Maria Joao Pires to retire

[Barbirollians]

I must have missed this if it was reported elsewhere but in Gramophone today I read that she is to retire from giving concerts next year - no final concert date has yet been set apparently .

A great pianist and will be missed in the concert hall .

[vinteuil]

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... well, she is 73!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Jo%C3%A3o_Pires

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[Bryn]

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... well, she is 73!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Jo%C3%A3o_Pires

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Only 73? That's no age for a concert pianist to retire, unless, of course, there are health issues beyond simple aging.

[Barbirollians]

Only 73? That's no age for a concert pianist to retire, unless, of course, there are health issues beyond simple aging.

She does have other projects on the go - the Equinox and Partitura projects in Belgium and Centres for the study of arts in Portugal and Brazil.

I am sure her retirement was rumoured before- she is in Birmingham tonight and tomorrow lunchtime playing with a Milos Popovic - looking forward to tonight and sorry to miss her playing Beethoven Op 111 tomorrow .

[french frank]

Brendel announced his retirement at 76. I suppose there is a feeling that it's best to go out while still at the height of one's powers. Then she has the farm to look after too.

[Barbirollians]

Five minutes till it starts but the Town Hall is half full whilst Uchida was pretty much sold out - bizarre .

[Barbirollians]

Quite the best performances of Mozart piano sonatas I have ever heard in the first half . Now the D935 Impromptus but oh how I wish she was playing what was originally programmed D960.

[Barbirollians]

The half full hall made plenty of noise I am glad to say and she played the four Impromptus D935 marvellously . Those Brummies who decided they could not see both Uchida and Pires and went last week picked very much the wrong concert . There was no striving for effect yet plenty of power but the fortissimos were never ugly . To me she made each of the Impromptus sound like four great sonatas in miniature .

The first time I have heard her play live and with her retirement imminent probably the only time . Bachtrack suggests she is back in the UK to play the Schumann Concerto at the Barbican in March but I am otherwise engaged that week . If you have not heard her play and have a chance to do so - take it I say .