Krystian Zimerman notches up half a century today. When I was 14, I went with my parents to hear him play at the Royal Festival Hall. He was 23 and I'd never heard anything like it. There was a world in his piano that rolled together everything that was finest about art, poetry and pure, white-hot energy. He played the Brahms F minor Sonata Op.5, the Chopin First Ballade and the 'Funeral March' Sonata. Nothing was ever the same again. Ten years later, I had a job on a music magazine and I suddenly realised that all I needed to do was sell him to an editor, call up his manager and fix an interview, and then I could ask him all the questions I wanted to about what made that musicianship tick.That was quite a while ago, but to this day, this man gives me faith in human nature, because he is as special a person as he is a pianist. The finest musicians play as they are; listening to the playing, you listen to them speak. You can hear their essence, distilled, in their music-making. Krystian is no exception. Few pianists have this degree of sensitivity, tenderness, intelligence and visionary wisdom, and few people.
Here's his page at Deutsche Grammophon: follow the link to the discography...
Happy birthday, Krystian! Have fun!
7 comments:
"The finest musicians play as they are; listening to the playing, you listen to them speak. You can hear their essence, distilled, in their music-making."
Beautifully said, Jessica. I couldn't agree more.
Happy birthday, Zimerman!!! I love how you decribed him. He really is the pianist's favorite pianist. Zimerman is my hero!
can you provide a link to the interview you mention? if there is one musician in all the world i'd like to sit down with and ask away, it would be k.z. your description is masterful. you put into words an essence that is difficult to describe. thank you. - O.M.C.
That particular interview appeared in Music & Musicians (late lamented British mag) in, um, 1989 or 90...I must have it somewhere in the house...and I should add it to my archive which as yet hasn't gone back that far! It may have to wait until I have time to hunt it down, which I currently don't, but never fear, I'll post an alert when it's done. Meanwhile here's my interview with KZ from his Rachmaninov Concertos CD booklet.
I completely agree with all you said about KZ. He had the same effect on me when I first saw and heard him. He had me hooked quite literally from the first note. If only he would record more!
it is nice to put a 'face' on the rach 1 & 2 notes that i have read many times, though not nearly as many times as i have played the recording, esp. the 2nd (which i was lucky enough to hear him play twice, with bso, at carnegie hall around the time the recording was finished).
i'm curious if you discus-sed further with him his ideas on the rach 3, which he was twice scheduled to play in this country, but ultimately replaced with the second.
i'll see if i can track down the interview at the library. tx. - O.M.C.
FOLLOW UP: i found the zimerman article you wrote for music & musicians, in the feb 1990 issue. it is well worth reading for k.z. fans. i tried copying it to scan and sent with this post, but there is a legibility issue. san franciscans note: the bound volume of 1989/90 issues of music & musicians can be found at the main branch of the library on the 5th floor. - O.M.C.
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