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The humming of Glenn Gould
When one listens to the recordings of Glenn Gould, one can often hear him hum as he plays.
Often it is a completely different tune than the one his score tells him to play. It is very obvious on those moments his creativity as a composer is at work.
Gould is not only aware of the actual score, but also of a bigger structure behind the notes he has to play. A structure he can see in the composition.
It is as if Gould creates an unusual picture of the structure of the composition, the themes, the climaxes, the shape etc.
He exceeds the emotional and psychological conditions necessary to perform a piece.
Gould does not seem to be exclusively interpreting in an erudite, technical and artistic way, but furthermore with a level of commitment to the composition.
His performance becomes an account of musical structure.
Singing along to a main tune one can do without thinking about the structure of the composition. It is as if one drives a familiar route toward ones destination. If at the same time one sings a different voice, one needs to have a greater understanding of the structure of the composition.
Imagine you drive on the highway and decide to turn off; you need to pay attention to the right moment to do so.
To simultaneously sing a completely new melody commends an understanding that can be compared with an overview of the whole road map with all the possible side roads and exits.
Together with the humming one can see gestures, like those of a conductor, as if he is communicating with other performers.
One could say he connects the conceptual image of the composition with the physical playing.
The most important aspect: he disconnects from that playing and disappears into the inner world of his musical imagination.
The humming and gestures are not for fun, they are as important as the characteristic touch of an instrument.
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