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au contraire mon ami, je ne pas snarke´, pas du tout. je m'inclus dans la "deuxieme guessing", bien sur. et je ne suis pas sophomoric. je suis tres tres senior.

Mais votre Français est très minable. Stick with Yankee language, the nicer kind.

Yes, the Yanky language is a little more favourable. (cross reference, hehe)

Anyway, I love Horowitz... Amazing, unique pianist, possibly unsurpassed in areas, but I agree with some of the posts above: I don't think it's the best idea to use his example for the norm for professional artists. I don't think he was necessarily some kind of savant (in the United States, "idiot" is a rather derogatory word so I would not want to say that) as he was just eccentric like a some other musical geniuses (although I need to read up on that more, so correct me if I'm wrong!)

Ok let me try again, since you seem to be willing to disparage what I say in any language. I was not saying you or others were the only ones second guessing (or in Franglais, "deuxieme guessing", c'est pour rire, non?), but I was second guessing as well. I've said as much in various ways, and it's hard to understand how you missed understanding that, other than the usual sort of Internet thing.

Even silence could be construed as a sign of approval. It could mean that the audience was so stunned and moved by your playing that they were left speechless (soundless).



I don't see any problem with praise being a constant motivator. A pianist may want praise so badly that he is wiling to spend hours at the keyboard, refining his skills in an attempt to earn a high quantity of praise.


Greatness doesn't have to solely pertain to technique. You can be obsessed with achieving both technical and musicl greatness, as you can obtain even more praise if you are a great musical mind in addition to being a virtuoso.

Referencing a post here ^^^ from the current thread "Victor Borge." The documentary linked to in the quote above is germane to this dicussion and worth the view and consideration, imo.

--Andy

I know one viewing of one documentary doesn't tell you everything about a person, but you look at that video and tell me if you see a person so childish as to be doing what he is doing, and knowing what he is knowing, simply for something as ephemeral as "praise". I personally see someone thoroughly musical, and motivated solely by the music. His every movement and spoken thought comes out of that. I just don't see how you can watch him in action and see that he's doing all that simply in order to get praised in the end, silently or not. The quote of his, when you see it, is his way of saying that when the audience reacted silently, he was pleased because he understood that he COMMUNICATED the music successfully. That is all he cared about, or at least what he expressed caring about. And if I may be bold and extrapolate, aside from taking some bows of gratitude to applause, any serious musician would probably feel the same way. At least I like to think so.

Anyway we're going in circles here in a rather pointless debate. If you want to feel that concert pianists are only there for your applause, well then all I can say is stand up, clap yo' hands and holler your head off.

Maybe different musicians have different motivations. Celbidache may display the so-called noble motives that you describe, while Horowitz had different motives (as the examples that I cited imply). Since Horowitz was the greatest pianist, I feel that his motivations override those of any other musician.

That last sentence...how old are you again, Regina?

And that, as they say, is that.

Claiming Horowitz to be the greatest pianist is of course personal and debatable. For instance I wouldn't put his Mozart above say, Uchida.. You don't insist that it's fact, do you, Regina?

Stores, are you implying that you have to be old or young to declare Horowitz the greatest pianist?

Pogorelich, when deciding who is the greatest panist, I consider the overall picture. I wouldn't merely make the decision based on how one composer is played, but based on an overall assessment of what great things they have accomplished throughout their career. I believe that Horowitz accomplished more great things- especially from a technical perspective- than any other pianist.

Hahaha...no, not at all (and I'm not being facetious).