Glenn Gould- Turkish March

Glenn Gould plays Mozart's Rondo Alla Turca

[ourson]

The best version of this I've ever heard. It's a march, not a horse-race, as someone else said here, most players try to speed through it, and you don't get any of the really good special effects that Mozart placed in there. Gould was a madman, but a genius madman ... he knew that tempo was a big factor in rethinking a piece, which is what he loved to do. So he played the Moonlight Sonata way faster than most pianists had played it, to reveal it's inner passion and movement, and played the Turkish March way slower than most pianists had played it, to reveal the brilliance of Mozart's writing.

[jamesrivas]

The genius of this man is lost on many, he personified musical genius.
His life was filled with extraordinary accomplishments and yet he never managed to achieve what many of us take for granted, a normal life.
Rest in peace Glenn, you've made a believer out of many of us.
Your light is still shining bright.

[Moribus_Artibus]

We all heard this piece so many times and yet this version seems so new and fresh!

[JasonPolakPhotography]

Sometimes I get discouraged about something or other but listening to Glenn Gould always puts me in a hopeful mood. No other pianist or music can do that except Glenn's.

[PointyTailofSatan]

It's the incredible precision of Gould's touch that gets me. Every note slightly detached, but the timing and dynamics are so even, it's obvious even if you didn't know it was Gould, you would know it's the playing of a master pianist.

[gyulameszaros]

We are lucky to be born after Mozart and Gould.

[zhuolin]

It's always an amazing experience discovering a "new" piece within a piece of music that you thought you know all too well, and Gould works that wonder right here. The parts in major key are so out of how this piece is usually played, yet so in character of Mozart. Thank you for uploading this!

[hughmackay]

Such clarity, you can hear every note. There is no jumbling, no rushing, and the humour comes to the fore. Yes, the tempo is sedate, but Gould courted controversy. As an historical recording, this is Terribly important.

[teoman_acikgoz]

With this tempo it sounds like Turkish music, no joke. I’m Turkish.

Edit: A better way of putting it is that it sounds closer to a turkish march at this tempo than the faster tempo it’s commonly played at. Although “rondo alla turca” more accurately translates to “rondo in a turkish style”, the left hand accompaniment mimics the drums of a march. Please ignore my foolish comments in this thread, people have rightly corrected me.

[JamesLee-ykjb]

Fascinating - doesn't matter if you are listening to this for the first or the umpteen time. Never fails to bring a whimsical, wolfish grin to your face! His rhythm is impossibly appropriate and SO tight! You can hate it but you can't fault it at all! Bravo!

[brucegreaves]

THE BEST VERSION I have ever heard. This is a MARCH not a horse race. Love it and the clarity of ALL the notes is for me just wonderful. :-)

[ronleunissen]

Gould makes the music transparant. Wonderful pianist.

[hopesonmakokha]

This is one the most unique interpretation I've heard. It really gives you the time to feel every note. Goul was a brilliant interpreter of classical music

[lmichaelgreenjr]

Not sure if anybody’s talked about this but check out how at 2:15 he switches the voicing of the octave to the lower note, making the melody sound like it’s dropped an octave.

[stenjohansen]

Now THAT is a performance worthy of Mozart.. It seems all other pianists treat it like an ornamental toy a court jester would juggle. (example: Lang Lang). Gould makes it into a work of Art and it thrilled me to hear it taken seriously. Kudos to Gould!

[NewZman]

I've always loved this piece and am a relative newcomer to Glen Gould's playing, but hearing this I am quite amazed at how delicate yet expressive and powerful it sounds. I'm now hearing it in a totally different light. Thanks Glen Gould.

[Dizzyfingers]

What I like about this is: Gould understands that a "march" (for the time) is something that is played as a band performs it while marching down through town ... one hears it in the distance ... it gets louder as it approaches ... and diminishes as it passes ... much like Beethoven's Turkish March - this is brilliant in its execution to the A-major section.

[eskolintula]

What a surprise. Gould plays the theme like a childrens' song, delaying each note a bit. Even the arpeggios in the refrain sound like fun for the kids. Wonderful

[goyroyni]

Once again the genius of Glenn Gould in a crystal clear demonstration of why the total is so much more than the sum of its parts.

[ankontini]

I am shocked at the clarity and the poise that comes through his play. Best Alla Turca ever!