Reviews: Pollini has a nightmare in London

Reviews: Pollini has a nightmare in London

News

norman lebrecht

June 24, 2023

We are hearing from several readers that Maurizio Pollini’s recital at the Royal Festival hall fell far short of his immaculate standards expectations. Here’s one acute observer:

The first piece on Pollini’s programme, the Schumann Arabesque, was played beautifully from memory but next, rather than the advertised Schumann Fantasie, he started to play (I think) the Chopin Mazurka which should have been in the second half.

He seemed to lose his way quickly (or possibly remember he was playing the wrong piece) and suddenly stopped and went off stage for a few minutes. He came back on with a score for the Schumann Fantasie and started playing but kept flicking, seemingly at random, through the pages as he was playing. Some of the pages were loose and kept falling down, so he got in a real muddle, often pausing and completely ruining any sense of flow in the music.

After the first part of the Fantasie he went off to get the score for the rest and carried on playing. He still had trouble turning the pages but the performance seemed to settle at little towards the end of the piece, though it was still very uncomfortable to watch.

For the second half of the concert a page turner was present and the playing was much more like what we have experienced with him in recent years; certainly some beautiful playing but also many smudged notes and muddled passages. Of course he got a huge standing ovation but unusually (though not surprisingly) no encores were offered. It’s sad to see a great artist in such an undignified and shambolic state for part of the recital and I guess the experience may well have rattled him too. Will we will ever see Maurizio Pollini in London again?

 

UPDATE: Here’s another account from Tim Parry on his Facebook page:

Last night I witnessed probably the saddest concert I’ve ever been to. It’s not my first instinct to write about it here, but – especially having read adulatory comments elsewhere that give no indication that anything was wrong – I feel I should make some sort of record of the event, even if only for myself.
In his prime, Maurizio Pollini was a great pianist, a giant of the last century. Some people liked his playing more than others, but that’s not relevant here. His poise and technical finish were of a rare order. At the Royal Festival Hall he played a familiar programme – Schumann’s Arabesque and C major Fantasy, and a very short second half of a Chopin mazurka, Barcarolle and First Scherzo.
Pollini is 81 and frail. He shuffled on to the stage, briefly acknowledged the applause, and began the Arabesque. The playing had limitations but was essentially fine. This is a short and relatively undemanding piece. Pollini then left the stage, which surprised me, returning before the applause had died away to play the C major Fantasy. But instead we got something else – an improvisation, stop-start, going nowhere. At one point he put his head in his hands, and then resumed. And then he stopped, got up and left the stage without acknowledging the ripples of slightly confused applause. This time he was gone for longer. There was uneasy chatter. I seriously doubted that he’d return. But he did, to rapturous applause, this time with music. But no page turner. He arranged the music on the piano, which seemed a surprisingly complicated task, with loose-leaved sheets that he struggled to put in the right order. Eventually he sat down and launched into the work, the score open somewhere seemingly random. He paused frequently, pedal down, trying to turn pages with his left hand, or leafing through the music trying to find the right bit, until – feeling he’d extended the phrase as long as he could – he pressed on, the music not in the right place either on the stand or under his fingers. He made it to the end, but to say what he played was an approximation understates the unsettling nature of the experience.
At the end of the first movement Pollini got up and left the stage, returning with more music to play the second and third movements. These we heard more or less intact. The fact that Pollini’s technique is simply nowhere near up to the demands of this repertoire had become a secondary concern.
The second half was short – no more than 25 minutes. This time there was a page turner, and things went more smoothly. Technically and musically the playing did not stand up to the slightest scrutiny, but at least Pollini seemed to know where he was. Lots of cheering, and a standing ovation. No encore.
I doubt we’ll see Pollini play in London again. He should not have played this concert. There are clearly health issues – I don’t know precisely what they are, although one could guess, but someone does. Why is he being allowed or encouraged to continue playing under these circumstances? The audience’s enthusiasm only made matters worse.
*
And further confirmation from Peter Reed on Colin’s Column:

…  things went badly awry. He just couldn’t find his way into Schumann’s Fantasie, and after two attempts he went off-stage to get his score. There followed a muddle with a technician trying to fix up the piano’s copy holder, with Pollini then trying to keep the show on the road, but fumbled page-turns, losing his way, long silences, going off-stage again, applause in the wrong places, all took their toll. And inevitably the vital, secure link between performer and audience was broken. Spectators were supportive and affectionate, but you wondered how he would recover.

