Cornelia Foss: My love affair with Glenn Gould

Cornelia Foss: My love affair with Glenn Gould

News

norman lebrecht

May 09, 2024

Cornelia Foss has spoken on film about her long relationship with Glenn Gould and about the ‘very straightforward’ triangle that evolved with her husband, the American composer Lukas Foss.

Cornelia’s children, Christopher and Eliza, join in her reminiscences. Glenn ‘was a very, very kind, loving man to us,’ they say.

Cornelia, 93, recalls: ‘I said (to Lukas) I’m leaving you… and I’m going off to marry Glenn. He said: Don’t be ridiculous. Have a good time, I’ll see you next weekend.’

In an extraordinarily civilised family conversation, Cornelia and her children talk movingly about Glenn’s sudden death.

Comments

  • David A. Boxwell says:

    But was Gould really the marrying kind?

  • fierywoman says:

    This is from years ago — from before Lukas died (ca. 2009)

  • fierywoman says:

    Sorry – she spoke of this years ago. Please undo my previous comment.

  • Dr. Raro says:

    For the first time? Not true. She and her children addressed this at lenght in the 2009 documentary Genius Within. Check your facts, man.

  • Gabriel Parra Blessing says:

    So GG wasn’t gay after all, despite the rumors? Huh. And I somehow find it quite moving, and very surprising, to see him be described as “a very, very kind, loving man.” That doesn’t sound like someone with Asperger’s, as has been speculated. Makes you wonder how much his oddball public persona was a very calculated performance. No doubt he was genuinely eccentric, but it seems not quite as bonkers as he evidently liked people to think. Be that as it may, regardless of his more controversial and often farcical musical choices (all his Mozart, basically), the man was a bona fide genius. With an absolutely terrific sense of humor, I might add.

  • John Kelly says:

    I gave Lukas Foss a ride in my car once around Tanglewood as he was walking along on a hot morning he seemed very appreciative. We had a lovely chat. Such a nice man was my impression. He was playing the piano in Bernstein Age of Anxiety. We pulled up to Seranak and he pointed out Lenny doing the NY Times crossword – “it takes him 20 minutes max.”

  • Ann Summers Dossena says:

    Cornelia told me her story at a dinner honoring Lukas Foss. I didn’t believe her. She’s lucky that Lukas took her back. Why she couldn’t wait until he died to make such tireless publicity, I wonder. It doesn’t say much for her. Basta!

  • Dr. H. says:

    Well, it came out also that Lukas had tons of affairs, so….

  • MOST READ TODAY: