Stephen Kovacevich

[Barbirollians]

He seems to have disappeared from view rather - most certainly so far as recording are concerned . Anyone know of what he is up to at present ?

I am prompted by listening to his recording of the Beethoven Fifth Piano Concerto with Davis - surely one of the very greatest recordings of this piece.

[Thropplenoggin]

He often performs in Paris and is down for more at the Salle-Pleyel next season. As it would require me to sell a kidney on eBay to see him, thanks to the ludicrous prices, I haven't had that pleasure. Although, like with Pollini, given their age, I wonder if it's not a question of diminishing returns? Pollini, another pianist whose ticket prices beggar belief, had to cancel a show this season due to illness. He looks increasingly frail and you have to wonder whether errors might slip into the big Beethoven numbers they continue to play.

[amateur51]

I'm rather concerned about him. He gave a recital last year at Wigmore hall that registered a marked decline in his usually high standards and there was talk of his stroke, from which he thought he had recovered, having a more serious impact on his playing than had been thought.

Earlier this month he played at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall to a pretty full house but he was obviously out of sorts at times and indeed had a convector heater by his side, a rare sight in a concert hall. There were elements of the concert that came across well but the bitty second half was less successful.

I hope that this is a hiccup in his career as a concert pianist. He is also a formidable teacher with a very penetrating but gentle approach and perhaps this will occupy him more.

I send him my heartfelt thanks for decades of joy and great delight in the concert hall and every good wish for the future

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I didn't know about his illness.

I send him my heartfelt thanks for decades of joy and great delight in the concert hall and every good wish for the future

... sums up my sentiments perfectly.

[silvestrione]

I hope that this is a hiccup in his career as a concert pianist. He is also a formidable teacher with a very penetrating but gentle approach and perhaps this will occupy him more.

Yes, an excellent teacher, just concerned to help the student realise what he/she has to say about the music, rather than impose his own views, or show off his own prowess (as I saw Perahia do once in a masterclass!)

[mathias broucek]

I met him once and was very impressed with him as a person - to say nothing of his musicioanship. Very open and talkative and no "I'm a star" buillshit.

[Andrew Preview]

One of my favourite pianists. I've seen him in concert and recital several times, and his Beethoven, Brahms and Schubert recordings rank with the finest.

[neiltingley]

Its been a while but I heard him play Beethoven 4th a couple of years back at the Cadogan Hall. Magical as ever. One of the great pianists, of that I have no doubt.

[salymap]

I wish him good health. A great pianist, who I last saw when he was a Bishop.

[Keraulophone]

I turned up in Sept 1994 to one of those International Musicians Seminar concerts in Cornwall that didn't advertise in advance the names of the players (usually a combination of students and tutors) or what they were going to play. It was my first date with a beautiful strawberry-blonde girl who I knew liked classical music. As we entered St Ives Parish Church, we saw on the small notice board that Stephen Kovacevich was to play Mozart Piano Quartets. I don't think he'd been at the IMS before, or has been back since. She loved the unexpected intimacy, informality and wonderful playing on that evening, and I had to pinch myself that such a great artist had graced our first meeting. We have remained together ever since that concert.

[Nick Armstrong]

I turned up in Sept 1994 to one of those International Musicians Seminar concerts in Cornwall that didn't advertise in advance the names of the players (usually a combination of students and tutors) or what they were going to play. It was my first date with a beautiful strawberry-blonde girl who I knew liked classical music. As we entered St Ives Parish Church, we saw on the small notice board that Stephen Kovacevich was to play Mozart Piano Quartets. I don't think he'd been at the IMS before, or has been back since. She loved the unexpected intimacy, informality and wonderful playing on that evening, and I had to pinch myself that such a great artist had graced our first meeting. We have remained together ever since that concert.

Now there's a post to brighten a rather chilly Easter weekend!

Congrats!

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I turned up in Sept 1994 to one of those International Musicians Seminar concerts in Cornwall that didn't advertise in advance the names of the players (usually a combination of students and tutors) or what they were going to play. It was my first date with a beautiful strawberry-blonde girl who I knew liked classical music. As we entered St Ives Parish Church, we saw on the small notice board that Stephen Kovacevich was to play Mozart Piano Quartets. I don't think he'd been at the IMS before, or has been back since. She loved the unexpected intimacy, informality and wonderful playing on that evening, and I had to pinch myself that such a great artist had graced our first meeting. We have remained together ever since that concert.