There was a page-turner for the second half, yet there was something too dogged and unyielding about the way Pollini negotiated the technical demands and big gestures of Scherzo No.1. Growth, attack, tone and definition stayed stubbornly at the same level, and the way Chopin transfigures the progress of the Barcarolle from a brief journey in a gondola into an emblem of life’s passage struggled to register. Clouds of pedal and missed notes didn’t help. The short recital ended around nine o’clock, and despite a rapturous reception and heartfelt standing ovation, there were no encores. I was standing near the stage when Pollini emerged through the door and briefly stood there for his fourth curtain call. He looked like a ghost.

Comments

  • Concertgebouw79 says:

    4 years ago. I have seen him in a fantastic concert has usual for Chopin. At the end he signed me an autograph but he was tired. But after that I said to myself that I didn’t want to seee him one more time in concert because I wanted to keep the best image of him and I didn’t want to be disappointed. Maybe I was wright. When you like an artist it’s better sometimes to be the first to say goodbye.

  • Sue Sonata Form says:

    I saw him in Vienna 12 years ago and thought the same thing about him then!!

  • Simon aldrich says:

    I was at the concert as well and agree with Mr Parry’s observations completely. Pollini is a great pianist and a hero since I was 11 years old, but this was one of the most upsetting concerts I have ever seen, not in a critical sense but as a supportive audience member. After a reasonable Arabesque, he launched into ‘Schumann, but not as we know it Scotty’ desperate ramble . I was worried he had had a sudden brain haemorrhage. He finished with some improvisatory panache and walked off. I did not expect to see him again. But he kept going and we all willed him on ( but where were the stage assistants? Surely someone would have come on to assist with the pages he was struggling with? I was not in a seat that would let me do this, otherwise I would have walked on stage to assist). I have not much to add to Mr Parry’s comments but I sadly expect that may be the last time any concert stage sees this great musician. This concert in no way diminishes his legacy, intelligence and thought and we left the concert with admiration for the way he was determined to finish the concert.

  • Monty Earleman says:

    Hurts to read this……a great hero of modern-day pianism…. Like many politicians, some don’t know when to quit. And they keep getting elected- or given standing ovations…..

  • Rampago says:

    This is an accurate account of a poignant occasion, but I beg to differ with the last sentence. The ovation did not make matters worse. It was a tribute to a great artist, whose artistry we shall not see again.

    • Daniel says:

      We felt the same and suspect many others did, too. It was a comfort to us and hopefully also the troubled Pollini.

  • Kevin Crisp says:

    We were there and Tim’s account is spot on.
    I stood and applauded at the end because this was the curtain closing on a genius; I applauded the man, not this performance. We won’t see him again in London I think.

    • Daniel says:

      Yes, we applauded the man. At football matches, when a great player is seriously injured and carried off on a stretcher, the crowd applauds. It’s not phoney. We feel for the player’s suffering and for the sense of tragedy. We applaud past performances if not this one. We recognise greatness.

  • Jerry D says:

    ‪I was there… The programme is basically same as last year’s festival hall recital.

    First Schumann is fine, for me even better than last year.

    Second one it’s a nightmare, it’s not like something you forgot in the middle of it. The very beginning is a improvise…Then he when back to take some scores. Starting right away Not even waiting staff adjustment the music stand on piano. And then he couldn’t find the right score while turning pages. I even covered my face with hands because I was afraid to watch this scene. It’s just too poignant.

