Air-con fails at Verbier festival

Air-con fails at Verbier festival

News

norman lebrecht

August 06, 2022

Just watch Daniil Trifonov sweat it out.

Comments

  • Just saying says:

    The only other pianist I’ve seen sweat that much is Martin James Bartlett. Pity in his case, his playing quality doesn’t actually make up for it. Neither does his poorly choreographed gestures and facial expressions.

  • Mock Mahler says:

    Should’ve borrowed an outfit from Yuja.

  • Beinisch says:

    There is no AC at the church in Verbier.

  • Norman Krieger says:

    Imagine Liszt playing this in the 19th century. No air conditioning…
    or electricity!! Personally I prefer to play with heat rather than cold…

    • David K. Nelson says:

      Joseph Joachim commented to Brahms that while the Violin Concerto written for him was playable he had his doubts about certain passages while wearing a heavy suit coat in a warm hall. And he was writing that in the gut string era to boot.

  • Terence says:

    Tough gig.

    A few years ago I attended an afternoon concert in an old hall: no fans, no air-con. It was 42C (107F) outside and 40C (104F) inside. We sat on plastic seats!

    The performers had a small ineffectual fan.

    The show goes on …

  • BigSir says:

    Bravo for maintaining his focus and intensity!

  • Nick2 says:

    Is there any other Festival or concert venue which has its name printed clearly on the side of their piano/s? Surely that’s more than a bit over the top. Maybe next year they’ll be adding sponsor’s logos!

    • For crying out loud says:

      Ahh adding sponsors logos to the Steinways at the Salzburg Festival is probably not the wisest idea….

    • Gerry Feinsteen says:

      Agreed, it’s gross. Seeing a piano brand logo on an instrument is already gross enough, but this is just too commercial. Seeing the branding on an instrument gives the impression of a car or a watch more than a piece of art. Consider a Strad or del Gesu—if a Steinway is to be anything it should exist precisely without a branding because that’s sleeker and sexier than YAMAHA (which is AHAMAY in a mirror) or FAZOLI (cheap Italian breadsticks shop); sometimes no branding says a lot more.

  • MOST READ TODAY: