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A couple of weeks ago, our forum had a post about a pianist who falling asleep but still can play. I was suddenly remember an article about some drunk pianists, but I couldn't find it. Now, I've got it, it's from a CD, the performer is a violinist, Henryk Szeryng, plays Beethoven, Brahms and Bach.

I would like to share the article here, just for fun! and I'll try to put the reference for my quote:

Rattalino, P. (1998). Wine, (women), and song. Edimedia srl: aura.

"Wine, (women), and song
by Piero Rattalino

Back in the 1970s, in the days when I was artistic director of a theater, I booked Henryk Szeryng [pronounced Shering: Szeryng was Polish, and in Polish sz is pronounced sh, whereas in Hungarian, sz (as in Liszt) it's pronounced s twice]. On both occasions, I went to his dressing room to greet him before the concert, and on both occasions he was very courteous and laconic, and on both occasions I was aware, by how he spoke and by a certain air that hovered about him, that...he had been drinking.
No, I'm not saying he was drunk, I've seen lots of drunks on stage. I saw a fine French violinist who was so plastered that he managed to slide his bow under the strings. I've seen lots of conductors (lots and lots) who could just barely stand up. The manager of the Zurich Tonhalle told me that he had once seen one of the century's most famous conductors swaying unstably backstage, and at a certain point the conductor asked him, with a suitable furry voice, "What's on the program tonight?".
"Maestro, Dvorak's New World Symphony."
"The New World? Ah, wonderful, wonderful." And seeing as how the house lights were already down, the famous conductor raised his baton as if he were off on a cavalry charge and flung himself into the hall, landing about a yard away from the podium. Even so, he conducted magnificently.
I once saw another conductor - great, although not so famous - who for the second half of the Mahler Resurrection had to be accompanied by two stage hands, supported under the arms as if he were suddenly taken ill. In reality, he had simply guzzled half a bouttle of vodka during the short break. ... ...
But I really must tell you about a certain pianist of the past, whose name I can mention because he's been dead for 90 years: Alfred Reisenauer, a pupil of Liszt. Liszt, who always had a bottle of cognac at hand, was sometimes accused of being too generous when offering his pupils a drink. That may or may not be true, but no one ever saw Liszt drunk, whereas Reisenauer ended up an alcoholic. The story was told me by Nikita magaloff, an inexhaustible source of anecdotes. I think it's true, but even if it isn't, it's so delightful that it's still worth telling. Anyway: Reisenauer has to play Beethoven's Emperor at the Leipzig Gewandhaus. There's a rehearsal the day before the concert, and a dress rehearsal the morning of the concert. The concert begins with an overture, the stage hands bring out the piano, the stage manager knocks on the dressing room door,
"Maestro Reisenauer, we're ready".
No answer. He knocks again. "Maestro Reisenauer, we're ready". no sign of life. He opens the door with his passdey, and sees Maestro Reisenauer sound asleep, an almost-empty bottle of cognac next to his head ont he table. The stage manager rushes out, orders some strong coffee, comes back to the dressing room, lifts Reisenauer up and slaps his face. Meanwhile, the coffee arrives, Reisenauer drinks it, wakes up, goes on stage, and plays the opeing cadenza of the Emperor. But after the cadenza - all of my readers know the Emperor well - there comes the orchestral exposition, which takes several minutes. And during the exposition Reisenauer falls asleep again. The slight hiss coming from his nose reaches the conductor's ears. The conductor truns, cna't believe what he sees, but has to face facts: Reisenauer, chin on chest, is fast asleep. The conductor whispers "Reisenauer", to no effect, smacks his slips (a sound that gets through even an orchestral fortissimo) the way prompters do to get the attention of a singer who's losing his way, whispes "Reisenauer" again. Nothing works. The orchestra plays the repeated chords after which the pianist is supposed to enter with his chromatic scale and, having nothing else to do - for the moment - it stops. This silence, the absence of the music that had so sweetly accompanied his snooze, wakes Reisenauer, who pulls himself up, looks out at the audience (staring at him breathlessly), looks at the conductor and the orchestra (motionless) waiting for him, then raises his hands and starts to play. But not just anything: first, for an instant, he thinks. Forgetting the rehearsals, forgetting that he played the opening cadenza, he asks himself: what concerto does the pianist begin all alone? Why, the Beethoven fourth, of course! So he raises his hands and starts to play the Fourth. Magaloff didn't know how it ended, but that's not really important. What's wonderful is the clearheaded thinking of the just-awakened drunkard.
Now back to Szeryng. As I said, he had been drinking but he wasn't drunk. I got worried the first time I saw him like that, but not the second, because I knew he was able to stop one glass short of disaster. I wasn't even worried when, backstage, a few minutes before the concert, he began to flip the chorus conductor's tie with his bow. "Do you like my tie, Maestro Szeryng? Here, please take it." said the conductor, who began to undo it. Szeryng shook his head, smiling slightly. The he went onstage and played like a god.
... ..."

