Don't Give up After the First Half

[Satzaroo]

A few days ago, my wife and I attended a piano recital performed by a candidate for the master of music degree at the U of Hawaii.  We were very disappointed during the first half of the concert. I was upset because the graduate student hit a few wrong notes and had egregiously sloppy phrasing in the Beethoven piano sonata, Op. 110. And his Prelude and Fugue in D-sharp minor, BWV 877, from Bach's second volume of The Well-Tempered Clavier, was just as defective. My wife had another concern: he didn't seem to be fully engaged. I was ready to leave before the second half of the program began, but my wife persuaded me to stay put. I am glad I listened to her.

The first piece after the intermission was Ligeti's Etude No. 13,  "Lescalier du Diable." Much to my and wife's unexpected delight, the pianist played with devilish glee. Nothing lackadaisical here, no lack of confidence either—as in the Beethoven and Bach selections. He was in complete control, supercharged, and on target. Of course, his new-born passion could have been roused only for contemporary composers like Ligeti. The last piece on the program, Robert Schumann's Symphonic Etudes, would test how well he related to a quintessential Romantic composer.

The graduate student performed the Etudes brilliantly, whether pounding the keys authoritatively or ever-so-intimately gliding over them. He played with exceptional virtuosity: each section was impeccably crafted. The etudes were a tour de force. I had never heard them before, so I don't know how traditional or innovative his interpretation was. But I can't imagine any well-known pianist outshining Mr. McCoy, who revealed himself to be the real McCoy after all.

[DavidW]

I'm curious about something: do you commonly listen to Ligeti's etudes?  If you were listening to Aimard's cd every day or something that would be interesting.  I'm asking because in another thread you talked about imprinting on specific performers, which would indeed color your perception of that pianist in how he handles Bach, Beethoven and Schumann.  But if you don't listen to Ligeti as often, it could be that you have no imprinting and were free to listen to that pianist without the weight of recordings on your mind.

I'm saying this because it's possible that the pianist approached all of them equally, and you perceived an unequal bias where none existed.

[Bulldog]

This isn't a football thread?

[Dancing Divertimentian]

The etudes were a tour de force. I had never heard them before, so I don't know how traditional or innovative his interpretation was.

Yeah, the etudes are supposed to give off a certain extroversion so sounds like Mr. McCoy hit the nail right on the head.

[Satzaroo]

I'm curious about something: do you commonly listen to Ligeti's etudes?  If you were listening to Aimard's cd every day or something that would be interesting.  I'm asking because in another thread you talked about imprinting on specific performers, which would indeed color your perception of that pianist in how he handles Bach, Beethoven and Schumann.  But if you don't listen to Ligeti as often, it could be that you have no imprinting and were free to listen to that pianist without the weight of recordings on your mind.

I'm saying this because it's possible that the pianist approached all of them equally, and you perceived an unequal bias where none existed.

I had never heard of Ligeti until a week ago.

[Satzaroo]

This isn't a football thread?

That's a kicker of a response. I guess you don't think I'm laced up too tightly, eh?

[Mirror Image]

I had never heard of Ligeti until a week ago.

You have never heard of Ligeti until a week ago?    What cave did you crawl out from?

[Bulldog]

You have never heard of Ligeti until a week ago?    What cave did you crawl out from?

Ligeti's not even on ArkivMusic's list of most popular composers. 

[The new erato]

I had never heard of Ligeti until a week ago.

Seriously? The major modern European composer post WWII? Well at least, that's interesting.

Come to think of it, I haven't heard of Elliot Carter either.

[Mirror Image]

Ligeti's not even on ArkivMusic's list of most popular composers. 

F*** ArkivMusic.    I think it's just interesting that this member who claims he's a classical listener has NEVER heard of Ligeti. I mean I can understand not hearing some of his music, but NEVER having run across his name at some point seems pretty ridiculous to me. Ligeti is regarded, not only amongst critics and scholars, but also classical listeners as one of the major composers of the 20th Century. I'm sorry his post just made me do a double take.

Back to the cave you go, Schlomo!

[Scarpia]

F*** ArkivMusic.    I think it's just interesting that this member who claims he's a classical listener has NEVER heard of Ligeti. I mean I can understand not hearing some of his music, but NEVER having run across his name at some point seems pretty ridiculous to me. Ligeti is regarded, not only amongst critics and scholars, but also classical listeners as one of the major composers of the 20th Century. I'm sorry his post just made me do a double take.

Back to the cave you go, Schlomo!

Schlomo has clearly spend a lot of time and energy listening to classical music.  Perhaps he does not actively seek out novel composers, but that fact that he hasn't heard of Ligeti only seems to indicate that Ligeti is not as well know as you believe him to be.  The name Ligeti only hit my radar when one of his works appeared as a filler on a disc of chamber music for winds.  That was a few years ago.  I didn't like the piece and didn't hear anything further of him until this last few months, when some activity on this board convinced me to order a few discs of his music to try out.