    It was absolutely horrifying but with sadness. Everyone was so shocking. It was a very complex feeling to witness something like this. He is never my favourite, but see a great figure like him into this circumstance… Wish him very well.

    • Sue Sonata Form says:

      Perhaps he doesn’t have people close enough to him to whisper, “it’s time, Maestro”.

      • Tzctslip says:

        That’s probably the case, but why was he hired?

        I saw him 5 years ago and he was not playing very well, I felt sorry for him back then.

  • Tom M. says:

    Pollini is the last artist I would expect to play beyond his diminished capabilities. His agent/handlers are doing him a disservice by allowing him continue to perform.

    • Sue Sonata Form says:

      “Handlers”? He’s not a dog!!

    • David Goulden says:

      Yes, same here. Saw him 4 times in recital the second half of the ’80s. At his peak – ’70 to mid ’90s – he gave absolutely secure performances of the knottiest works in the repertoire. And DG’s engineers usually failed to capture the beauty of his tone.
      Wishing Maestro Pollini a happy retirement.

  • Nick2 says:

    How desperately sad!

  • Joel Kemelhor says:

    For many great musicians, a time arrives when performances yield to personal appearances. I once heard Yehudi Menuhin play an approximation of the Beethoven violin concerto — and I still was glad we were there.

    Among the recordings of Maurizio Pollini that I most enjoy are his youthful account of Chopin’s 1st concerto (EMI w/ Kletzki) and a mature solo disc of Stravinsky and Prokofieff (DG). If in his present condition Pollini came here to Washington DC, I would buy a ticket.

  • Bartokia says:

    Hopefully, this was a single aberration.

    I saw Herbert Blomstedt (soon to be 96) conduct a few months ago and he was definitely on his game.

    • Tamino says:

      Surely so, but conductor‘s also do not directly produce sound. Pianists do.
      Conductors can in rehearsals to a degree prepare othersto deliver their performance. Instrumentalists can‘t do that. They always have to deliverit all by themselves.

      • Mike in Astoria says:

        And not everyone ages at the same rate. Blomstedt seems, based upon seeing him in Cleveland last year, to still be very actively engaged in the music-making. Nothing remotely like what is described here.

  • Florestan says:

    It is a shame that I cannot see a single one of the New Generation ever developing the musicality of Pollini, even towards the beginning of his career. Notably, the critics on here and those referring to him as ‘undignified’ will probably struggle to hold in their own piss aged 81 instead of playing some sublime Schumann and Chopin in recital at Festival Hall.

    • Santipab says:

      Were you even there?

      Surely it’s undignified to be unable to play the piece that you are supposed to be playing or even remember what piece you are supposed to be playing.

      As Tim Parry rightly says, he should never have played this concert.

    • trumpetherald says:

      I have never been a fan of his often harsh and clangerous forte attacks….But the last recital i saw him play in 2021 was already a painful experience.Why does he expose himself to such an ordeal?

      • Mark Mortimer says:

        Interesting comments below Trumpet- about pianists playing wonderfully into old age- I agree with those you named. However I would take issue with your assessment of Pollini as a ‘clangorous’ pianist, perhaps the time you heard him. Have you ever heard his Chopin Berceuse for instance? Playing of the utmost delicacy & sensitivity- nothing ‘painful’ about that- more pure pianistic magic of the highest order.

    • Henry williams says:

      Iam sure these critics are in good health.
      They do not know what poor health is like.
      It may happen to them one day.

  • Eusebius says:

    I was there and would like to give a less negative and condescending account of some of the comments and references made in this article. While he clearly had a memory lapse at the start of the Fantasie and the page-turning sometimes interrupted continuity of the first movement in particular, every note glistened as it always does with Pollini. He clearly tried to avoid having the score and didn’t do a Pogorelić with his head glued into it for the entire recital.

