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"If we continually try to force a child to do what he is afraid to do, he will become more timid, and will use his brains and energy, not to explore the unknown, but to find ways to avoid the pressures we put on him." (John Holt)
Not unexpected but very sad. Truly one of the great pianists of our time, and one who inadvertently became a force for world peace. Having the opportunity to meet him and speak with him at the Cliburn amateur competitions was an unimaginable joy, as you can see in this picture which I feel very fortunate to have as one of those memories. I will miss him greatly, in many respects.
RIP. One of the great pianists of the 20th century. Sponsored a world-famous competition. I vividly remember in 1972 when he made his annual visit to the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan. I played horn in the World Youth Symphony. When he sat down at the first rehearsal and began playing the Rachmaninoff 3rd I was amazed at the huge sound he was able to get from the piano. He really played well that week. Unforgettable.
I was fortunate enough to hear him play his last concert at Tanglewood. He wasn't in top form that night, but it was a memorable experience for me. Definitely one of the greats.
He was one of the first pianists to play the original 1913 version of Rachmaninoff's Sonata No.2 at a time when even the score was almost impossible to find. And he also played the big chordal cadenza in Rachmaninoff's 3rd concerto when it wasn't at all fashionable, and made it his own, perhaps paving the way for other pianists. Even Ashkenazy didn't switch to that big cadenza until much later.
His recordings of those two works remain landmarks, in my opinion, even more so than that of the Tchaikovsky No.1.
So saddened to hear of this...and right before the 14th competition too...
One of my former piano teachers actually heard him perform in the Soviet Union. She said he played Rachmaninoff better than the Russians could. She really looked up to him.
Ironically, I was listening to his recording of Prokofiev 3 this morning. Such marvelous talent.
