Performers

Question 1

What happened in 1949 that launched Peterson’s international career?

Answer 1

American impresario Norman Granz arranged for him to appear on “Jazz at the Philharmonic” at Carnegie Hall in NYC. Gave sensational performance

Question 2

Who was Gould’s piano teacher?

Answer 2

his mother, at 4 years old

Question 3

Where and when did Peterson teach?

Answer 3

taught part time at York University beginning in 1985, and served as chancellor from 1991-1994

Question 4

Give some details on Peterson’s Hymn to Freedom

Answer 4

• gospel inspired song
• later arranged for choir
• text expresses hope and brotherhood among all people
• 1 of 6 songs performed at 2009 inauguration ceremony of Barack Obama

Question 5

Where was Gould born/raised?

Answer 5

Toronto

Question 6

What was evident at age 3 in Gould?

Answer 6

absolute/perfect pitch

Question 7

Who was a companion of the Order of Canada and a member of the Order of Ontario?

Answer 7

Peterson

Question 8

Describe Gould’s style of piano playing.

Answer 8

• lean and clearly articulated, although he could also be expressive and lyrical
• experimented in extremes in tempo, quirky phrasing, and ornamentation

Question 9

In what year did Gould permanently retire from public performance?

Answer 9

1964

Question 10

How many Grammys and Junos did Peterson win?

Answer 10

7 Grammy awards, 2 Juno awards

Question 11

Gould made a historic recording of what in 1955, and when did he re-record the work?

Answer 11

• “Goldberg Variations”

- 1981

Question 12

What years did Glenn Gould live?

Answer 12

1932-1982

Question 13

Who was internationally recognized, but based himself in Canada throughout his long and distinguished career?

Answer 13

Peterson

Question 14

How did Peterson gain national recognition in his teens?

Answer 14

performances in nightclubs, hotels, and on CBC Radio

Question 15

Describe Peterson’s playing.

Answer 15

great technical facility, clear articulation, tremendous skill and ability

Question 16

When was the Oscar Peterson Trio formed and who was a part of it?

Answer 16

• 1953
• Ray Brown (bass)
• Herb Ellis (guitar)
• toured USA under Norman Granz’s management

Question 17

Who did Peterson take piano lessons from?

Answer 17

• first lessons with older sister Daisy, who became a respected piano teacher
• at age 15, began studying with Paul de Marky: Hungarian born pianist whose teacher had been a student of Franz Liszt

Question 18

Where did Gould study, and what did he study?

Answer 18

• the Toronto Conservatory of Music (now the Royal Conservatory of Music)
• studied theory, organ, and piano
• obtained the conservatory’s highest degree: the Associate Diploma, at age 12 with the highest marks ever awarded at the time

Question 19

Who also wrote film and tv scores, and completed commissions including music for the 1998 Calgary Winter Olympic Games?

Answer 19

Peterson

Question 20

Where did Peterson live?

Answer 20

Montreal (hometown) until 1958, Toronto, Mississauga

Question 21

Who made extensive annual concert tours in the 1950s, and appeared with many major orchestras and conductors in North America and abroad?

Answer 21

Gould

Question 22

Who was born into a musical family and was 1 of 5 children?

Answer 22

Peterson

Question 23

What did Gould do after retiring from public performance?

Answer 23

• devoted himself to studio recording, broadcasting, filmmaking. Preferred this controlled environment to what he felt was the artificiality of the concert stage
• produced countless programs for CBC Radio and television, favoured radio and TV recitals that were unified thematically or tied together with his own spoken commentary

Question 24

Give some details on Peterson’s Canadiana Suite

Answer 24

• each track inspired by a different region of Canada
• “my musical portrait of the Canada I love”
• “Ballad of the East” is an ode to the Maritimes
• “Place St. Henri” is a musical snapshot of his Montreal neighbourhood

Question 25

Name some awards that Peterson received.

Answer 25

- DownBeat Award for best jazz pianist 13 times between 1950-1972 - numerous Canadian and international awards: Glenn Gould Prize (1993); Unesco International Music Prize, Order of Arts and Letters in France; Society for American Music Award, Praemium Imperiale Award (Novel equivalent for the arts) - recipient of 13 honorary doctorates, 8 "Hall of Fame" awards: Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (1997), BBC Radio, Atlanta International Jazz Society, Bosendorfer Piano Company, Governor General of Canada, City of Toronto

Question 26

What are Peterson's most famous recordings?

