A good performance is one that moves me. But it is not only the passion and emotion expressed in a performance that move me, it is also allowing the clarity of the structure, as well as the different characters, to shine through, a well-judged balance, a sense of architecture of the whole piece and, at the same time, a sense that it unfolds naturally from the first note to the last.
Mihai Ritivoiu, Romanian pianist.
“Young Artist Interview: Mihai Ritivoiu”, The Musicians’ Company, https://wcom.org.uk/news/yeoman-interview-mihai-ritivoiu/, accessed 21 February 2021.
A good performance
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Beethoven’s prank
Beethoven was a musician for the Electoral court and chapel in Bonn. Franz Wegeler, a friend of of Beethoven’s, recounted an incident where the young Beethoven was to accompany a singer, Ferdinand Heller, in a church service. Heller prided himself on being able to sing in tune, no matter how complicated the accompaniment. Beethoven asked Heller if he […]
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