As Glenn As Can Be by Sarah Ellis

Glenn likes boats, and raring round the lake in his boat, singing. He doesn't like fishing. Glenn also likes doing pranks, funny hats, singing to cows in a field and elephants in a zoo. He does not like bullying and refuses to participate. Glenn likes trees even in winter but he doesn't like the cold so he wears a hat and coat to keep warm. Glenn likes animals, especially his dog Nicky but also his other assortment of animals including a skunk. He prefers animals to people. Glenn also likes reading and is able to do many things at once even while memorizing music!

Glenn likes rules but not the rule his parents have made that he can only practice piano four hours a day! He loves to play piano more than anything else. Because when he's playing piano, "Glenn gets to be totally and completely Glenn."

 

Everyone loves to listen to Glenn play because his music instills strong feelings. He plays at concerts all over the world: in New York, Moscow, Toronto, Tel Aviv, Leningrad and Los Angeles. Audiences are thrilled but Glenn soon finds he doesn't like giving concerts. There are many reasons: the concert hall is cold, he doesn't like the piano, the audience is noisy. He doesn't even enjoy the applause. He would like people to simply sit quietly and listen and be quiet at the end of a performance. So he stops giving concerts.

Eventually Glenn finds a way to make music for an audience that makes him feel comfortable. He records his playing, listening to the recording and perfecting it. He has to be himself but in doing so, he's sharing his gift of making music with others.

Discussion

As Glenn As Can Be presents the life of the amazing, brilliant and unique Glenn Herbert Gould.Glenn was born in 1932 to parents Russell Herbert and Emma Florence in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. When he was three years old, Glenn began taking piano lessons, from his mother. It quickly became apparent that he had the gift of perfect pitch. Interestingly, Glenn's maternal grandfather was a cousin to the famous Norwegian composer Edward Grieg.

Glenn not only enjoying playing piano but liked to compose his own pieces too. His piano composition, A Merry Thought is his earliest surviving piece. In the fall of 1943, Glenn began studying piano with Alberto Guerrero and in June of 1945 passes his associate piano examination with the highest honours. While a Grade 9 student at Malvern Collegiate in Toronto, Glenn made his professional debut at the Eaton Auditorium. This was the beginning, at a young age, of a short, but brilliant musical career that saw him make his professional concerto debut with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Massey Hall in 1947, and make his CBC Radio debut at the age of eighteen in 1950,. In 1955, Glenn made his American debut recital at the Phillips Gallery in Washington, D.C. In January of 1956, Glenn released his recording of Bach: Goldberg Variations to critical acclaim. In the late summer and through the fall of 1958, Glenn toured Europe giving concerts in Salzburg, Brussels, West Berlin and Sweden. Glenn also composed many works including a String Quartet, and a Prelude, Cantilena and Gigue for clarinet and bassoon! Glenn gave many readings, interviews and of course made many recordings of piano works. He passed away in 1982 from a stroke.

Glenn Gould grew up to be what has often been described as very eccentric. Many of these eccentricities are mentioned in Ellis's picture book. He didn't like the cold and wore warm clothing even when it was quite warm outside. He didn't like to be touched and eventually did most of his communicating by letters and phone. Glenn had specific requirements about the piano he used, and even the chair he sat on. Ellis's account is of a gifted musician who performed and lived life on his own terms, even though they may have seemed odd to others.

 

His story is beautifully illustrated by the artwork of Nancy Vo which were done in pen, watercolour and acetone transfer on Rising Stonehenge and Arches Aquarelle.

You can learn more about the amazing Glenn Gould at the official site: glenngould.com

Book Details:

As Glenn As Can Be by Sarah Ellis
Toronto: Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press     2022