    Through the entire recital, I heard delicate and sensitive phrasing, astonishing colours, well-approached climaxes and had goosebumps and my breath taken away, especially during the Fantasie and Barcarolle. I don’t know what recital Norman and Tim were at. Close your eyes and realise that these moments are what makes music special, not least by one of the greats who still has it and clearly still adores sharing with us. Rubinstein’s words at the 1960 Chopin competition still hold true – Pollini can STILL play the piano better than any of us!

    • poyu says:

      I agree with you. The strange thing is that even the first movement of Schumann Fantasie was basically broken, I still liked the broken pieces. Like a broken fine china still has beautiful colour. The tone, speed, phrasing convinced me within seconds.
      Some people here saying that he should retire, why he didn‘t just stop, etc. Maybe those comments are out of good intention but I think they missed the point. It‘s not about “proofing himself”. Art is about expressing oneself, and people never stop expressing themselves.
      For me, as long as Mr Pollini still has something he wants to say on piano, I am willing to listen.

      • elisatbd says:

        Thanks.
        I couldn’t find the words.
        You spoke them perfectly.

      • MD says:

        Thank you for reminding us that beauty is not only to be found in a perfect interpretation, but who’s open to it can often spot it even in the playing of a broken fragment, when a great artist who might have lost his top technique is still able to evoke some magic.

    • Tzctslip says:

      That sounds more like you willing him to do all those things.
      Sure, he can play better than a mere mortal, but I think that’s a very low bar to make a comparison.

  • Jan says:

    Factually correct, but ultimately unkind account of the concert.

    It was a privilege watching Pollini perform at the RFH on Friday. The experience must have been truly unnerving and stressful for him and the audience reaction was warm and humane. Unlike the snotty and self righteous commentary from the two audience members above.

    • Santipab says:

      So what is it, factually correct or snotty and self-righteous?

      The audience reaction certainly was warm, humane and supportive (as was that of the reviewers above I’m sure) but it seemed very clear that it was much more about who he is and was rather than what they were actually hearing.

      It’s unfortunate that something like this has to be reported but people should be aware that they if they go to hear Pollini they might have a very destressing experience completely at odds with what they may know of his playing from listening to a recording.

  • Colin Anderson says:

    Yes, a sad evening, as witnessed by a colleague…

    https://www.colinscolumn.com/maurizio-pollini-at-royal-festival-hall/

  • Music Lover says:

    Let us hope this isn’t a repeat of what happened some years ago to another great pianist, Anton Kuerti, who began to meander in a concert in, I think, Florida. A doctor in the audience realised he was having a stroke and led him off the stage. Kuerti hasn’t played in public since, much to everyone’s loss.

  • Hugo de Rijk says:

    I agree. Pollini was my hero as a student, and I don’t want to see him like this. He doesn’t need to prove anything to me. He should not play anymore, for some time already I dare say as his physical capabilities do no longer stand up to the demands. It was a very sad experience.

  • Anthony Sayer says:

    That’s horribly sad. Does no-one advise him? Knowing how scrupulous he was when younger makes it all the more difficult to understand how he could take what was evidently a huge risk. He has nothing more to prove, why did he do it?

    • David Topliffe says:

      Why haven’t is confidantes like Leslie Howard, Noretta Conci or Julian Reynolds advised him to do simplier programmes ? After all in later life Brendel stopped playing the Liszt Sonata, Hammerklavier etc and stayed on less demanding fare

  • Mark Mortimer says:

    I heard Pollini many times at the RFH in his prime- unforgettable performances of Beethoven & Chopin in which you literally walked on air afterwards (an incredible Stravinsky Petrushka in the early 90’s which had half the RFH on its feet in awe). A very great pianist (technically immaculate in his prime)- a rare musician of genius- a keyboard magician capable of conjuring up colours from the instrument which no one else but him could achieve. But reports of Friday’s concert (which I was very tempted to buy a ticket to- thinking it may be his last) are deeply saddening. I’m sure that there were exquisite moments amidst the fluffs & stumblings as ever with MP- but perhaps now is the time to call it a day to his quite remarkable career. Being a concert pianist at his age is a tight rope act & is really a young man’s/woman’s game ( I suppose only Horowitz remained transcendent into old age). He should rest on his considerable laurels, in the full knowledge that he’s one of the greatest pianists in history & has given innumerable amounts of pleasure & inspiration to music lovers throughout the world for the past 60 years.

