Scepticalforumguy:
When you hear a performer, do you react just to technique, or to the feeling the music gives you? Here, I just hear a love of playing incredibly fast runs.
Technique is the only way to emote anything. Without technique how does one translate what is in ones head to ones hands or voice, et cetera?
So, although I don't try to listen for what pleases me, if something does, it's because of me, not them, in many cases. I can be moved by many different performers in many different ways for many different reasons, and so can everyone I imagine. The key for me is not to criticize something because it DOESN'T move me, but to allow that others may find something in the performance that I don't. All opinions are valid, but they are also shaped by experience. I don't pretend to be the most discerning audience member, but I wouldn't ever condemn someone's performance because I wasn't touched by it.
And for what it's worth I usually find it discouraging to hear popular criticisms like 'too many notes' because it's an easy out and I believe it is meant as a kind of warning to others to stay away from that kind of thing if one wants to be musical. Why else say it?
No offense taken jjo, hopefully?
