Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Are today's concert ppianists boring?

I believe it's Valentina Lisitsa

Yes I found out as well. I completely despise her playing and her politics.

I know there are plenty of people who don't like her playing, but while I have you here in context; What exactly don't you like about it?

A combination of bad taste, perverse, overpedalled, monochromatic and it all feels very showy and shallow. I actually don't think it is musical.

When the "novelty" of her playing has eroded away, I think she will just fade away into obscurity.

I think Valentina served a very important purpose in the classical music world, regardless of her playing. She showed that classical music can keep up with the times through modern means and social media. She got famous through youtube!

She has recordings I really like, and some recordings I don't. Pretty much like any other pianist.

Sometimes I find concert programmes boring (at least those around where I live). Seems to be the same old stuff all the time and that bores me. Much like how when you are hungry, that first bite of a big, juicy burger tastes amazing, but half way through you get satiated and that excitement on your palette is gone. Fortunately I have found the university tends to have some more interesting and fresh music in their concerts. Even better is that the university concerts are often very inexpensive and even free.

If I had her money, I'd be happy to just fade away into obscurity....

Hey, I'm already there, come to think of it. Only without the money.... ;-)

Welcome to the club !!

is she rich?

Would it change what you think about her?

I'm sure between all her concerts, dvd sales, interviews and cd's she's made a least a few million.

Knowing a few big names, Famous classical musicians aren't usually that wealthy...

I do wonder what pianists such as Argerich, Pollini, Schiff, Andsnes, etc are worth. Current prominent opera singers probably do better, though with Pavarotti gone, no one is pulling in that kind of money.

Is that how you value a musician? No, of course it isn't but I am a little disappointed, I believe you originally did not name the pianist concerned which showed what I believed to be "old world courtesy" I am disappointed that you seemed to join the "internet put-the-boot-in herd", led by one the the usual suspects.( I am assuming that as I have filtered the person concerned, it just fits their "ppersonality pprofile")

Just consider why you asked that question about the wealth of one ppianist on a thread about whether or not concert ppianists are boring.

She is pplainly at the very least a superior pperformer as she is talked about more than the rest, but of course, I knew that all along.

Now those that wish to can get back to their usual objective and intelligent ability to shoot the messenger because they don't like the very messages they have created for the whole world to see just how small-minded some members of ppiano concert audiences are.

(BTW Carey and JohnSprung, good humour there, more people should be like that, it makes the world a better place, IMO)

I respect the pianist I refused to name, I don't like their playing but I respect them. Same isn't applicable for Lisitsa.
I never said pianist X was a better performer because they made more money than pianist Y. So stop putting words in my mouth.
I was surprised when someone stated she was wealthy because there really isn't that much money in classical music, whether you like it or not. I was curious to know if she was particularly wealthy because of the career she has had. Ok, it was an off-topic remark, but again, there are numerous discussions on this forum which end up off-topic. So what? Nothing is stopping you or anyone else from bringing it back to topic.


I don't understand why talking about money in Classical music is so taboo. Of course it's all very nice and sweet to say that being a musician isn't about the money you make, its "for the greater good of humanity" (like some people say). But let me tell you, until you realise how hard it actually is to make a decent living, until you realise how overflooded the whole world is with pianists and until you realise how hard it is for those who come out of music colleges and don't actually make it, I won't be accepting any lectures from you. It shows how unaware you are.

I think that the author of the article is very single and narrow minded!

But before you go on to agree with me, ditching his premise, I'm afraid that he's absolutely right, but is only analyzing the effect in piano (music, composers and performers alike).

This is a universal problem, about everything we live in and about.

Sit back for a second and think of the "heroes" we had around the golden age of everything: films, music, dance, politics, etc. A few names: Onassis, Bernstein, JFK, Cindy Crawford, Richter, De Niro, Jim Morisson, Jimmy Hendrix, John Lennon and so on.

Super stars that no one could reach them. Unimaginable heights of stardom, which now have been replaced by... Lang Lang, Obama (and Trump for that matter), no super models around (maybe in the porn industry (which is brilliant to follow from a social point of view, btw))), Brad Pitt, etc. (<- Extra note. I don't mind any of them really. I actually love Brad Pitt's acting, but the fact remains. He's no super hero of the film industry).

No more grand solos in the electric guitar for 20 minutes, no more drugs, no more beer (my own fight against my beer belly), no more heroes!

This is a time where we share everything (my thoughts on the subject, for example), where we offer for public viewing our habits, our workload, our dreams and wishes and google is certain to pin point our exact location because we want it to (in order to get recommendations based on who we are and where we are).

The Internet has brought the great social revolution that nobody wanted really. Nobody gives a [censored] anymore! Everyone is equal, the most vocal posters and video makers make it... further. And that's it.

There's nothing wrong with the piano, or playing the piano, or its replacement as the central point of entertainment. There's something very wrong with the world today. We expect our heroes to emerge and save the world, but nobody's doing that any more. Our politicians are shity, puny people who allow the Syria, Greece and the US to die out (yup, these three countries). Our artists care for the technical parts, rather than the social ones! (Rzewksi is political minded but outed from the US, for example, by large).

Wait! When did this thread turn political?

Well, he did say he just read it, so there's that. I'm glad he started a new thread, at least, instead of zombifying a mouldering one (I'm pretty sure we've talked about the article before here, but a quick search didn't find it - who knows what search terms would work....).

But the REAL reason it came up exactly now is that Mercury was about to move out of retrograde when he posted it (some people here will get that reference, I bet, but I have no idea who they are ).

Thank you that's exactly correct. It showed up in my newsfeed on Facebook and I thought it was be relevant here. Turns out I was right, thanks for an interesting discussion. The article itself rubbed me the wrong way and I'm gratified to learn I'm not alone.

Sadly I think Nikolas hit the nail on the head. There are no more heroes. To add to Nikolas' list don't forget Ivan Moravec and Frank Zappa (how's that for opposite ends of the spectrum).
I won't comment on Mercury coming out of retrograde ;-)

""I never said pianist X was a better performer because they made more money than pianist Y. So stop putting words in my mouth.""

And I never said you did so grow up. I didn't bother with the rest of your comment. I have now put you on ignore which should please us both.

Are Today's concert pianists boring?

No, but tomorrow's will be. 😀