Answer 26

- most popular are the numerous Oscar Peterson Trio recordings (1951-1958) with Ellis and Brown - "Night Train" (1963) - "History of the Artist" (1973) - several video documentaries on his life and work including "Songs in the Key of Oscar", and the CD/DVD "A Night in Vienna"

Question 27

What years did Oscar Peterson live?

Answer 27

1925-2007

Question 28

Who are some major stars that Peterson recorded with?

Answer 28

- Charlie Parker - Ella Fitzgerald - Dizzy Gillespie - Louis Armstrong - Duke Ellington - Count Basie

Question 29

Name some of the awards Gould received.

Answer 29

- Harriet Cohen Bach Medal - Honorary Doctorate from the University of Toronto - Canadian Confederation Medal - Canada Council’s Molson Prize - The Canadian Music Council Medal and Grand Prix du Disque - named to Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences’ Hall of Fame (1983) - Grammy Award (1983, 1984) and Juno Awards (1983, 1984)

Question 30

Who published 4 volumes of "Jazz Exercises" and "Pieces For the Young Jazz Pianist"?

Answer 30

Peterson

Question 31

Describe Gould's controversial performance in 1962

Answer 31

- Brahms concerto no. 1 with Leonard Bernstein (renowned conductor) - before the performance, Bernstein expressed his reservations regarding Gould's interpretation, while at the same time acknowledging his respect for Gould's artistry and individuality

Question 32

When was the Glenn Gould Foundation established and what does it do?

Answer 32

- established in Toronto in 1983 - awards a triennial $50,000 Glenn Gould prize in music and communication - sponsors the Friends of Glenn Gould Society - publishes the semi-annual journal “Glenngould”

Question 33

Who cofounded the Advanced School of Contemporary Music in Toronto in the 1960s?

Answer 33

Peterson

Question 34

Where and when did Gould make his professional recital debut?

Answer 34

- Toronto's Eaton Auditorium | - 1947

Question 35

Name the 2 DVDs about Gould.

Answer 35

- “The Alchemist” (2003) | - “Hereafter” (2005)

Question 36

Who died in October 1982 at 50 years old after suffering a stroke?

Answer 36

Gould

Question 37

Who is Norman Granz?

Answer 37

- arranged for the performance that launched Peterson's international career - served as Peterson's manager until 1998

Question 38

Who was Peterson influenced by?

Answer 38

- Nat "King" Cole: pianist-singer | - Art Tatum: virtuoso jazz pianist

Question 39

Name 2 of Peterson's best known works.

Answer 39

- "Hymn to Freedom" | - "Canadiana Suite" (nominated for Grammy)

Question 40

Name 5 ways Gould was honoured after his death.

Answer 40

- papers and personal effects housed at National Library of Canada and Canadian Museum of Civilization - childhood home now a historic site - Canada Post issued a 1999 stamp to honor him - 5 major conferences held between 1987-1999 to examine his life and work; numerous smaller Gould events have been held throughout the world - Since his death, his international following has continued to grow; popular figure on the internet; subject of fan sites, databases, discussion groups

Question 41

As a composer, what style was Peterson's music?

Answer 41

jazz trends from the 1940s from traditional blues, gospel, and stride piano, to the more progressive bebop style

Question 42

Name 3 other things that were named after Gould.

Answer 42

- the Glenn Gould Memorial Scholarship Fund at the University of Toronto - the Glen Gould Professional School at the RCM - the Glenn Gould Studio at CBC

Question 43

What did Gould's unconventional choice of performance repertoire include?

Answer 43

16th and 17th century keyboard music, plenty of Bach, a small selection of Classical and Romantic works, and a generous amount of 20th century music, incl. works by Canadian composers and the complete piano works of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern

Question 44

When did Gould make his CBC Radio broadcast debut and what significance did it have?

Answer 44

- 1950 - marked the beginning of his lifelong interest in recording technology: realized he could improve performances, wanted to create the perfect, artistic conception

Question 45

Describe Gould's posture at the piano

Answer 45

- unusual posture at the piano and unconventional stage mannerisms generated much criticism - used a battered wooden folding chair modified by his father for most of his life. Famous chair allowed him to sit very low at the keyboard in unorthodox position

Question 46

Solo and concerto performances as a student earned critical acclaim for who?

Answer 46

Gould

Question 47

Name 6 of Gould's recordings.

Answer 47

- “Goldberg Variations” (1955, re-recorded in 1981) - “The Well-Tempered Clavier” books 1 and 2 - Symphony No. 5 in C Minor (Beethoven-Liszt) - “Music of Arnold Schoenberg” - “Glenn Gould Plays His Own Transcriptions” - “Brahms: Ten Intermezzi”