I first read this book last summer (in fact, it was part of the collection of music-related books that helped make me really want to do another recital), and I thought it would be fun to read again now. It's a delightful diary sort of book, from notes kept by a pianist as she was preparing for her Carnegie Hall Debut. It covers honestly the many emotions common to playing and performing in a delightful and well-written style. Quite enjoyable; here are some of my favorite quotes.
"The mind is sometimes like a spiteful child. The playing might be going along flawlessly well, when up pops the question: "What if?..." "What if this" and "What if that" is a good child's game, but it is the deadly enemy of perfection. The conjecture invariably changes to reality, and one no longer has to ask "What if" because "It did"!
From a telephone conversation between the pianist and her teacher:
"What do I do about all those different pianos? What is the trick to adapting oneself instantaneously to a new instrument?"
"It's simple, dahling. You simply sit down, stare at the piano, and say 'Obey me!'
"I spoke to Josef [her teacher] tonight on the phone and he asked me how I feel. I told him the playing was fine, but that I didn't care much for the feeling in my stomach. There was a short silence...and then "Carol, you're not playing with your stomach, you're playing with your fingers."
After one recital that didn't go especially well:
"In addition to all of this, I have to admit that I committed The Unpardonable: I forgot to remember to love the music."
And one of my favorites, something I need to remember after performing:
Josef says, "There is no limit to 'better'. Say 'thank you' for what was."
2 comments:
That sounds like a great book. I'll have to check our library... ;)
Oooo, I *like* those.
Seeing the title of your blogpost on my sidebar, I thought you were going to say that YOU were going to New York to give a recital. =)
Post a Comment