    • TITUREL says:

      Nice and generous comment. BUT: Many great pianists continued, or still continue, to play sublimely into their 80s, and even up to almost 100: R Serkin, Rubinstein, Pressler, Horszowski, Fleisher, Argerich, Goode, Brendel, Earl Wild- the list goes on and on. Less common would be violinists, hornists or singers.

    • trumpetherald says:

      Horowitz was far from transcendent from the mid1970s on…Rubinstein,Arrau,Serkin,Wild,Ciccolini,Argerich,and many more….yes.

    • Matt Coldicutt says:

      Horovitz, yes, continued to command into his eighties, and two other greats who did likewise and l felt found something special in their later music making years were Arrau and Rubenstein. Such an inspiration to share in such performances, though when an artist struggles, as Polling did at this concert, hopefully the musician will recognize the symptoms. It doesn’t diminish you, Mauritzio.

  • poyu says:

    I was there.
    It was emotional, if not sad to watch his memory failed him.
    People gave him standing ovation at the end of first half… which is unusual. I guess it‘s a bit like watching a veteran athlete failed, struggled, but still insisted to reach the final line.
    I have to say I liked his playing on third movement of Fantasie a lot.

  • Zarathusa says:

    Poor Maurizio! Like so many other famous luminaries in all endeavors, he should have retired at the top of his game! So sad! Obviously, there are serious medical issues here.

  • Nick2 says:

    Sometimes concerts and recitals are booked so far in advance it can never be certain that an artist with an illness will be sufficiently recovered. Agents can only have a certain influence.

    Back in the 1980s I had engaged the great Jorge Bolet for the Liszt Second Concerto. Few if any knew when the contract was signed that he was already suffering from HIV. By the time of the concert, it was incredibly sad that AIDS had started to affect his brain. Part of the Concerto was marvelous. Others, though, had him repeating sections and jumping bars. The conductor was excellent in keeping everything together but the overall feeling was he should have realized he was just not up to performing a full Concerto. I was desperately sad for a man who had been such a master at the piano.

    • Ludwig's Van says:

      Bolet’s last Carnegie Hall recital – a few months prior to his death, bears no diminution of his abilities. It’s on YouTube, so give it a listen!

  • Oh well says:

    Reading the articles and comments made me think about all the stuffy formality of classical concerts.
    I wish it was possible for him to announce: hey, my memory and muscles are not the same, I may not reproduce the pieces the way they were written, let’s call it work in progress to infinity- but if you wish to gather together and hear some fragments and thoughts on music, despite my age and inability to deliver it to my former standard – I’d still cherish sharing it with you. I bet the hall would be just as full and everyone would feel even more supportive and wonderful

    • Eusebius says:

      What a lovely yet also accurate comment – my thoughts exactly

    • MD says:

      Exactly my feeling. The beauty of hearing a great artist who has so much knowledge and feeling for this music. While I can understand those who went there expecting perfect execution of the pieces in the program, I would have cherished just hearing his music making in this phase of his life. The fact he keeps playing can only mean it is important for him, way more than any mundane worry about “ruining his reputation”. It’s funny how this seems always to be more a concern for others than for the interested party.

  • Jan Kaznowski says:

    Maybe from now he should always have a page turner ? Richter and Clifford Curzon both did later in life

  • Mock Mahler says:

    Sadly reminiscent of Toscanini’s last concert with the NBC Symphony on April 4, 1954.

  • David Topliffe says:

    He and Barenboim are both determined to die on stage. Why not retire gracefully after serious illnesses ?

  • Bigfoot says:

    Any reports from those who attended his recital in Vienna the prior week? Surely a similar train wreck would have been noted. Perhaps he simply had some bad pub grub prior to the RFH recital and future concerts will fare better.

