1959
Toronto-based pianist Glenn Gould is in New York City to record Johann Sebastian Bach's Italian Concerto, four years after Gould made an international name for himself with his bestselling recording of Bach's Goldberg Variations. Gould will perform each of the three movements several times over the course of his stay in the studio in his perfectionism, he and the recording crew who will critically review each. That recording crew will have to deal with some of Gould's idiosyncrasies, some problematic, such as his tendency to hum when he plays, and some just humorous, such as he conducting himself when he has a free hand when he is playing. Gould will also have to deal with some of what he would consider necessary evils of the process, such as publicity, including having publicity photos taken. Away from the piano, he talks about his career, being in New York compared to his home in Toronto or anywhere else in Canada, and his very conscious decision, unlike many artists, not to live in the creative epicenter of New York.
1959
In preparation for a recording session in New York City, Glenn Gould, as he usually does, first makes a stop at at the Steinway showroom to choose from among the many concert grand pianos available which he would like to use for the recording. Mention is made of his favorite piano on which to practice, namely the one at his recreational property on the shores of Lake Simcoe, his tastes in such not for the bells and whistles of newer instruments, said piano which is seventy years old with a tone and touch more reminiscent of a harpsichord. Mention is also made of his wish to retire from performing at age thirty-five, eight years away, to concentrate on composing. And while he is known primarily for performing the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, he favors more contemporary atonal music. He himself talks about among other things performing on stage versus in a recording studio, and why he doesn't attend concerts of other musicians.
Sat, Nov 29, 1958
The misbehaving public performs for the camera in a half-hour miscellany of misdeeds. In a behind-the-scenes look at the hour-by-hour operation of a large metropolitan police force, this film presents a fair sampling of what keeps Toronto's police officers busy twenty-four hours a day.