Piano Detours

While looking for something on the theoretical differences between "fair trade" and "direct trade", I came across this article in the New York Times expressing frustration over the physical histrionics that too many young pianist inject into their performances. Which led me to youtube to watch performances of Lang Lang, Glenn Gould, and Arthur Rubinstein. It is not just that Lang Lang's facial tics and spasmodic episodes distracts from the performance, they seem so insincere, disconnected from the music. Less of an involuntary physical reaction to a spiritual surfeit and more of a willful choice to differentiate his act. Like Kiss applying face makeup.

I'm not sure I agree with Mr. Holland's conclusion that such theatrics turns young people away from classical music, however. When I was in my teens I came into possession of Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert album, which I listened over and over again. It wasn't until later in my adult life that his orgasmic groans and cranial gyrations became intolerable.