Glenn Gould (1932-1982) was a prodigy who loathed the word, a brilliant pianist who disliked performing, and a public figure who craved solitude. With his recording of the Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach, Gould became an international celebrity.

Gould’s unusual interpretations, quirky stage mannerisms, and teasingly contrarian pronouncements fascinated and annoyed audiences and critics. He gave concerts in Canada, the United States, and abroad for several years. To everyone’s disbelief, he quit the concert stage just a few months short of his thirty-second birthday and immersed himself in his true love: the recording studio.

Vlad Konieczny is a writer specializing in corporate communications. He is also a part-time instructor in the Writing and Publishing Program at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. Born in a refugee camp in Germany in 1946, he immigrated to Canada with his parents in 1951. As a child, he studied piano and accordion in Toronto, competed in many music festivals and played in clubs during the late 1960s and early 1970s before attending university. A former teacher of English and music for the Vancouver School Board, Vlad is also an amateur musician who plays flute in a concert band and alto sax in a fifteen piece swing band. He first heard Glenn Gould play on CBC Radio in the early 1960s, and became an instant fan, following the pianist’s career until his death in 1982. Struggling for Perfection: The Story of Glenn Gould is his first book.

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Waterloo Region Record