    It’s a tough time for 80 year old pianists – Argerich and Barenboim come to mind. But Richard Goode, 80 this month, is performing the Diabelli Variations magnificently on tour. I heard Alfred Brendel a year prior to his retirement at age 77 and he sounded fabulous. What has become of Murray Perahia, now 76? To my knowledge he has not given a concert since 2017, though he continues to serve as president of the Jerusalem Music Center, giving master classes there. I sincerely hope his touring days are not over.

    • ML says:

      I was told Murray Perahia had a hand infection when he was booked to play at 2019 Proms with Haitink conducting, so he withdrew and Emmanuel Ax stepped in to perform, and did so very well. I heard after that he wasn’t fully recovered and didn’t play. Then Covid came. There’s also the issue of the health risks of travel for these older musicians.

  • Pedro says:

    One of my great musical experiences was a concert in NY in 1983 where Pollini played the Diabelli, the Webern Variations and Stockausen Klavierstucke X but that was 40 years ago. After that, I have heard only excellent performances by him and I admire him a lot. I hope he can softly leave the concert stage and rest under his many laurels.

  • Ich bin Ereignis says:

    Playing any instrument does not involve merely the mind — it is also a very physical endeavor which has a lot in common with sports performance, albeit in a different way. It is no coincidence that most players tend to decline in their later years, as the required quickness of mind, myriad of physical reflexes, physical/psychological stamina, and of course memory required for performing at such a high level becomes much more challenging to muster — not to mention the likely loss of confidence due to most players’ self-awareness. In a way this story shows that even the greatest performers do remain vulnerable to human error and have actually always been, but somehow were able to overcome it and deliver performances for decades that seemed to defy any obstacles. It’s probably better to know when to bow out gracefully and quit while you’re still ahead, as for many other things in life (as argues a recent book by Annie Duke). But I suspect this is probably very hard to do when one is a well-established performer on the world’s stage, as it is a difficult acknowledgement to make to oneself.

  • Sol L Siegel says:

    This account brings to mind Horowitz’s last appearance in Philadelphia, in 1984, which was a very similar experience. In turn, it was pretty similar to the 1982 London recital, which absolutely should not have been publicly released, but was.

    In the 1984 recital, there was one brief moment where the Horowitz of old suddenly emerged – a hair-raising rendition of the Chopin etude in octaves. It left a sort of existential question: two minutes of Horowitz or two hours of somebody else?

    • Nick2 says:

      Mention of Horowitz reminds me of his 1983 recitals in Japan. According to published accounts, Peter Gelb then heading CAMI Video had arranged 2 recitals for an outrageous US$500,000. The recitals had also to be at 11:00 am so that Horowitz could stay on NY time. The packed halls witnessed a “miserable” (according to The NY Times) recital with a clearly off-form Horowitz exhibiting a shadow of his former playing. The Japanese critics went to town about rip-offs etc. The foremost music critic said, “he seems to
      have grown old . . . He is like an antique item – a cracked one.”

      For some reason he was invited to return to Tokyo for 3 more recitals in 1986. The difference was utterly extraordinary. This was a great pianist performing at virtually the peak of his powers and the audiences rightly adored him, giving him long standing ovations.

      Why the difference in the 2 standards of performance? Just Horowitz I expect. Sadly an NHK video only exists of a 1983 recital, although there is probably a pirate version of 1986 somewhere.

      • Paul Carlile says:

        Similar to the Horowitz in London experience: 1982, an erratic affair, 1986, splendid! Possibly explained by:
        1) medication
        2) psychological pressure of the “Great Comeback” with all its expectations.

        To the list of impressive elderly players i’d like to add Shura Cherkassky, recording Rach 3- beautifully, aged 83, and would have probably plonked his way well into his 90s but for an unfortunate misdiagnosis….

