oscar@utcsrgv.UUCP (Oscar M. Nierstrasz) (05/02/84)
Okay, since the musicians are coming out of the woodwork, I'd like to pop this question. In recent years it appears that playing standards have increased, whether articificially or not (see Greg Paley's recent comments). Some musicians have been criticized for playing note-perfect but without adding any life to the music. One musician that has been accused of this is the pianist Maurizio Pollini. Now, I happen to find his playing not only `precise' (i.e. he makes no noticeable mistakes and he doesn't muck around with what's on the page) but also very moving. It seems to me that if a pianist isn't `eccentric', grunts like a pig or `improves' what's on the page then he's merely pedestrian (alright, I exaggerate). The point is that I believe it *is* possible to be faithful to a composer and still add something unique -- I think that Pollini accomplishes this. My question is, what do other pianists think of him -- or of others compared with him? (I should add that I *don't* think he is God, and I have difficulty imagining him playing Rachmaninoff or Tchaikovsky.) A parenthetical remark: it seems, in my limited experience with musicians, that they are not so interested in `canned' music, and they seldom listen to records with anywhere near the enthusiasm of non-musicians. Probably because the experience of performing live totally overshadows that of merely listening to someone else's `non-live' (dead?) performance. Contradict me, please. Oscar Nierstrasz
chris@umcp-cs.UUCP (05/05/84)
* From: oscar@utcsrgv.UUCP ... Probably because the experience of performing live totally overshadows that of merely listening to someone else's `non-live' (dead?) performance. Contradict me, please. I'm not going to contradict you. When everything is just right, **WOW**, what an experience... (Not that it happens every time.) -- In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci (301) 454-7690 UUCP: {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!chris CSNet: chris@umcp-cs ARPA: chris@maryland
rl@ucsfcgl.UUCP (Robert Langridge%CGL) (05/06/84)
<- I thoroughly agree that Pollini combines superb technical skill with the most sensitive interpretation. I have not heard all of his recordings, and have not had the opportunity to hear him in person, but his recordings of the Chopin Etudes Op 10 and 25 are stupendous. There are no apparent technical difficulties for him in these very technical studies, yet what you hear is the sublime music that Chopin wrote, and the technical virtuosity is only the vehicle for some glorious music-making. Bob Langridge, UCSF Computer Graphics Laboratory, ucbvax!ucsfcgl!rl