Weird Studies Episode 212 – Beyond Music and Back Again: On Glenn Gould
May 13, 2026
A deep dive into Glenn Gould’s peculiar musical persona and cinematic portrait. They trace his atomized, contrapuntal approach to sound and his prediction of remix culture. The conversation links Gould to brutalist aesthetics, hermit imagery, and radio as communal technology. They explore Girard’s film choices and how art can transcend and then return to its medium.
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Film Structure Mirrors Gouldian Persona
- Glenn Gould's portrait in François Girard's 32 Short Films About Glenn Gould captures the musician's singular persona rather than a conventional biopic arc.
- Girard structures the film as fragmented vignettes (32 short films) to mirror Gould's eccentric, contrapuntal approach to music and life.
Gould Foretold Remix Culture
- Gould pursued an ideal one-to-zero relationship where the artist disappears into the work and the audience engages more freely with the recorded object.
- This anticipates a democratic, remix-friendly media culture where listeners can re-edit and perform recordings themselves.
Brutalist Clarity In Gould's Playing
- Gould's playing isolates every note as a distinct atom while preserving its role in the melodic series, producing an almost brutalist clarity.
- Phil Ford compares this to seeing each particle clearly, renewing listeners' perception of Bach's counterpoint.
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