Top pianists pay tribute to Pollini
RIPVíkingur Ólafsson: “Don’t listen to your mother”, dad would whisper to me when she criticized Pollini for what she described as overly objective perfectionism. For dad, an architect and a composer, Pollini’s structural approach revealed new truths about even the most familiar warhorses, made any piece of music an essential part of our time. With Pollini things were never simple – Chopin became the musical architect, Stockhausen the poet, Beethoven the philosopher. Many of us became better listeners and players. May he rest in peace.
Beatrice Rana: It was one of many, long and beautiful car trips with dad to reach masterclasses, concerts or competitions… from Lecce the journey was always interminable and before each departure dad stocked up on CDs to listen to along the way. That time he chose an all-Pollini list: the Schumann CD (with Davidsbündlertänze and the concerto without orchestra), the Prokofiev / Stravinsky / Boulez CD and the legendary album of the complete Chopin studies. At the end of listening to the concert without an orchestra, I remember being completely in tears from the emotion of experiencing such an insatiable fire, such an organic temperament, such an architectural vision of a piece that I love madly thanks to him. Today is a sad day. Goodbye to Maurizio Pollini, the man who changed the history of music and who changed my history with music.
Artur Rubinstein (at the Warsaw Competition, 1960): That boy plays better than any of us jurors!
Martha Argerich (attributed); Very few people impressed me. The first person was Bruno Gelber, whom I met when I was a little girl, later it was Maurizio Pollini…
Nelson Goerner: I am deeply saddened to hear about Maurizio Pollini’s death. May he rest in peace. My recital tonight in Firenze and the concert with Martha Argerich at @fundacionscherzo on April 1st will be in his honour.
Gabriela Montero: So many great legends leaving us this week. Byron Janis and now Maurizio Pollini.
Shai Wosner:
The ultimate class act, all the Italian refinement and ingenuity rolled into one pianist. Rest in peace Maurizio Pollini.
Singer Michael Schade: I was honoured to perform three times with Maurizio Pollini, while he had his “Progetto Pollini” evenings singing Schuberts “Nachthelle” with him at the piano along with the Arnold Schönberg Chor Men behind us – this in Salzburg twice and in NY’s Carnegie Hall some 23 and 24years ago. He was everything you’d imagine a world legend concert pianist to be. Soft spoken, shy, having his own piano flown in even to NY, where he had a whole extra practice suite at some fancy hotel on the Upper East Side ( hoisted up by crane) , or to a massive house on the outskirts of Salzburg’s mountains. Just somewhere for him to be away and to be able to practice for hours ….
There he was, cigarette always in hand, and he would greet you with a friendly grey toothed introvert smile, always wearing a tie that was bound so tight you were worried he’d choke , and looking absolutely shy and just lost – “un caffè ?! ( his dear wife standing at the ready) No?! Allora, si va bene, ok, good, meglio fare di musica “.
Cigarette quickly inhaled …put out and then came the music making- his face making the craziest pained contortions that you’ll ever see, and yet ( and folks it literally starts with single octaves in E-flat in each following hand that even I think I could play?!) – but NEVER did I hear them that way again, and never was a piano filled with such madness and magic throughout what were ethereal moments of time standing still!
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Igor Levit: Ein Gigant ist nicht mehr. Seine Lebensleistung war unermesslich. Ich glaube wirklich, dass sein Tod einer dieser „So einer kommt nicht mehr“ Momente ist. Eine seismische Verschiebung. (A giant is no more. His life’s achievements were immeasurable. I really think his death is one of those “won’t come again” moments. A seismic shift.
It was my honor to represent Maestro Pollini in the US for over 20 years. He was dedicated and focused to making every performance something special and unique. He limited his performances to about 35 per year, (so if he performed a triple with an orchestra, he performed 32 more times). He gave so much of himself at each performance, this was his way of staying fresh and strong.
Few people knew that he could have been an Olympic swimmer.
He would take one month a year to study his scores away from the instrument, another month to spend at the instrument. He would usually take one month off away from everything. Over the next nine months, he would schedule his concerts.
While many thought his interpretations were perhaps too intellectual, I was always amazed and moved by him.
I recall his performing all 32 Beethoven Sonatas at Carnegie Hall, over seven concerts. He decided to perform them chronologically, as he felt this would show Beethoven’s growth over his composing years.
Carnegie brought some scores from the Beethovenhaus which Maestro Pollini studied . He found a small discrepancy in our modern editions, (something I believe had to do with Octaves in one of the movements). He of course made the change in his performance.
The world has lost a truly incredible musician, intellect, and most of all a great friend to music. Rest in Peace, Maurizio.
“ Few people knew that he could have been an Olympic swimmer.”
That is indeed news to me! Thanks for the information.
In the last decade or two I heard him play Chopin, Schumann and Stockhausen at the RFH. It was the Stockhausen ( Klavierstucke6) which possibly communicated most vividly . RIP
Bravo maestro!
Indeed Pollini was a truly great musician. As different from ‘a great pianist’: he was a superb musician first. His legacy in great recordings will last, no doubt, as long as there are true music lovers around.
I will never forget the astonishing recording of the Schumann Fantasie, never heard again with such intensity and in the same time, spontaneity.
Sad day.
http://www.bruceduffie.com/Pollini2.html
A very nice conversation Maurizio Pollini and Bruce Duffie, formerly Classical 97 WNIB in Chicago.
Maestro Pollini, the supreme pianist, who has fed my soul since I heard him play at Carnegie Hall over 40 years ago. He opened with the second set of Chopin Etudes; no one moved, made a sound. May you rest in eternal peace with the ultimate Creator; may your memory and music live on through those who loved you.
I’m so glad to see such personal statements. I’ve never liked the “s/he will be missed” passive voice formulation, which to me sounds very detached. So, words like Rana’s (“the man who changed […] my history with music.”) really touch me.
Rest in peace, Maestro Pollini, and thank you for the wonderful musical memories.
I was privileged to be present at his Hammerklavier in Cologne a couple of years ago. Rest in peace, Maurizio. You enriched my life over many decades and your London recitals remain among my most treasured memories.