      • Jason Lovell says:

        I heard him in NYC / 1983; he was under medication, which adversely affected his playing. By others’ accounts, his playing was much better in the years afterwards, until his passing.

    • trumpetherald says:

      It was 1983…Horowitz didn´t perform in 1984,after the Japan disaster in 1983…He had a comeback in 1985,rising from the ashes,with repertoire more appropriate to his age and abilities…And a beautiful indian summer with his return to Europe,and his homeland.

  • PVD says:

    I was at a concert of the Concertgebouworchestra a couple of years ago when M. Uchida fought her way thru a Mozart concerto with many mistakes and “improvisations”. I said to myself, remember the other times and forget this performance

  • trumpetherald says:

    Sad….His Hammerklavier Sonata a few years ago also was a mess…

  • Julian says:

    Sounds like the most interesting concert he’s done! It’s such a drag that we demand that performers play the same old classics by rote, ignoring the vicissitudes of the body. That’s how we create these kinds of ‘failures.’

  • Sue Sonata Form says:

    Just musing for a bit; I wonder if Viennese audiences in the mid 1820s said the same about a deaf Beethoven trying to conduct his Symphony #9?

  • High-Note says:

    Pollini’s great curse is that he has to follow his own act – an impossible feat! For decades his performances were technical marvels – inhuman, note-perfect demonstrations of artistic invincibility that nobody could match! However, we all get old – and nature is cruel: No matter how beautiful our youthful selves, we get fat, wrinkle, shrink, bald, arthritic – it’s all so unavoidable. But at least after a certain point, we know enough not to enter a beauty contest – and an artist should know not to reclaim the stage while carrying the same name but not the same ability which got him there in the first place. However, in Pollini’s case there does appear to be a level of Dementia at play – in which case his family members, managers, or care-takers should prevent him from performing. If he had been in complete control of his faculties, he would not have attempted to perform this London concert – period.

    • Lance G. Hill says:

      Your comments are exceptionally well written and make a huge amount of sense. Your words will open many eyes/ears!

  • HRoarke says:

    We should collectively give the maestro a large standing ovation for a lifetime of fantastic music making. Let this one go because I’m sure he is devastated after the recital discussed here. No need to “arm-chair” this any further.

  • Philip Peppiatt says:

    Such a shame for a great musician – Casio da Saenoir comes to mind. I guess we all have I time to stop

  • Paul Johnson says:

    This is tragic. A formidable pianist who clearly needs to step back from the platform. I have his Beethoven concertos with Claudio Abbado.

  • Rolf-Peter Wille says:

    Very scary! It reminds me of the Dr. Faustus deal: Devil: “You will play hundreds of perfect recitals without a single wrong note!” Faust: “…and what will happen afterwards?” Devil: “Oh, come on! Why would you worry about something so far in the future?”

  • David Contini says:

    Pollini should have retired 15 years ago.
    Very sad.

  • Judith Gore says:

    I attended Pollini’s recital last Friday in London. Pollini played with great musicality and his playing produced the most magical sound.

    A page turner should have been arranged before the concert with the score intact in case of any difficulty. However, Pollini played the Schumann Arabesque beautifully and from memory. The Schumann Fantasie is never an easy work for pianists of any age, and Pollini was able to play all the technical difficulties such as the notorious leaps in the second movement.

    His Chopin performances were magical and his playing of the First Scherzo reminded me of Horowitz who also played the work in his eighties. Pollini is still the greatest Chopin pianist.

    Perhaps if he needs a page turner in future performances, his son Daniele (who is a brilliant pianist) could page turn and then join his father in a duet performance. They have recorded Debussy En blanc et noir together. Two Pollinis in one concert.

  • Sunny from LA says:

    His performances were outstanding and age-appropriate at every stage of his life.
    When he was 9 years old, he was the best for his age. At 18 years old, he was also the best for his age. At 30 years old, he excelled and was the best for his age. And now, at 81 years old, he continues to be at his best, matching his current age. It’s remarkable to witness his exceptional musical journey spanning over 60 years.
    I strongly believe that we should continue to appreciate and admire him for his remarkable ability to capture the true essence and passion of music.
    While it’s understandable that he may not perform at the same level as his peak time, it is worth appreciating the fact that he continues to share his music with us.

