Glenn Gould at High Falls

There was another attraction to this area of High Falls, just south of Wawa—it was favoured by Glen Gould Canada’s most well-known and respected pianist. But he was also its most eccentric.  According to Heritage Canada, Gould “revolutionized the way the world listens to the classics.”  Apparently, he had perfect pitch at age 3.  Compare that to me.  Imperfect pitch at age 75. He appeared with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at age 14 to rave reviews and international acclaim. After that his fame spread world wide.

One of his more interesting concerts was with the New York Philharmonic on April 5, 6, and 8 of 1962 when it was conducted by Leonard Bernstein.  According to the Canadian Encyclopedia “Bernstein delivered a pre-concert speech to the audience noting his disagreement with Gould’s interpretation, which featured unusually slow tempos, departures from Brahms’s dynamic and phrase markings, and the highlighting of counterpoint and motives.” It was a case of two eccentrics facing off against each other. The Encyclopedia also called it “his most notorious concert.”

In time, he found that the instrument of his choice was the recording studio. He despised concerts, but produced many recordings. He was also famous for his eccentricities. He wore a trademark heavy overcoat, with cap, scarves and fingerless gloves. He was also a deep hypochondriac.

To my surprise I found out he frequently came here.  He always stayed at the same Hotel, the Wawa Motor Inn and always stayed in the same room, 102. And as the photo above shows, he came to High Falls.

It appears that one of the things he liked here was that even during the height of his fame, few people recognized him despite his odd attire. That attire drew little attention in Wawa.  According to Heritage Canada, Wawa was “a place where he retreated to enjoy the solitude and beauty and restore his soul and revitalize his creative muse, all in virtual anonymity.”  Who knew?

I don’t really agree with Gould on this point but this is what he said, “solitude nourishes creativity and collegial fraternity tends to dissipate it.” Gould was brilliant and I’m just a ‘wannabe from Wawa.”

The land south of Wawa is spectacular. Of the 8030 kms (4,990 mi) of the Trans-Canada Highway this area south of Wawa through Algoma County is considered one of the finest.  I agree. It has been listed as one of the 9 greatest drives in Canada.

Those are fine words. Not so modest words. Well, there is a time for some quiet boasting, even in Canada.