Eccentric as genius.
Born in Toronto in 1932 (died in 1982) Gould is one of Canada’s most famous eccentrics. A child musical prodigy, at the age of 15 years, he became a professional concert pianist and gained international reputation. His piano style and musical proclivities marked him as not only a maverick but also an eccentric. He earned widespread acclaim despite his musical idiosyncrasies.
He usually hummed while he played the piano claiming that his singing was unconscious and increased proportionately with the inability of the piano in question to realize the music as he intended. The temperature of the recording studio he insisted that it be extremely warm. Gould was averse to cold, and wore heavy clothing (including gloves), even in warm places. He was once arrested, presumably mistaken for a vagrant, while sitting on a park bench in Sarasota, Florida, dressed in his standard all-climate attire of two coats, warm hat, and mittens.
In 1964 Gould was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from University of Toronto. In his speech to the graduating class, Gould advised the graduates not to put too much weight into what others thought but to follow their own path and to be true to themselves. With Glen Gould our film will look at the close relationship between eccentricity and genius, because truly he was both at the same time.
