Igor Levit: Why I quit Twitter

Igor Levit: Why I quit Twitter

News

norman lebrecht

November 08, 2022

The German-Russian pianist, who made his name on the medium during Covid, has issued a six-part parting tweet before shutting down his account.

He confesses: ‘I identified with the platform in the deepest way.’

But now he distrusts Elon Musk’s plans: ‘Opening the floodgates to hate speech disguised as free speech doesn’t come as a surprise to me, but it’s a shock nonetheless.’

Those with longer memories will recall that Levit has quit Twitter several times before.

Comments

  • Robin Smith says:

    His Beethoven Emperor Piano Concerto performance last week with the Philharmonia on top form was superlative – a stand out performance post the pandemic for me. Beautifully articulated playing on what sounded a particularly fine piano.

  • Tamino says:

    He also quit facebook years ago because he felt hurt. He seems happy to dish out controversial opinions, but not so good at listening to the same from others. Narcissism textbook behaviour.

    • phil says:

      absolutely.
      mimosa should be his official name.
      he is such a narcissistic person and manipulator even god looks like a beginner next to him.
      fantastic news that we do not have to read his nonsense anymore.

      • Burgos says:

        Right. I once met him and he really even didn’t accept any other person to talk or to have another opinion. I must say that I feel sorry for him because he is a very lonely person with no friends.

  • Bone says:

    So brave.

  • Piano fan says:

    Levit’s decision to leave Twitter is noteworthy only in the cloistered, niche world of Classical music. Within that world, it will be interesting to learn which platform Levit goes to. But Levit’s leaving Twitter is symptomatic of what’s happening more broadly: a dominant social platform is in the midst of imploding, soon to be replaced by another platform.

  • I beg your pardon says:

    He should play, not speak!

  • Rob Keeley says:

    Another narcissistic intolerant leftist so-called ‘liberal’ only approving of free speech when you agree with it having a virtue-signalling flounce. Not a good look.

    • Lev Deych says:

      It’s too bad there is no laughing face emoji here 🙂

    • geoffrey dorfman says:

      I assume you’re voting Republican. Last night, in front of a thousand followers, Trump called Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic speaker of the house, whose husband was nearly killed by one of them, ‘an animal.’ But we’re intolerant?

  • Alank says:

    More sanctimony and virtue signaling from this pianist. He was perfectly good with Twitter providing a vehicle for the Mullahs, Maduro, and the Russian government just to name a few. But now that Musk is modifying the platform so censorship is not one way, he quits. Levit is a fine pianist but a another pompous leftist artist who should just shut up and play

  • Achim Mentzel says:

    In the end, it will be like every time. When he realises that the media no longer revolves around him and that he is in danger of being forgotten, he will come back with the argument that he cannot leave this oh-so-great platform to nazis and fascists. His left-wing lickspittles will applaud him and the whole thing will be forgotten again.

  • May says:

    Please Grammy Awards, create the category of “wokest musician” so that Igor Levit can add another accolade to his list.

  • La plus belle voix says:

    Who cares?

  • Montblanc says:

    He’ll be back.

  • Petros Linardos says:

    May Kirill Petrenko set an example with his fantastic approach to Twitter and the media.

  • Grabenassel says:

    Mankind lived quite long without Twitter…..

  • Christian says:

    Tik Tok beware
    Or will he commence long preachings on Instagram live?

  • Sue Sonata Form says:

    ‘I identified with the platform in the deepest way.’ Very revealing and very unfortunate. It’s an open drain.

  • IP says:

    Let me console him: It does not make a difference.

  • JB says:

    Did someone say something about leaving?
    Shut the door on the way out please.

  • Monty Earleman says:

    It’s EYEgor! So, he’s a twitter quitter.

  • Fritz Grantler says:

    Twitter , Tik Tok , Facebook – I meant META , etc. – these are a complete waste of time….

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