According to Clara Schumann's letters Liszt was drunk on occasions, especially as he aged. She relates how he unexpectedly arrived worse for drink at one of her musical evenings and insisted on playing some of his late piano works, which act and music apparently embarrassed her. However, if the tone of her writing is any indication, she couldn't stand Liszt at the best of times so it might be just envious malicious gossip.

being drunk is no fun especially as a pianist.

Liszt certainly drank, yet in his late years did he ever see Clara privately? Hmmm... I wonder about Clara's character assassination. But it's well documented that there was no love loss between Frau Schumann and Liszt. Interestingly, Liszt dedicated the first version of the Paganini Etudes to her... knowing full well she couldn't play them.

As for the conductor mentioned in Sonata's original post, I think I know who that is... (PM me if you wish.)

And for playing drunk, well I admit it: I've done it at parties. Initially the alcohol lubricates my fingers and I'm all over the keyboard in grand, pompous style. Yet as the evening progresses... well we all know what happens.

IMO the pianist who appears to his audience drunk (in a concert or a recital) loses all my respect for him.

As Rachmaninoff stated: "You should not cheat your audience."

And I respect him for that. And I agree.

I find nothing "delightful" about any of these dubious anecdotes. What's the point of digging them up?

Regards,

I enjoyed those anecdotes, thanks for posting this.

You won't think it was my statement, will you? I copied the article, so, it's the author who heard from a friend, who think it's delightful, not me
All the words in the quotation mark are from someone else.
I think those pianists and conductors are also human, it's just normal, even though, they were drunk and forgot what they should play, I still appreciate them.

Sonata :

Yes, I knew that you were quoting an article, and that the observations were not your own. I was just stating my opinion which is : I don't know what people (in general) find interesting in digging up "dirt" about the famous and not-so-famous particularly when, so often "... the story was told me [...] I think it's true, but even if it isn't, it's so delightful that it's still worth telling." Why tell stories if they're not known to be true?

I think we know that these performers are human, but my comment - directed at the author of the article rather than at you - was to wonder what purpose is served in recounting an anecdote about an un-named conductor who had to be helped on stage because he was too drunk to walk on himself, or that the well-known and respected Szeryng had a drink before a concert?

Regards,

People are always have different opinions, some might think it's worth telling as a joke, a story, some might think it's boring. I understand what you feel, but true or false, we'll never know, unless we could meet that ghost You think we should respect the history, not to dig them out, because they were old and past, but the history sometimes can teach us a lot. Besides, I think making a joke to a normal person, to a famous person, to a world leader or to a died person has no much differences, what if the joke was true?
Those musicians had drunk before the performance, maybe not because they don't respect the audiences, they might feel nervous, stressful or had the alcoholic problem. So, I might blame them with their human problems, but I won't blame their music, their performance, as long as they still can bring the good music to us

So lets talk about a drinking problem.. Have you encountered many pianists who have a drinking problem. I have met many pianists who are alcohlics myself included...ok I'm under age for a few more months but I would never give a performance under the influence. Either way is it a prevelent problem?

I've met several famous pianists (alas, not Martha Argerich ), yet if there was a drinking problem I was not aware of it. Besides, even if I knew any particulars, I would never mention names here.

Alcoholism respects no human boundaries, and by law of percentage, a certain amount of pianists are going to have problems along that line. No news there. I admit I like to drink (and smoke too, alas- what a bitch to give that up), but I have never played the piano publicly under any influence. These days I'm primarily an organist and again, never have I played any Anglican service -Eucharist or Evensong- under any influence whatsoever. I save my drinking for festive evenings with my mates.

I've heard that a lot of performing musicians partake of the "evil drink" before they go on stage so to steady their nerves.

I had a teacher that used to do that because she had developed a nervous stomach, and would literally barf or mess badly as she was heading on to the stage. Her doctor at the time prescribed a little bit of brandy before the performance, which worked.

Honestly, I wouldn't drink if I had to play. I get confused enough and can't find my way out of a paperbag. I wouldn't want anything else to make matters worse!

John

I don't know many pianists of any sort, alcoholic or otherwise. Drink lost its charm for me many years ago. I'm not teetotal, I'll have a brandy with my dinner sometimes, about once a fortnight I suppose, but the amount I have isn't likely to affect my playing much one way or the other.

Why tell stories if they're not known to be true?
"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend."