When Liszt first heard Vladimir de Pachmann play, he said to the audience, "Those who have never heard Chopin before are hearing him this evening." Enough could never be said about this man's Chopin playing (see the fabulously informative website, http://nettheim.com/pachmann/ ).
And yet, critics of the second half of the 20th century dismissed him completely. Harold C. Schonberg just did not take him seriously. After all, he occasionally missed some notes! How could he?!
Here is a link to actual footage of this legend. The music you hear in the background is actually a 1925 piano roll of Pachmann's playing -- it isn't even a recording. And yet the piano roll has more nuance than the actual recordings of today's pianists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwTw7hBZbkY&feature=related
By contrast, an actual recording (not a roll) of Pachmann playing the same piece two years previous can be heard here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3WuBOtCsYs
Photo by Robert Castagna (2008)
About Me
- Leonardo Ciampa
- Boston/Natick, MA, United States
- LEONARDO CIAMPA is an organist, pianist, composer, author, and vocal coach/accompanist and is highly thought of in each of those areas. Ciampa's compositions (which have been called “Neoromantic”) include orchestral, choral, chamber, and solo compositions. As an organ recitalist, Ciampa has made numerous tours of Italy, Austria, and Germany. Currently he is Artistic Director of the MIT Chapel Organ Concerts and Music Director of Christ Lutheran Church in Natick, MA. As a piano recitalist, Ciampa is known for his warm sound and colorful style reminiscent of the Golden Age of Pianists (pre-World War I). He is especially noted for his interpretations of Chopin, whose 200th birthday he commemorated with a series of six recitals in Boston (fall, 2010). Mr. Ciampa's compositions are published exclusively by CIC (http://cicmusica.com).