The nightmare moment of a mighty pianist
Daily Comfort ZoneThe Portuguese pianist Maria Joao Pires, 80 today, became a global legend when, at a lunchtime public rehearsal in Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw in 1998, she heard the orchestra start up a different Mozart concerto from the one she was expecting to play.
Her face is a picture of panic and depression.
The conductor, Riccardo Chailly, tells her she can make the switch from memory. He said: ‘You’re going to do well.’
She replied: ‘I am going to try.’
Amazingly, she did.
The video went viral on Youtube in 2013.
Happy birthday, Maria.
Intewrview with Pires here.
I was there. I recall that Pires played better from memory in a panic than Chailly conducted with the score in front of him!
I was right behind her playing as concertmaster when it happened. She was incredible…didn’t miss a beat.
If it were a Liszt concerto—not part of her core repertoire—I would have understood her ‘panic and depression.’ However, since it’s a Mozart concerto that she has probably played dozens of times in her life, I don’t think it’s as big a deal as you make it out to be!
I saw Kurt Masur come out to conduct a rehearsal of Dvorak 9, except he was supposed to be doing Brahms 2. He turned to the few of us in the audience and explained, turned round and did the whole rehearsal from memory. That was no big deal, but to play a different concerto from memory than you were expecting in front of a full house (the Concertgebouw rehearsals are always full) is quite a different proposition………
Peter- please explain to the rest of us how you’ve never performed a concerto professionally in your life.
Which piece did the orchestra actually play?
If I were cynical I would have suggested this was all orchestrated by her publicist…..
Indeed, absolutely fake!
I was right behind her…not fake, trust me. None of us knew the rehearsal was even being recorded.
Her given name is Maria João. Would you say to someone called Mary Lou “Happy birthday, Mary”?
She’s actually Maria João Alexandre [Barbosa Pires].
I’ve never previously heard anyone suggest that all three of those names ought to be used, or even both of the first two. But perhaps my own exposure to her has been too limited.
In any case, here are two video clips (there are others) in which an interviewer addresses her simply as “Maria,” and she does not suggest otherwise. Since she apparently doesn’t object, I don’t understand why anyone else would feel the need to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXbVDI0LhRM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3JqR8ndkO8
And, if you want, you can just call me “Slipped.” 🙂
Maria and Maria João are two different names. How difficult can that be to understand?
I haven’t been to Portugal, but in Brazil it’s common, and generally more common, to refer to someone using only they first given name instead of their two given names together. From what I understand this is simply in keeping with Portuguese naming conventions in general, and so I think that Pires must find it more natural to be called “Maria” than “Maria João.”
I don’t think anyone who isn’t a soloist can fully identify with an artist who has carefully prepared a specific piece being confronted with another. Even though she may know others by Mozart, each has its own intricacies, and a perfectionist would be momentarily panicked by the change.
The weeks of mental preparation is intense and detailed. It’s not a case of just dashing off another Mozart Concerto. It’s the difference between making a work of art and playing one.
Lovely analysis.
Good thing there was a plenty long orchestral exposition to work this all out lol. If it were Rach 2 or Rach 3 on the other hand, she would have been screwed lol
Why was she using a player piano?
No. No teleprompter either.
So which concerto did they rehearse?!
Divine intervention!
How can nobody comment with this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOUSFNgEy7c
Which concerto did they play in the rehearsal??!! And if this was the rehearsal why didnt’t they just stop?
I’m in awe of her ability to play a whole concerto from memory.
This moment will just stay for ever, as long as there will be Pires fans to remember..