Near the beginning of T. S. Eliot's "Portrait of a Lady" there are these lines: "We have been, let us say, to hear the latest Pole Transmit the Preludes, through his hair and fingertips." Were those the celebrated red locks of Paderewski? Like many Poles playing the piano, he specialized in Chopin. There were so many Chopinists in the early years of the twentieth century -- just as sound recording really got going -- that, although we … [Read more...]
Archives for September 2009
Beat It
Walking across the campus of a big Midwestern university, I hear drumming. The drumline from the school's marching band is practicing outdoors, with a very loud metronome. Big speakers blast out the regular electric beats -- quite a lot louder than twenty drummers drumming. These beats sound like gunshots. The music is intricate with a lot of syncopation, and these kids fit it all in, around the clicks. This kind of practicing is not so … [Read more...]
How many?
In an interview recently, I was asked the obvious question: "How many concerts have you played?" And I answered truthfully: "I don't know." I've thought about it before, even wishing I had kept track better. I might calculate the number by studying my old calendars and printed programs. (Could I have notched the leg of a piano bench?) It's got to be hundreds. As I was speculating about this, I asked another question: "For the purpose of this … [Read more...]