Leeds Piano Competition

[ardcarp]

Whilst one is grateful that the Beeb is devoting a dedicated slot to the Leeds competition, have they not missed the opportunity of that great buzz of a live final?

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

i very much enjoyed last night's performance, thought he was a touch old fashioned in his sense of rhythm and altogether rather 19th century looking ...charming but a also a little absent minded perhaps?

[Pianorak]

Whilst one is grateful that the Beeb is devoting a dedicated slot to the Leeds competition, have they not missed the opportunity of that great buzz of a live final?

Yes and No. It was live on R3 . . .

[rauschwerk]

I'm catching up on this at a very leisurely pace, recording episodes from BBCHD which are going out around midnight each Sunday. One episode remains to be broadcast. I have now heard Schwizgebel, Gillham, Osokins and the guy who played Prokofiev 2 (what a mad piece!). It's all been immensely enjoyable so far, though I detected a sudden decline in sound quality (meaning balance) between episodes 3 and 4.

I do yearn for the days when the final concerts were broadcast as concerts.

[Nick Armstrong]

I'm catching up on this at a very leisurely pace, recording episodes from BBCHD which are going out around midnight each Sunday. One episode remains to be broadcast. I have now heard Schwizgebel, Gillham, Osokins and the guy who played Prokofiev 2 (what a mad piece!). It's all been immensely enjoyable so far, though I detected a sudden decline in sound quality (meaning balance) between episodes 3 and 4.

I do yearn for the days when the final concerts were broadcast as concerts.

Me too rausch. I actually watched the final episode at last in its BBC4 manifestation so - belatedly - heard the result. I had 2 favourite performances, and shall keep those in their BBCHD guise for repeated listening.

(A kind BBC person let me have a DVD of Sunwook Kim's winning performance of Brahms PC1 in 2006, the first half of which I'd missed - I watch/listen to that regularly as one of my favourite performances of all of that piece, terrific (inc. Hallé/Elder) )

I've been reasonably impressed by Ms Klein's introdutions too - she's the most natural and appealing of all the 'telly classical' presenters, imv.

[Richard Tarleton]

Me too rausch. I actually watched the final episode at last in its BBC4 manifestation so - belatedly - heard the result. I had 2 favourite performances, and shall keep those in their BBCHD guise for repeated listening.

I've been reasonably impressed by Ms Klein's introdutions too - she's the most natural and appealing of all the 'telly classical' presenters, imv.

Not sure if rausch is keeping the result as a surprise, in which case spoiler alert - and I only caught 2 episodes, Schwizgebel's (someone needs to speak severely to him about those facial expressions) and the winner's. What a performance. Dame Fanny looked delighted on camera.

Agreed re Ms Klein. I particularly enjoyed her piece to camera talking about the Emperor where she played a few bars of the slow movement. I like those presenters who can do it as well as talk about it!

[amateur51]

Not sure if rausch is keeping the result as a surprise, in which case spoiler alert - and I only caught 2 episodes, Schwizgebel's (someone needs to speak severely to him about those facial expressions) and the winner's. What a performance. Dame Fanny looked delighted on camera.

Agreed re Ms Klein. I particularly enjoyed her piece to camera talking about the Emperor where she played a few bars of the slow movement. I like those presenters who can do it as well as talk about it!

I seem to remember that someone took Brendel aside when he was still a relatively young artist and advised much the same, advice that he tried to act on. Uchida has certainly calmed down from the days when she appeared to be having a nervous breakdown playing Mozart

[rauschwerk]

I seem to remember that someone took Brendel aside when he was still a relatively young artist and advised much the same, advice that he tried to act on.

I believe it was his wife, after he launched his specs over his head on to the platform! That's mentioned in one of his books, though I forget which.

[amateur51]

I believe it was his wife, after he launched his specs over his head on to the platform! That's mentioned in one of his books, though I forget which.

I knew I'd read something - many thanks rauschwerk

He developed a tendency to turn away from the audience in extremis & I sometimes wondered what ghastly mugging was going on.

[rauschwerk]

Just as a matter of interest, how does one follow Mark Elder's beat?