Glenn Gould as a researcher of Russian musical culture

He article analyzes the concept of the history of Russian musical culture, created by the Canadian musician and thinker Glenn Gould. It is shown that Gouldian's assessment of musical life in the USSR is based on the serious theoretical background of the author. He examines the history of Russian music in the context of the problems of freedom of creativity, the interaction of art and power. Gould analyzed Russian musical culture, relying on cognitive principles that he applied to the study of other artistic phenomena, and appreciated it very highly for having creatively mastered Western forms, creating the most original music that enriched world art. The specifics of the Canadian researcher's approach to the history of Russian musical culture are revealed: Gould analyzes Russian music as a musicologist who saw polyphony and counterpoint in its history, reveals independent lines of development - Mussorgsky's extrovert, expressing the soul of the people, and Tchaikovsky's introvert, opening it to the whole world - their contrapuntal connection in Scriabin's music. In the final section of the article, elements of similarities and differences between the Gouldian concept of Russian history and the teachings of P. Ya. Chaadaev and A. S. Khomyakov are noted.