Search - So What?! A Portrait of Friedrich Gulda [DVD Video] on DVD

The Art of Friedrich Gulda

Antonia Brentano | Leiden, The Netherlands | 01/10/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ths DVD gives you a very good impression of the multi-talented Austrian pianist/musician Friedrich Gulda. It consists of a documentary, an interview and, of course, lots of music.

The documentary (running time one hour) shows the different aspects of the man and artist Gulda. Apart from being an incredible classical pianist he was also an accomplished jazz-pianist, musical thinker and avant-garde artist. Althoug not everything he did was equally interesting, or was at the same level of quality, the documentary still makes it crystal-clear why Friedrich Gulda was (and still is) a world-famous artist.

The musical programme consists of the following:
J.S. Bach:
Prelude and Fugue in Aminor BWV 889
Brelude and Fugue in C major BWV 846
Prelude and Fugue in A flat major BWV 886
(the above works are played on the clavichord)

Franz Schubert, arr. Gulda:
Der Wanderer

Claude Debussy
Reflets dans l'eau
La soirée dans Grenade

Gulda:
Übungsstück no. 9 from Play Piano Play
Für Paul
Prelude and Fugue
Für Rico

Mozart, arr. Gulda
Sarastro's aria "In diesen heil'gen Hallen"
J.S. Bach
Prelude and Fugue in C sharp minor BWV 849
Karl Föderl / Ernst Marischka
Die Reblaus

The interview is a real bonus. Although the interviewer (Joachim Kaiser, a famous German critic) likes to hear himself speak, I must admit that he is also very knowledgeable, so let's not be too critical here. Instead of many tv interviews nowadays, they take their time (36 minutes) and explore many interesting issues (Gulda on Chopin, on Cortot, on Schubert, etc. ). This interiew, for me, really adds to the value of this DVD.

All in all: a disc really worth buying.

Enjoy!"

Some like it hot; some like it cold, but everybody agree tha

Abel | Hong Kong | 08/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A wonderful musician unfortunately categorised as 'scandalous' by the then society...
Friedrich Gulda is one of those who went too far, too soon; but he WAS right. Things are proving him right more and more as the years progress.
He adamantly rejected 'vision', but his non-existent 'vision' was the truth. Classical music would not suffer from a Friedrich Gulda; it suffered in the hands of a Vanessa Mae.
Where to draw the line? Talent.
Gulda was truly talented. He had not been 'marketed'. He had only himself to prove his talent. He wasn't even 'powerful', despite his tremendous credentials.
No power play, no marketing, nobody to recommend him but himself. And he did fun things a plenty, with only the foolish to think that he was funny.
The interview bit was fantastic - what intelligence, what wisdom, what biting sarcasm and wit, and most importantly, what truth! Gulda was candid enough to come out with the truth - if you do not reside in the place, can you play the place's music idiomatically?
"