Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Friedrich Gulda

I know there was a recent thread on this pianist, I believe due to his passing. I had heard the name before, but never heard him play. WELL, last night I was listening to KUSC in my car and they were playing archive recordings due to an award, and his recordings of the late 50's of the Beethoven sonatas won. So they played the Walsdstein, an old hissing mono recording of it that was an off-the-rails, wild-a@s, raucous, and in the words of the announcer, "incandescent" performance. I was absolutely stunned and enthralled. I must hear more of him!!

This was the performance that got me interested in Gulda:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m017xsXZTNc&feature=related

His frist movement of the Waldstein is unusually fast...for me, a little too fast.

You HAVE to listen to his Appassionata. For me its still the most coherent non-rubato and perfect performance of the Op57.

And you HAVE to hear his Op. 27/1. Gulda takes the final plunge in the Scherzo down to the low C. Thrilling in an almost cathartic way.

Yes, yes, Beethoven's piano didn't go that far down, but it's obvious what the intention was. Going back to the priggish way many pianists treat this movement will make you long for Gulda.

I haven't heard his cycle from the 50s, but his '67 cycle is my favorite. It contains most of my favorite versions of the sonatas. His WTC also contains most of my favorite versions of those pieces. It's really a shame he didn't record more - he was fantastic!

Can't wait to hear his Appasionatta. By the way he played the Waldstein he's got what it takes to do that piece justice! Curious to see how he does Bach now...
BTW, the announcer called him the "bad boy" of classical music and said he once showed up for a performance only wearing his skull cap!

Not once. He did this relatively often in the '70s (there are videos...) and would start with a Mozart sonata before launching into extreme modern music with a flute, accompanied by his (also naked) wife at the time on vocals and percussion.

he died twice, quite a feat, and wrote a terrific cello-concerto!

Really? For what purpose? Who would want to see him without clothes? Rather odd, especially as anyone but well-built youngsters generally look better in clothes.

Otherwise, Gulda made a spiffy recording of the Mozart 2 piano concerto with Herbie Hancock. I've also heard a few of his jazz recordings. He was definitely an amazing bloke. Argerich has always given short shift to her time with Michanlengeli (what, 20 minutes?), but she has always treasured the time she spent working with Gulda.

Hm, not knowing how often he recorded the Sonatas, can anybody point out the recording to get starting with from this list? http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=gulda+beethoven&x=0&y=0

I'd love to get started with the "Gulda Experience"!

Gulda seriously didn't care about who wanted to see what. He did whatever he pleased.

Regarding the Mozart concerto, actually it was Chick Corea. Spiffy indeed, but after a while it becomes obvious who's playing which piano... However, Gulda, Corea, and Hancock all performed together for an evening of jazz improv in 1978.

For my Gulda devotion, look at this post.

Absolutely. Sorry, a bit hasty with the post last night.

Do you have a link to a recording?
I'm studying this sonata at the minute

I heard it on an old LP, but would this be it?

I'm thinking it would make a nice Christmas present to myself, along with an Apple 27" Cinema Display. (Yeah, fat chance on the latter...)

I heard he took off his clothes during the cadenza.

Also listen to his Op 2/2 and 2/3, no one plays it like he can!