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where each voice played separately, was exemplary to the modern day method of homophony, where all voices moved as one.

His Musical Performances

Critics labelled Glen Gould as a prodigy right from his first public performance, in 1945 at the Eaton Auditorium, and his first solo recital in 1947. Influenced by the likes of Leopold Stokowski, Arthur Schnabel, and the recordings of Back by Rosalyn Tureck, Glen showed unequalled creativity and technical ability. He did play certain Romantic and Classical pieces, but Baroque period music was his favourite, Bach in particular.

The piano prodigy demanded consistency. He always used the same customized chair that his father made after Glen suffered a back injury at the age of 10. Glen could sit lower to the keyboard of his beloved Steinway CD318, but it caused him to develop a new technique. Along with his piano teacher, he invented "finger tapping." He pulled the keys down rather than pushing them from above and his fingers moved autonomously of his arm. The notes produced with this method, along with alterations to his piano, were concise at extremely fast tempos. This was ideal for Bach's compositions and Gould's style.

Gould saw each performance as a way to communicate his thoughts and opinions of the world. He absorbed himself into the music so much, that it was physically apparent. Glen would sub consciously circle clockwise and rock on his chair, conduct an imaginary orchestra, and take imaginary notes from the air while performing and recording. He would also rarely practise by playing; he preferred to read the sheet music.

The melodies of his piano were often accompanied by humming, singing, grunts, and moans. Glen said that it was because he had been instructed by his mother to sing everything he played. These habits would increase in volume, as his frustrations with the piano's inability would grow. Gould often felt that the piano was unable to play to his standards especially after the frame cracked when movers dropped it. These noises became so loud and frequent, that sound engineers used to measure their proficiency by how well they could edit out the sounds.

Glen liked to share the music of composers who were rarely heard in North America. The pianist often utilized Works by Schoenburg, Hindemith, Strauss, Bizet, and Sibelius. Orlando Gibbons, however, was said to be his favourite composer.

Even though Glen was a highly successful soloist, he was not well liked as an accompanist and the nightmare of most conductors.

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