  • Tom says:

    Why two versions of the same review by the one writer?

  • Robin Rupe says:

    My God people are rude and cruel. What a gift to play at 81.

  • Karyn says:

    And who are these “experts ” making these comments? Ask yourself. Why does this website only tear down excellent venues and performers

  • Andy B says:

    For those who say Pollini should never have started this recital I would say that there was nothing awry with his playing of the opening Schumann Arabeske. Not his greatest performance but his fingers and right foot were operating as normal; that fast, feathered pedalling is an essential component of Pollini’s lovely resonant sound.
    I would guess what happened afterwards was that he had a TIA (transient ischaemic attack – minor stroke) hence the apparent mental confusion and reduced technical command. I particularly noticed (I was in the 3rd row) that his right foot was operating more slowly and less precisely than before. Obviously Pollini could not have anticipated this attack but I think it’s to his great credit that he saw it through to the end. As the cliche goes, “What a trouper!” The standing ovation acknowledged this – and 60+ years of superb musicianship.

  • Tzctslip says:

    I noticed since last time I saw him in London (2018!) that he was no longer playing to an acceptable standard commensurate with the reputation of the South Bank.
    I truly thought they wouldn’t program him again, I was quite shocked that they programmed this concert, it is very unkind to bring great artists that clearly shouldn’t be performing anymore, at least not at this level.
    When Barenboim performed all Beethoven’s sonatas in a bravura cycle also in London he was playing much slower than one would expect but he remained in full control of what he was doing and actually gave great insights into the music that one doesn’t necessarily get from younger performers.

    That wasn’t the case with Polinni in 2018, why do they exhibited him in this fashion?

    Sad really, he didn’t deserve this.

  • Tin Tin Deo says:

    He’s been in these conditions for years.

  • Simon says:

    I was there. So sad, for so many reasons. Pollini has left so many glorious recordings and memories of concerts, this was from first note to last a mere shadow of what we hoped to hear.

  • T Wilson says:

    I forgot the apostrophe in “let’s”.

  • T Wilson says:

    And yet, I bet my savings account that there was more poetry, soul and depth of meaning in even his fists full of missed notes (my language) than in the playing of an entire generation emerging of technically perfectionist auto bots. Yes, perhaps there is something to be said for bowing out gracefully, but don’t lets cancel a man who has given the world 4 or 5 decades of music-making and piano-playing of the highest level for posterity to study and admire.

  • Andrew T says:

    I have just come across this review of the pianist whose playing I have admired for 40 years. I am so saddened by it. I would like to put it on record that Pollini gave a marvellous concert of the Arabeske, the Fantasie and Beethoven’s Hammerklavier just after his 80th birthday, in February 2022 in Zurich’s Tonhalle. All from flawless memory I must add. The dramatic change must be the result of his health issue in Salzburg last summer. I hope this greatest of pianists will recover further.

  • Karin Becker says:

    The last time I heard Pollini was in Lucerne in 2022. I have fond memories of Nono’s piece composed for him. After the concert, a matinee, he was supposed to sign autographs. He was accompanied by his wife. After a few minutes, Pollini broke the autograph “hour” with the English words “I am tired”. He looked like an overwhelmed, grunting old man. One would think that his wife, perhaps also his son Daniele, would have an influence on the maestro.

  • Stephan Krueger says:

    Mr. Lebrecht, this is sensationalist trash and you know it. No one expects an 82-year-old to play perfectly. The same happened to Arthur Rubinstein as he approached 90, but people still went to see him for the brilliant musicality that still shone through, in his playing. Why do humans always have to hold people up for ridicule, who are succumbing to the frailties of old age? Schadenfreude, perhaps? Wait until you are 82.

  • MOST READ TODAY: