STEWART GOODYEAR PLAYS GLENN GOULD

ALL ABOUT THE ARTS

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I first heard the bright Canadian pianist Stewart Goodyear in a memorable recital in Cincinnati a couple of years ago. Since then I have looked forward to hearing him again, either in recording or live.

In a musical homage to a fellow Canadian simply titled Stewart Goodyear FOR GLENN GOULD, recently released by Sono Luminus, Goodyear traverses six centuries during a sixty-six minute journey that never satiates but leaves one thoroughly satisfied with a banquet of music for the keyboard that includes pieces by two High Renaissance/Early Baroque masters: Orlando Gibbons and Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, six compositions by J. S. Bach, two intermezzi of Brahms, an Alban Berg sonata and, at the end of the CD, an aria from Bach’s Goldberg Variations.

In this musical valentine to an artist whom he deeply admires, Goodyear replicates a program he heard as a young aspiring pianist many years ago, writing: “While paying homage to one of the great Canadian legends, I was being transported to childhood memories of growing up in Toronto, studying at the Royal Conservatory, Gould’s home alma mater, and being an artist from Canada, Gould’s country.”

Stewart Goodyear’s playing is nothing short of extraordinary, not only in its chameleonic way of switching technical and musical gears from Gibbons and Sweelinck’s music, conceived as it all was for the gentlest of keyboard instruments, to Brahms’ sweeping romanticism and from there to Alban Berg’s atonal severity.

Goodyear’s profoundly respectful approach to all of this music makes us marvel at the honesty and integrity of this artist: there is neither a hint of selfish grandstanding, nor a shred of showing-off, but total devotion to the composer’s intentions. All of the embellishments are executed just as they should, cleanly and unselfconsciously. When power of attack is to be summoned, Goodyear summons it, and throughout the entire album the Canadian pianist imbues his music-making with an ideally even mix of a cool head and a warm heart.

As is always the case with this enterprising label, the engineering by Daniel Shores is crystalline, and the nicely annotated booklet sheds light on both music and musician.

Stewart Goodyear FOR GLENN GOULD is a gift from a gifted artist.

Rafael de Acha

Published by ALL ABOUT THE ARTS

Rafael de Acha has enjoyed a distinguished career in the arts as a performer, stage director, producer, and educator. He was born and grew up in Cuba. At the age of 17 he moved to the United States to study Drama at the University of Minnesota, and later Languages at L.A. City College, Music at the Juilliard School of Music, at the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music, and at the New England Conservatory of Music, from which he received the Master's degree. He has taught courses on the History of Music at the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music and at Florida International University, and contributed writings and reviews to Seen and Heard International (www.seenandheard-international.com ) and to this blog. He co-founded the award-winning New Theatre in Coral Gables, Florida, where he produced and staged twenty seasons of classical and contemporary theater, including fifty world premieres of plays that went on to have international and national productions on and off Broadway, including Ana in the Tropics by Nilo Cruz (Pulitzer Prize for Drama 2002 and Tony Nomination 2003.) In 2006 he was presented with a citation from The Dade County Cultural Affairs Council for “trailblazing contributions to the arts in South Florida.”

4 thoughts on “STEWART GOODYEAR PLAYS GLENN GOULD”

  1. my goodness- What a discovery , Rafi. I feel so much better after hearing Stewart play. thank you, thank you for the eye- and ear- opener !

    Liked by 1 person

  2. “…there is neither a hint of selfish grandstanding, nor a shred of showing-off, but total devotion to the composer’s intentions.”

    In other words, not at all like Glenn Gould! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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