Gould's Ritual

Arguably, one of the great musical geniuses of the century
was pianist Glenn Gould. At a very early age, he burst onto the
recording scene, redefining the standard of the performance of
J.S. Bach’s keyboard pieces. His eccentricities, however, quickly
overshadowed his genius. He was a tragically fated hypochondriac,
first canceling performances in ever increasing numbers,
and finally forsaking the stage forever in exchange
for the recording studio.
When most artists speak of “warming up” before a performance,
they are usually talking about playing a few scales, singing a couple
of exercises, or going over difficult passages in the upcoming
performance, in preparation for the more demanding playing to come.
When Glenn Gould warmed up, he had something else in mind
altogether. When anticipating a performance, he would often sit in the
dressing room with his hands in the sink. He would then
literally immerse his hands in hot water, in order, he thought,
to limber up his fingers for the night.
Shortly before this photograph was taken, I had finished “Glenn Gould
: The Ecstasy and Tragedy of Genius”, a remarkable biography of
Gould by his colleague Peter F. Ostwald, a musician and
psychologist. The book was a fascinating insight to the artist
and his mind.