RIP Maurizio Pollini

Started by Mandryka, March 23, 2024, 06:32:53 AM

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Atriod

Quote from: Spotted Horses on March 25, 2024, 01:06:20 PMSupposed to have recorded when? He supposedly vetoed the release?

It would have been decades ago at least early digital era, rumor is DG didn't want to release it. But I have also read that they didn't want him to record it and a recording might not exist.

Mandryka

There is some indeterminate music in the klavierstucke - no recorded example exists of Pollini playing that sort of composition as far as I know. I'd always assumed that the reason he didn't play Boulez 3 was that he was uncomfortable with the indeterminacy.
Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Mandryka

Quote from: Holden on March 25, 2024, 12:15:26 PMthe Pollini that emerged after his post Chopin Competition sabbatical was certainly not the one everyone heard in Warsaw.

That's an interesting idea. Here's his 1960 competition recording if anyone wants to think about it (I'm going to bed!)

Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muss man schweigen

Herman

#43
Quote from: Iota on March 25, 2024, 02:56:25 AMWhat a troubling and moving account that is. I hope Pollini was able to take the clear message from the audience, 'We don't care, we don't care, we're just grateful for your existence!' The iniquities of ageing on the body and mind are well documented, but communal compassion for its ravages is given a rare chance to express itself unmistakably when its manifestation is so public.

The better way to express this compassion had been if Pollini's agent (et al) had realized earlier that it was time to stop planning recitals, and retire in peace. I have a hard time believing a perfectionist artist like Pollini (who nixed many recordings because they weren't flawless) took away from this catastrophic recital "People don't care, they love me anyway", rather than "I failed at Schumann." He cared deeply about this.

There is something ghoulish in audiences insisting on deeply aged performers to keep going on because of some attachment to the known and familiar faces. They want to see 'the last recital'. Well, they did. Some conductors come to mind, too...

Iota

Quote from: Herman on March 27, 2024, 01:47:36 AMThe better way to express this compassion had been if Pollini's agent (et al) had realized earlier that it was time to stop planning recitals, and retire in peace. I have a hard time believing a perfectionist artist like Pollini (who nixed many recordings because they weren't flawless) took away from this catastrophic recital "People don't care, they love me anyway", rather than "I failed at Schumann." He cared deeply about this.

There is something ghoulish in audiences insisting on deeply aged performers to keep going on because of some attachment to the known and familiar faces. They want to see 'the last recital'. Well, they did. Some conductors come to mind, too...

Perhaps that is true. I'd agree that an event such as this is undesirable for everyone. But perhaps Pollini himself wanted to give the recital, and without the benefit of hindsight, I imagine it would be rather difficult to insist he didn't. Or perhaps somebody tried to dissuade him and he went ahead with it anyway, I have no idea.
My point was that as it did happen, I hoped the audience reacting with such obvious compassion and love, was some balm to him, if not immediately then at some point.

AnotherSpin

Quote from: Herman on March 27, 2024, 01:47:36 AMThe better way to express this compassion had been if Pollini's agent (et al) had realized earlier that it was time to stop planning recitals, and retire in peace. I have a hard time believing a perfectionist artist like Pollini (who nixed many recordings because they weren't flawless) took away from this catastrophic recital "People don't care, they love me anyway", rather than "I failed at Schumann." He cared deeply about this.

There is something ghoulish in audiences insisting on deeply aged performers to keep going on because of some attachment to the known and familiar faces. They want to see 'the last recital'. Well, they did. Some conductors come to mind, too...

I think there is no need to expect technical perfection from a great pianist, especially one who is no longer young. We're talking about a human, not a machine. Or impeccable memory, for the same reason. Even young pianists often play from notes. There is a special charm in imperfections and faults. Pianistic wabi-sabi. 

Florestan

Quote from: Herman on March 27, 2024, 01:47:36 AMThere is something ghoulish in audiences insisting on deeply aged performers to keep going on because of some attachment to the known and familiar faces. They want to see 'the last recital'. Well, they did. Some conductors come to mind, too...

You make it sound as if Pollini was a brainless and faithful executant of the will and wishes of a sadistic audience and had no say whatsoever in when, where and what to play...

Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Jo498

Audiences accepted pianists playing with the sheet music (Richter did it for a long time) or avoiding pieces of a high difficulty (e.g. Horszowski who played into his 90s but AFAIK certainly not the Schumann Fantasy).
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

ultralinear

#48
Nobody minds artists making mistakes.  It's all part of the variability in the moment of live performance, which is what makes it worth going out instead of staying home all the time listening to records, perfect though those performances may be.

I was once at a recital by a young Ukrainian pianist (name escapes me), which was going fine until she finished with Prokofiev's Sonata No.7, the finale of which (Precipitato) seems to be viewed by some artists as a demonstration piece, the issue being not so much the speed as the cross-rhythms, which are ferocious.  She set off at a phenomenal pace - perhaps unwisely - because about halfway through she just lost it for a moment, and - as is the way with this piece - it threw her off like a bucking bronco.  She stopped - collected herself - then started again from the beginning - still at an ambitious speed - but got no distance at all before collapsing completely, at which point she stood up and ran off stage.  There was a pause of a few minutes, during which the audience didn't know if that was it for the night - but then she reappeared, to a rousing cheer - sat down, set off again at a more measured (but still brisk) pace, got all the way through to the end, and while the last note was still sounding she jumped up and ran off.  The audience gave her a tremendous ovation, which she did not come back on stage to receive.

Audiences are very sympathetic.  We know how hard this is.

When a notorious perfectionist such as Pollini veers off-piste in the middle of the Appassionata, even momentarily, it delivers a jolt, especially if it seems part of a pattern.  The imperfection doesn't matter in the slightest to the audience, but they know how much it will to him.

Holden

Quote from: AnotherSpin on March 28, 2024, 03:08:24 AMI think there is no need to expect technical perfection from a great pianist, especially one who is no longer young. We're talking about a human, not a machine. Or impeccable memory, for the same reason. Even young pianists often play from notes. There is a special charm in imperfections and faults. Pianistic wabi-sabi. 

Cortot is a perfect example of this happening - some fumbles but the overall result is great music.
Cheers

Holden