Two great pianists
I was recently at a memorial for an old friend in Palo Alto.
Grace was an incredible lady, sophisticated and yet earthy, elegant and full of life and with a heart that’s overflowing with kindness and generosity.
I didn’t know her that long but during that time, I was blessed to have been touched by her gentle spirit.
The memorial opened with a piano tribute—the famous Fur Elise.
As I listened, I became astounded by the pianist.
I had never heard Fur Elise played that way.
It was full of feeling and life and energy, and the most amazing thing was, it sounded exactly right.
What was so special about the performance?
I would say, the pianist was able to bring out the true spirit of the piece—not the fast showpiece that it’s commonly portrayed as, but a pensive meditative piece.
During the break in the memorial, I went up to the pianist and complimented him on his performance.
I told him, it was one of the most memorable performances I have ever witnessed.
And I asked him if he would consider recording it for youtube.
He said he would consider it so I’m full of anticipation.
The pianist is Kymry Asainko, a well-known musician in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Thinking of Kymry made me recall another great musician—a true musical giant in every sense of the word.
I was fortunate enough to meet Yury Martynov a few years back.
In fact I was instrumental in bringing him to Del Mar College one of those times.
Yury is a true musician’s musician.
The first time I heard him was after a dinner in honor of him and his fellow musicians.
Someone asked him if he could play something and he walked over to a piano nearby and played Ravel’s Pavane for a Dead Princess.
I was literally stunned by the sheer beauty of his performance.
Especially the rhythm which was light and floating and by the small nuances that made the piece come so alive.
I have lost touch with Yury but if I had the chance, I would also ask him if he could record the piece for Youtube.
Fast forward to the present.
There’s been a competition in recent weeks which apparently had some controversial decisions.
I have given up on younger musicians these days and had not followed the event.
However, hearing of the controversies, I went to Youtube and watched a few of the competitors.
It was exactly as I had expected—flawless executions with no sense of poetry and always the requisite super exaggerated body and facial expressions.
It’s as if the players thought that their rehearsed body contortions could make up for their lack of musical feeling and understanding.
All except for a few players who didn’t even get a mention!
Competitions of course are all a waste of time—winners are usually politically connected to the jurors.
But sometimes, as in this case, it could be an opportunity to launch one’s career.
Which reminds me of another great pianist, Ivo Pogorelich, who was the real winner of this same competition years back, evidenced by the spectacular career he has had.
Fortunately for us, these days, we have Youtube which enables us to experience the performances of musicians like Martynov.
Here’s the Maestro playing Beethoven.
And an amazing live performance that shows how a true master plays, with no fake affectations, just pure expression: