'Do today's pianists have the Romantic touch?'

Doshea3

Just read this article by Harold Schonberg (from 1984, though the arguments are still relevant). Thought all you people might find it interesting. It is part of the required reading list for the next Classical Forum Drinks.

funky penguin

Its an interesting and often frustrating topic.

It also works for other instruments, not just the piano. My brother tries to get a balance of playing Bach 'as he wrote it' with an element of emotionalism when he plays the cello suites. Its frustrating for him, because one person could find it fantastic, another too conservative, or another to liberal.

I think the main problem with art music performance these days is that people tend to have their mind made up as to how a piece should be performed before listening to someone perform it. They don't engage with the performance as it is, right in front of them. We compare too much, look at the performance on its own merits. I'm definitely guilty of this anyway, and I realise its not as simple as that.

As an aside, I actually like Ashkenazy's Chopin! There's a clarity in the recordings that can get lost in the mushy sentimentalism of other performances.

Norrdeth

LAME! Reading about Piano, no thanks!
=P

funky penguin

You're more of a pianist than anything else!!! :eek:

Norrdeth

I dabble, to say the most, hehe
These days it's a bit of everything, although electric guitar is getting more of a look in!

The Agogo

We actually have no way of knowing/evidence that even the great's had the 'classical touch'