic and isolated genius, is being rediscovered through new biographies, testimonies, and films. Once known mainly for his reclusive lifestyle, studio-only career, and lifelong bachelorhood, recent research reveals his romantic relationships, expressive humanity, and inspired live performances. This article surveys new books, films, and scholarly perspectives that together reconstruct a more vivid and three-dimensional portrait of Gould as both an artist and a man.

Because he remained unmarried throughout his life and revealed almost nothing about his private life, Gould is often described in such terms.
October 18, 2011

A mysterious pianist.
Research advances.
The true face of the genius Gould… from the Nikkei evening cultural section.

Glen Gould, the unparalleled genius pianist.
A legend has been built around his enigmatic life and distinctive performance style.
But now that research has advanced, critical studies and films that approach the true figure behind the icon are appearing one after another.

A heretical genius who retired from concert activity at the age of 31 and performed only in the recording studio.
A solitary pianist who loved a quiet life at his villa on the outskirts of Toronto, Canada, his hometown.
Because he remained unmarried throughout his entire life and revealed very little about his private life, Gould is often spoken of in such words.

Romances in his life.

Among such circumstances, a biography has appeared that captures an image different from the conventional one.
It is Glenn Gould: The Secret Life (translated by Kayoko Iwata, published by Michi Shuppan), whose Japanese translation was released this fall.
The author is Canadian journalist Michael Clarkson.
He is a writer who once succeeded in interviewing J. D. Salinger, the American author who had severed ties with the worldly public.

He wrote love letters to women he had only just met, and even boarded airplanes—despite his strong dislike of flying—to visit a lover.
Based on the testimonies of women who were involved with him, the book reveals numerous romances to approach his true image.
Through the direct voices of women such as Cornelia Foss, a painter and the wife of American composer Lukas Foss, who had a long relationship with Gould, part of his life—shrouded in mystery—comes to light.

In the film Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould, opening on the 29th, his former lovers also speak about his true face.
Private photographs with Cornelia are revealed, offering glimpses of his affectionate expressions.
His continued longing for her even after their breakup is painful, and a living human being with warmth emerges.

Bringing light to his stage performances.

Izumiko Aoyagi’s book Glenn Gould (Chikuma Shobō), published in July, also discusses previously unreleased live recordings, shedding light on the period of his career as a stage performer, which has rarely been revisited.
“Among performers there remains a deeply rooted prejudice against Gould, based on the idea that the essence of a performer lies on the stage.
But his concert performances were also magnificent,” says Aoyagi, herself a pianist.
A unique technique that separated each note distinctly.
An interpretation that disassembled a work and reconstructed it into something entirely different.
In studio recordings, such individuality stands at the forefront.
But in live performances, “he could play beautifully, singing smoothly, and deliver performances full of inspiration.”

Another July publication, The Ten Greatest Pianists of the Twentieth Century (Gentosha, written by Yusuke Nakagawa), also features Gould.
It introduces anecdotes such as Arthur Rubinstein telling him, “You will return to the front lines (of concert performance).”
Other works continue to appear, including A Romance on Three Legs: Glenn Gould’s Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano (Katie Hafner, translated by Keisuke Suzuki, Chikuma Ippō), which focuses on his beloved piano and tuner.

Professor Junichi Miyazawa of Aoyama Gakuin University, a leading researcher on Gould, says:
“As his passionate performances and human aspects have come to be known, the image of the artist is becoming more three-dimensional.”
He himself plans to publish a biography next year, the 30th anniversary of Gould’s death.

In the United States, a documentary film is in production.
Shy yet passionate.
Cool and intellectual in his studio recordings, and filled with heat in his live performances.
Interest in this complex and elusive pianist shows no sign of fading.
(Yuko Seki, Culture Department)