Solitude Trilogy
Encyclopedia
The Solitude Trilogy is a collection of three hour-long radio documentaries
produced by Canadian
pianist
Glenn Gould
(1932–1982) for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
and a film collaboration between the CBC and PBS. Gould produced the documentaries as individual works between 1967 and 1977, then collected them under the title Solitude Trilogy, reflecting the theme of "withdrawal from the world" that unites the pieces. "[They are] as close to an autobiographical statement as [I intend] to get in radio," Gould wrote.
The three pieces employ Gould's idiosyncratic technique of simultaneously playing the voices of two or more people, each of whom speaks a monologue
to an unheard interviewer. Gould called this method "contrapuntal
" radio. (The term contrapuntal normally applies to music in which independent melody lines play simultaneously; this type of music, exemplified by J. S. Bach
, was the major part of Gould's repertoire.)
The first, and most well-known, of the documentaries is The Idea of North, produced in 1967, in which five speakers provide contrasting views of Northern Canada
. PBS made an experimental film directed by Judith Pearlman which was aired 1970, its first co-production with CBC. Gould introduces the radio documentary:
In 1969, Gould made The Latecomers, about life in Newfoundland outport
s, and the province's program to encourage residents to urbanize. The third documentary, 1977's The Quiet in the Land, is a portrait of Mennonite
life at Red River
, near Winnipeg, Manitoba
. The speakers discuss the influence of contemporary society on traditional Mennonite values.
The documentaries employ ambient sound and music. The rumbling of a train is heard frequently in The Idea of North; the ocean in The Latecomers; and a church choir in The Quiet in the Land. Making an analogy again to musical devices, Gould referred to these components as ostinato
s. The Idea of North ends with the last movement of Karajan
's recording of Sibelius' Symphony no. 5
, the only use of a complete movement from the classical
repertoire in the trilogy.
Radio documentary
A radio documentary or feature is a purely acoustic performance devoted to covering a particular topic in some depth, usually with a mixture of commentary and sound pictures. It is broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD...
produced by Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
Glenn Gould
Glenn Gould
Glenn Herbert Gould was a Canadian pianist who became one of the best-known and most celebrated classical pianists of the 20th century. He was particularly renowned as an interpreter of the keyboard music of Johann Sebastian Bach...
(1932–1982) for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
and a film collaboration between the CBC and PBS. Gould produced the documentaries as individual works between 1967 and 1977, then collected them under the title Solitude Trilogy, reflecting the theme of "withdrawal from the world" that unites the pieces. "[They are] as close to an autobiographical statement as [I intend] to get in radio," Gould wrote.
The three pieces employ Gould's idiosyncratic technique of simultaneously playing the voices of two or more people, each of whom speaks a monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
to an unheard interviewer. Gould called this method "contrapuntal
Counterpoint
In music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm and are harmonically interdependent . It has been most commonly identified in classical music, developing strongly during the Renaissance and in much of the common practice period,...
" radio. (The term contrapuntal normally applies to music in which independent melody lines play simultaneously; this type of music, exemplified by J. S. Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
, was the major part of Gould's repertoire.)
The first, and most well-known, of the documentaries is The Idea of North, produced in 1967, in which five speakers provide contrasting views of Northern Canada
Northern Canada
Northern Canada, colloquially the North, is the vast northernmost region of Canada variously defined by geography and politics. Politically, the term refers to the three territories of Canada: Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut...
. PBS made an experimental film directed by Judith Pearlman which was aired 1970, its first co-production with CBC. Gould introduces the radio documentary:
"I've long been intrigued by that incredible tapestry of tundraTundraIn physical geography, tundra is a biome where the tree growth is hindered by low temperatures and short growing seasons. The term tundra comes through Russian тундра from the Kildin Sami word tūndâr "uplands," "treeless mountain tract." There are three types of tundra: Arctic tundra, alpine...
and taigaTaigaTaiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
which constitutes the Arctic and sub-Arctic of our country. I've read about it, written about it, and even pulled up my parka once and gone there. Yet like all but a very few Canadians I've had no real experience of the North. I've remained, of necessity, an outsider. And the North has remained for me, a convenient place to dream about, spin tall tales about, and, in the end, avoid. This programme, however, brings together some remarkable people who have had a direct confrontation with that northern third of Canada, who've lived and worked there and in whose lives the North has played a very vital role."
In 1969, Gould made The Latecomers, about life in Newfoundland outport
Newfoundland outport
An outport is the term given for a small isolated coastal community in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Originally the term was just used for coastal communities on the island of Newfoundland but the term has also been adopted for those on the mainland area of Labrador as...
s, and the province's program to encourage residents to urbanize. The third documentary, 1977's The Quiet in the Land, is a portrait of Mennonite
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
life at Red River
Red River Valley
The Red River Valley is a region in central North America that is drained by the Red River of the North. It is significant in the geography of North Dakota, Minnesota, and Manitoba for its relatively fertile lands and the population centers of Fargo, Moorhead, Grand Forks, and Winnipeg...
, near Winnipeg, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. The speakers discuss the influence of contemporary society on traditional Mennonite values.
The documentaries employ ambient sound and music. The rumbling of a train is heard frequently in The Idea of North; the ocean in The Latecomers; and a church choir in The Quiet in the Land. Making an analogy again to musical devices, Gould referred to these components as ostinato
Ostinato
In music, an ostinato is a motif or phrase, which is persistently repeated in the same musical voice. An ostinato is always a succession of equal sounds, wherein each note always has the same weight or stress. The repeating idea may be a rhythmic pattern, part of a tune, or a complete melody in...
s. The Idea of North ends with the last movement of Karajan
Herbert von Karajan
Herbert von Karajan was an Austrian orchestra and opera conductor. To the wider world he was perhaps most famously associated with the Berlin Philharmonic, of which he was principal conductor for 35 years...
's recording of Sibelius' Symphony no. 5
Symphony No. 5 (Sibelius)
Symphony No. 5 in E flat major, Op. 82 is a major work for orchestra in three movements by Jean Sibelius.-History:Sibelius was commissioned to write this symphony by the Finnish government in honor of his 50th birthday, which had been declared a national holiday. The symphony was originally...
, the only use of a complete movement from the classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
repertoire in the trilogy.
External links
- The Inner Eye, a series of collageCollageA collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
s portraying each member of the Solitude Trilogy. - Audio excerpt from The Idea of North.