I prefer the bad performance of a superior pianist to the superior performance of a bad pianist. It reminds me of Churchill's reply to the indignant remark that he was drunk at a reception: "Hwell, milady, I'lllbees-sobertomorromorning, but youwill still-be-ugly."...
All things being equal, a simpler (more natural) interpretation (of the score) is better than a more complex (artificially augmented) one....
See: 315...
A musician cannot be a skeptic because the musical language speaks through the emotional force of expectation, and to anticipate and experience resolution he has to suspend disbelief of its blazing necessity....
A sonorous tone, an orchestra at your finger tips, a brilliant balance, singing at the piano ...
The end of a piece must be a confirming statement or a tender good-bye, not an rustled apology or a rushed IED....
How can we dare to aspire to an ideal interpretation of a masterpiece composition? The Flea Waltz perhaps, but Bach, Beethoven, Brahms? How can we contribute to a masterpiece so much greater than even the composer? When are we ready to make an absolute choice in interpretation?
A priori we must aspire to an infinite technique and a sage's understanding of music. We must base our aspiration on the knowledge of context and clean observations of the score with a minimum of interpretation ~ that provides a platform for true personal discovery. Our emotions are of course the driving force in this endeavor, expression not a goal but the premise of musical practice, and our personality will, by our choices, inevitably be present in our interpretations. We must choose with the wisdom of a cultivated intuition and boldly stand behind our interpretation with the conviction that our interpretation could hold as a universal example to all ~ in the sense of Kant's categorical imperative.
„Handle so, daß die Maxime deines Willens jederzeit zugleich als Prinzip einer allgemeinen Gesetzgebung gelten könne.“
“Act in such a way that the maxim of your will may at all times also hold as the principle of a universal law.”
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)