Top pianist speaks about coping with panic
NewsThe Norwegian pianist Leif Ove Andsnes is the latest artist to open up to Zsolt Bognar on Living the Classical Life.
He speaks about being projected from rural Norway to playing in the Hollywood Bowl. ‘I was 21, playing the Grieg concerto, and I knew already that I was due to play Rachmaninov 3 there the next year and I had never played it. I remember thinking: I’m never going to be able to do that here… I would sometimes cancel a concerto performance four or five months ahead because I got panicky and thought I could not learn it in time.’
Interesting. Even unwarranted panic is real panic.
I had the opportunity to hear Leif Ove Andsnes about twenty years ago in Bergen performing the Grieg Piano Concerto. Having heard his recordings and also concerts on the TV and Radio I was quite excited. I have to say it wasn’t a very good performance and I was disappointed. Maybe he was having an off day.
I don’t think so. I’ve heard him live several times in orchestral concertos and in one recital. Andsnes has his fans for sure, but in my experience, his performances are inexpressive, and cover an emotional range from A to B. Some call it a “cool Scandinavian temperment.” A friend calls his performances “carbon neutral.” I just call them boring and inexpressive.
But again, taste is individual and there are MANY people who think Andsnes is one of the best pianists in front of the public.
In my book, as the saying goes, three strikes and you’re out.
Andsnes played Sibelius on Dutch television, the violinist Ivry Gitlis in the audience seemed captivated by the vision.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaN3ckbtbjM
I was, often am.
He is a marvelous pianist. And a wonderful human being to boot.
The very best are often full of self doubt.
The better they are, the more self-doubt. It’s only the mediocre who are supremely self-confident.
Not the same as performance panic, which can be treated as a chemical inbalance. Self-doubt is more often related to genuine aspects of humilty and not quite the same thing.
He was great at the Proms in a concert of Mozart. Not just his piano playing, but the whole orchestra itself – so lyrically played and in long sentences of music.
He talks of that fear at at about the 20:30 m
Andsnes is a superb pianist and musician and an honest person. Let’s wish him a long carreer and good health.
Agreed 10000% !!!!
This is always the Elephant in the Room with performers, whether a back desk string player, second flute, Principal whatever, nobody ever speaks about the sudden panic which can happen anytime, anyplace. I know.
But amateur armchair critics haven’t even a clue…
So chapeau to Lief.