[mc ukrneal]

I don't know why you are all surprised. In the pantheon of classcial composers, Ligeti's not a name you come across right away (and I dont think people regard him as highly as a couple post here would like us to believe). People would probably recognize him through some of the film music he did on 2001, the Shining or Eyes Wide Shut (and perhaps other films), but there is not much out there that you come across on a regular basis.

[Mirror Image]

I don't know why you are all surprised. In the pantheon of classcial composers, Ligeti's not a name you come across right away (and I dont think people regard him as highly as a couple post here would like us to believe). People would probably recognize him through some of the film music he did on 2001, the Shining or Eyes Wide Shut (and perhaps other films), but there is not much out there that you come across on a regular basis.

Look into any classical reference book and Ligeti's name will more than likely be in there and I own several of them: most of the NPR books, the newest edition of the Rough Guide, Third Ear, and the 2009 edition of Gramophone's record guide.

You can evade the point I'm making all you like and defend him, but the fact that Schlomo has never heard of Ligeti says more about him and how out of touch he is with classical music, then it does of the composer's own popularity, which has never been in question, because anybody with experience with classical music has run across his name at some point and more than likely very early on.

[Scarpia]

Look into any classical reference book and Ligeti's name will more than likely be in there and I own several of them: most of the NPR books, the newest edition of the Rough Guide, Third Ear, and the 2009 edition of Gramophone's record guide.

You can evade the point I'm making all you like and defend him, but the fact that Schlomo has never heard of Ligeti says more about him and how out of touch he is with classical music, then it does of the composer's own popularity, which has never been in question, because anybody with experience with classical music has run across his name at some point and more than likely very early on.

The man said he heard Ligeti for the first time last week and enjoyed it, and you find it necessary to ridicule him for the sin of not having heard of Ligeti before that.   That says more about you than about any one else, and it doesn't say anything good.   

[DavidW]

Seriously? The major modern European composer post WWII? Well at least, that's interesting.

Come to think of it, I haven't heard of Elliot Carter either.

You know I never would have known about Carter had I not seen five million posts ranting about him as the musical antichrist from the Pink Harp, back on cmg.

Anyway that is awesome that you took to Ligeti in the first listen Schlomo!  I didn't, not even on the 10th.  I'm a Ligeti fan now, but it was a result of being stubborn instead of immediately taking to the music.

[The new erato]

Tthat man said he heard Ligeti for the first time last week and enjoyed it, and you find it necessary to ridicule him for the sin of not having heard of Ligeti before that.   That says more about you than about any one else, and it doesn't say anything good.   

While I find it - as I said - interesting that classical listeners haven't heard about Ligeti (as opposed to actually having heard his music), I see no need to go off my rocker about it, so yes, no need to go overboard.

OTOH, I bought my first Ligeti work on LP in 76 IIRC, long before he was the major name he is today, and just 3 years after I got into classical music. Perhaps the reason is that Ligeti is a name in classical record magazines and boards, I mean a name for the really geeky; while the average concertgoer probably wouldn't be exposed to him unless one had an active interest in new music.

Though anybody with an interest in movies should know his name from the use of his music in "2001 A Space Odyssey"; I guess that was where I first picked it up.

[Scarpia]

While I find it - as I said - interesting that classical listeners haven't heard about Ligeti (as opposed to actually having heard his music), I see no need to go off my rocker about it, so yes, no need to go overboard.

OTOH, I bought my first Ligeti work on LP in 76 IIRC, long before he was the major name he is today, and just 3 years after I got into classical music. Perhaps the reason is that Ligeti is a name in classical record magazines and boards, I mean a name for the really geeky; while the average concertgoer probably wouldn't be exposed to him unless one had an active interest in new music.

Though anybody with an interest in movies should know his name from the use of his music in "2001 A Space Odyssey"; I guess that was where I first picked it up.

Well, I've held that soundtrack album in my hands, so I guess you could prove that I had seen his name many years ago, but it did not register until rather recently.  It only registered in a positive manner very very recently.   

[Mirror Image]

Tthat man said he heard Ligeti for the first time last week and enjoyed it, and you find it necessary to ridicule him for the sin of not having heard of Ligeti before that.   That says more about you than about any one else, and it doesn't say anything good.   

I'm not talking about his music, I'm talking about actually running across or hearing his name. I can understand not hearing the music itself, but to have never heard of Ligeti seems quite ridiculous.

[Dancing Divertimentian]

You can evade the point I'm making all you like and defend him, but the fact that Schlomo has never heard of Ligeti says more about him and how out of touch he is with classical music, then it does of the composer's own popularity, which has never been in question, because anybody with experience with classical music has run across his name at some point and more than likely very early on.

You're derailing this thread unnecessarily with this completely off-the-topic fixation.

Accommodation is - and has always been - the name of the game at GMG. Experience level DOESN'T factor in...

[Dancing Divertimentian]

Now, back ON topic...

I wonder if nerves might have played a part in the unsatisfactory first half of the concert. It's an affliction that dogs many, many performers. Perhaps Mr. McCoy finally "warmed up" and a certain comfortability set in.