Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Richard Clayderman

Allright, he made a lot of money. Is that a reason to respect his playing?
Not really i.m.o.
He may haven been a funny chap, but he wasn't that brilliant.
"I'm too sexy for my car, too sexy by far", that was a funny song too and I bet they made loads of money from it as well, but was it really that good?
Remeber: Quality and succes don't always go together.
You classical guys should know.

For me my respect toward him is not based on his bank balance.

Again you're missing it

"quality" as defined by who ? by you ? by a group who feel only 'lofty' Beethovenesque depths are relevant in music.!?!

Have you ever tried to put a show together? Of any description ?

To be frank, and I come from experience, sitting on stage playing selctive piano pieces from the great composers demands a very different more understated role than giving a 'full on' in your face personality up front performance and having to make your audience laugh whilst you play as well

Have you ever tried to get up and make a thousand people laugh on stage on live TV and play piano to concert standard ? Mmm

It could be argued that Liberace's performance required a bit more courage than the former.

Performing classical music often allows the performer to hide behind his/her instrument.

Don't get me wrong I know which I prefer and I am not losing sight of the ecstacy / achievement one can attain in performing these wonderful works we do but for people to undermine what Liberace ( add Victor Borge and Les Dawson - although not a good a player as Liberace - to that ) did is churlish.

I'm a "classical player" as you put it, and although it's not actually my cup of tea, he has the utmost respect from me as a performer and that's going nowhere near his bank balance -although I'd like to

I find myself in agreement with Pianoloverus. Liberace, Victor Borge, Gladys Mills, Russ Conway, Richard Clayderman.... We don't necessarily want to emulate them, even like their playing, but they made a lot of people happy with their music, which is probably more than I shall ever do. Let's be tolerant and broadminded.

"he has the utmost respect from me as a performer"

I agree (liberace, not Claydermann, he's not a good performer).

Well done Horace.

Really wasn't my intent to troll. I was and still am honestly curious about mr Clayderman's capacity to play more technically demanding pieces. It's unfortunate that I couldn't ask the question without the propriety police descending and making sure that there is no disrespect being targeted at such a famous and successful performer as Clayderman.

First association when someone mentioned Clayderman?
*tinkle tinkle tinkle*

Maybe it's all the horrors of when I was around 6-8 yrs old and my mom (and her church lady friends) comes home with a Clayderman book, newly translated with mandarin text, and goes "play this! it sounds so nice! My friends would love it!"

For two years, I heard "play the music box song" or whatever the heck that was named, and some of the other "look I make a big seventh chord a lot with my left hand" pieces I played to death with a grimace when my mom's friends would clap with glee...

I think I burned that book. He may compose, but in my opinion, he's no Beethoven. I actually *gasp!* prefer Yanni to him!

Btw, I didn't know this guy still produces stuff. Does he still have blow-dried hair? I remember thinking as a kid that his hair looked like that on the Ken doll nobody wanted to buy.

Btw, who doesn't like Victor Borge? He makes me laugh. Audible punctuation, was it called? That's how I learned grammar and parsing sentences in 7th grade.

I think Victor Borge is brilliant! His "Inflationary Language" is one of my favorite comedy acts, and I was impressed by his improvising "Happy Birthday" into a number of well-known classical pieces.

Unforunately, his comedic personality seemed to draw attention away from the fact that he was actually a very competent pianist. He had a very nice touch, as well as very good musical sense, and technique that could put most contemporary pianists to shame.

***NOTE: AS A RULE, ALL MY STATEMENTS ARE PREFIXED WITH "IMO"***

Gflat, I'm with you entirely.

To draw an analogy, and a slightly polarized one just to make a point, no I'm not an expert on wine, and yes I think I can tell a good one from a bad one, but I wouldn't have the temerity to walk into a room of experts and announce my conclusions based one such cursory knowledge.

I think everyone is entitled to their opinions, but when I'm in an arena where I'm aware that my knowledge is limited, I tend to shut up rather than blurt out half baked opinions.

I disagree. I think you can say what you want, when you want..... then hide.

Hehe, fair enough! God knows I've done that more times than I care to remember

If you think that guy can have musical credibilty, there's something very wrong with you.

He can and he does. Music should not not be seen through such blinkers, there is plenty of room for flair, glitter and sentimentality.

If people could only have a few drinks and be honest with themselves...

this conversation sucks

In my eyes, Liberace was not a true musician. He was an entertainer first and foremost that happened to know how to play the piano. In the world of pure showmanship and flash, he was great. But you could never classify him as a bonafide concert pianist. Maybe he could have been, but that just wasn't the route he took in life. My point is that we all have something we're good at, and if we don't follow our hearts and go with what we believe in...we'd just spend our lives not being true to ourselves. Personally, I think that we shouldn't criticize someone for living their own dreams...everyone is different, and everyone is entitled to their own opinions and how to live their own life.

It's all very well to go on about Liberace and Clayderman but you've all forgotten that "King of Cheese" Bobby Crush. Now there was a "talent".

Since we are discussing modern popular pianists, what do we think of Dino? IMO, his technique is formidable. Personally I found Victor Borge a little irritating since as soon as I would settle down to enjoy his playing he would interrupt it with a comic interlude.

Ollie

I'm not a huge Clayderman fan but I do love Lady Di. I have to agree that it is fairly easy music to play. I am doing Lady Di for my Grade 6 exam. I've only been playing it for a couple of weeks and already feel that I am getting s stranglehold on it, bar a couple of sections. Whether it is easy or not though, doesn't detract from it being a great piece of music. Why does great music have to be hard to play?