Beethoven Piano

Beethoven Bagatelles (with the pianist humming!)

Wikipedia defines bagatelle as a short piece of music, typically for the piano, and usually of a light, mellow character. The name bagatelle literally means a “trifle”, as a reference to the innocent character of the piece.

Here’s Glenn Gould tickling the ivories and humming along! You can just barely hear him in the background humming while he plays. Some record companies took out the humming, but this recording of the bagatelles left it in. Gould’s habit of humming along with the music put him in his own league of ‘eccentric.’ There is something unsettling and distracting about it; yet at the same time charming, and maybe appropriate? Gould thought so! It’s not so hard to imagine the great composers themselves – vocalizing along as they played their compositions in private.

6 Bagatelles, Op- 126, No- 1 In G Major , Andante Con Moto Cantabile E Compiacevole

 

6 Bagatelles, Op- 126, No- 2 In G Minor , Allegro

 

7 Bagatelles, Op-33, No-1 In E-Flat Major , Andante Grazioso, Quasi Allegretto