Breaking: Andras Schiff has a broken leg
NewsJust in from the BBC Proms:
Very sadly, Sir András Schiff has broken his leg and has had to withdraw from this Prom. Rather than cancelling this concert we wanted to offer an alternative. We are immensely grateful to Seong-Jin Cho for stepping in at very short notice to perform.
Seong-Jin Cho won the Chopin International Competition in 2015 and has rapidly ascended to establish himself as one of the leading pianists of his generation. He made his Proms debut in 2018 and performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 9 at the festival earlier this season.
He will be performing the following revised programme:
Maurice Ravel Miroirs – Oiseaux exotiques; Un barque sur l’oceán; Alborada del gracioso (18’)
Franz Liszt Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année: Italie (45’)
Why do only three-fifths of Miroirs?
Perhaps it’s because the performance is scheduled to start relatively late at 10:15 PM.
Why do only one-third of Années de pèlerinage?
(Maybe the program is “Random Fragments from Pieces with Random French Titles at a Random Time on a Random Night”)
This is a fantastic program by a phenomenal pianist and the time of the concert was obviously not a problem for those who had already bought the tickets. Your bitter remarks speak volumes about the general discontents in your life. I hope you can address them so that you can actually appreciate the beauty and opportunities that this world has to offer.
Because it’s a late night concert and people need public transport to go home, not least the RAH staff.
Oiseaux exotiques is a work for piano and ensemble by Olivier Messiaen , Ravel’s correct title is Oiseaux Tristes
For the proms staff, ‘tristes’ is an exotic quality, entirely alien to them, busy as they always are.
Not short notice. Schiff pulled out of the Concertgebouw tour in August and was replaced by Cho then too.
But not a broken leg, was it?
Cho flew in from Berlin with a two day notice according to BBC Radio. Schiff didn’t have a broken leg in August.
The handling of the right leg on the piano sustain pedal is a delicate business and a possible accident is always in the offing, especially with the Liszt études and Balakirev’s ‘Islamey’.
But we know of Alfred Cortot that he fractured his leg on three places while practicing Ravel’s ‘Scarbo’ from ‘Gaspard de la Nuit’.
Couldn’t he have done what cricketers do and had someone work the pedals for him?
Cricketers are no longer allowed runners.
Any word about his scheduled appearance in October at Wigmore Hall? A replacement there as well?
Such an appropriate heading: “Breaking: Andras Schiff….”(etc)! Was the leg “breaking” as the ah-tickle was being wrut? Hardly an artits to “jouer comme un pied” but unfortunate anyway. My sympathonies!
One could hardly have CHO-sen an artits or programme more different and i like the idea of Oiseaux Exotiques on solo piano!!
It would be nice to hear concern about the maestro’s health rather than upcoming concerts
They didn’t give much time to ask for a refund. By the time we saw the email it was too late. I am sure the new guy is a great pianist but it’s not Schiff and it’s not Bach… nothing remotely like it. Odd substitution.
I too was a ticket holder and I don’t think there was a time limit about returning tickets. As it happens I attended anyway and – whilst it’s not what was planned – it was a good gig.
Best wishes to Andras Schiff for a speedy recovery!
A most worthy replacement indeed!!
Very tasteful performance, Not at all oily or muddy. I really like Cho for this. Actually I have never heard him playing anything with bad taste.
It’s good to know that he’s still actually alive instead of being maintained on batteries. He has playing to match.
And that is why all pianists, especially Bach specialists, should always also play the harpsicord.
It could serve as a crutch.
Gute Besserung Sir András!
Why has he been playing Bach without using pedal…
I was there. I was buying ticket for Bach but was delighted for Cho to step in. And it was a very good performance. He is really one of the finest pianists these days with a rather diverse repertoire.