Maurizio Pollini at 75

[silvestrione]

Pollini divides opinion a lot I know. For me 'he's always been there' as it were, like Brendel, though I did not get to hear him until the mid-seventies, first in a wonderful Beethoven programme. He played op 90, 101, and 106 (is it? Hammerclavier), and I can still visualise the sound (let that pass!) as he played the songful second movement of op 90, so much more absorbing and up lifting than his more recent, rather plain, recording. And the slow movement of the Hammerclavier? Rapt, and then taking us even further, into another place, in the coda, with a final mysterious pianissimo 'summoning up' of the theme. Also, the earth-shaking (excuse cliche) climax of the last movement of 101!

The next year (mid-seventies again) it was the last three Schubert sonatas, and I put this down as the most memorable piano recital I have ever been to. 'Heavenly length', as one of the reviews put it. And his demeanour as he played those fragments of the theme, with silences between, towards the end of the Rondo of the A Major....as if he was listening to them coming from some far-off place!

I went a few years back when he repeated the Schubert programme. It did not match the earlier one, but there were great things, not least the character of the last movement of the last sonata, D.960: forget Schnabel's silly ditty, this was a combination of anger, and desolation.

For many years I did not go, afraid it would be a let-down (reviews of his later recordings often negative). But i was lucky enough to be at a Barbican recital about 10 years ago (his favoured RFH shut for refurbishment) when he did the best Liszt sonata I have ever heard, the op 27 Nocturnes, the 2nd Ballade, and umpteen encores.

I'm sorry to say I'm not going this year (this week): last few concerts I've been to, too much of a mixed experience!

I wonder what memories others have of this distinguished career.

[richardfinegold]

I saw him in recital in the 90s. I remember being a bit disappointed that he was outping performances that were duplicates of his recordings, not being smart enough to realize that 20 years had passed and he would inevitably change as an artist. I missed his latest round of recitals and recordings but would be happy to check them out.

[ahinton]

At his finest he was/is undoubtedly one of the great pianists of his time. I wonder how many pianists aged around 30 could have enthralled and entranced an almost entirely full RFH (hardly the best venue for a piano recital in any case) on a dull and wet Sunday in February (if my memory serves me correctly) with a first half comprising the complete piano works of Schönberg as he did in my most fortunate presence?