Just because you can do it
... Doesn't mean you should play it.
I used to think that a good performance relies heavily on a good setting. One of my favourite (and most romantic) memories of a perfect evening is from one lovely moonlit night in Manhattan. It was 10 years ago this month and I was drunk with the intoxicating experience of being in NYC. As I was coming home from the clubs one late night, I heard the gentle tinkling of the ivories coming from the library in the pre-Civil War townhouse I was staying in. Drawn by the music, I wandered into the spacious room to see this distinguished older gentleman at the piano surrounded by darkness. I was entralled by the sheer beauty of the moment. He looked so handsome and totally consumed by the music.
Careful not to interrupt his communion, I quietly drew closer to the piano, my curiosity piqued by the unfamiliar but lyrical notes. The song spoke of heartfelt grief and melancholia, emotions not fully understood by a younger me. I was deeply moved. He looked up to see me and asked me to sit down with next to him. I asked what he was playing. He smiled and replied: "Schubert".
The piano recital last night was a good example of why some pianists should be barred from playing Chopin. The evening was begging to be enjoyed. It was the perfect setting. Pre-concert cocktails. Fighting for the rare beef canapes with the not too chi chi crowd. Free flow insipid white wine. Repartee with witty concert companion. The program even featured some of Chopin's best etudes, including the lovely Tristesse and the dramatic Revolutionary. How can anyone go wrong with Chopin?
This guy is as dull as he looks. We could barely keep our eyes open with the pre-Chopin teasers of Haydn and premature Beethoven. Was waiting to be impressed but the blow never come. I was shocked to be yawning during the opening and my favourite etude to Op. 10. The bubbling and sparkling arpeggios became constipated and dull with none of the charm that is essential for Chopin. Here's a real man play it here, first the Chopin, then the stunning Godowsky transcription:
Things just went downhill after that. Despite the insipid applause, the shameless nerd even had the nerve to give two encores (even more dull Chopin - kill me now!!!)
Maybe it will be a while before I next meet another pianist playing in the moonlight. In the meantime, flash-in-the-pan pianists like this Alexander Korbin will keep me hanging on to my favourite memories of legendary performances.
I used to think that a good performance relies heavily on a good setting. One of my favourite (and most romantic) memories of a perfect evening is from one lovely moonlit night in Manhattan. It was 10 years ago this month and I was drunk with the intoxicating experience of being in NYC. As I was coming home from the clubs one late night, I heard the gentle tinkling of the ivories coming from the library in the pre-Civil War townhouse I was staying in. Drawn by the music, I wandered into the spacious room to see this distinguished older gentleman at the piano surrounded by darkness. I was entralled by the sheer beauty of the moment. He looked so handsome and totally consumed by the music.
Careful not to interrupt his communion, I quietly drew closer to the piano, my curiosity piqued by the unfamiliar but lyrical notes. The song spoke of heartfelt grief and melancholia, emotions not fully understood by a younger me. I was deeply moved. He looked up to see me and asked me to sit down with next to him. I asked what he was playing. He smiled and replied: "Schubert".
The piano recital last night was a good example of why some pianists should be barred from playing Chopin. The evening was begging to be enjoyed. It was the perfect setting. Pre-concert cocktails. Fighting for the rare beef canapes with the not too chi chi crowd. Free flow insipid white wine. Repartee with witty concert companion. The program even featured some of Chopin's best etudes, including the lovely Tristesse and the dramatic Revolutionary. How can anyone go wrong with Chopin?
This guy is as dull as he looks. We could barely keep our eyes open with the pre-Chopin teasers of Haydn and premature Beethoven. Was waiting to be impressed but the blow never come. I was shocked to be yawning during the opening and my favourite etude to Op. 10. The bubbling and sparkling arpeggios became constipated and dull with none of the charm that is essential for Chopin. Here's a real man play it here, first the Chopin, then the stunning Godowsky transcription:
Things just went downhill after that. Despite the insipid applause, the shameless nerd even had the nerve to give two encores (even more dull Chopin - kill me now!!!)
Maybe it will be a while before I next meet another pianist playing in the moonlight. In the meantime, flash-in-the-pan pianists like this Alexander Korbin will keep me hanging on to my favourite memories of legendary performances.
posted by Colin at 10:07 AM
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