Suffering, Maturity, and Classical Repertoire

I found much to disagree with in this article, especially the way Jonathan Biss contrasts Beethoven -- "unspeakably profound" -- with Chopin ("my relationship to it hasn't changed much since I was 19"). At the same time, I wondered how much of my response wasn't reflexive "what I like is good because I like it" instinct -- I've loved Chopin since high school, but it's true that his style spoke more loudly to me when I had less road behind me.

Feel like this article could benefit from ilm classical heads attacking or interrogating it. Or maybe all four of you will say "it's bullshit" and move on.

Overall that was a p good article. I feel bad about all these young and even early-middle-aged players cowering before the profound weight of late beethoven and schubert. It is exactly true that they are both "unspeakably profound", but in a way that transcends considerations of young vs old, wise vs naive, comfort vs suffering, import vs trivia, etc. Just get in there and play the music, interpret it how you interpret it now and be ready to feel differently later. As several of the players in the article said.

“On the one hand, Beethoven is unspeakably profound,” he said. “On the other hand, there is not much gained about being too precious about it. The fact I decided to record the Beethoven sonatas doesn’t mean I won’t feel differently about them in 20 years. I knew I would go deeper if I was forced to record them.”

OTM

(I haven't fucked with any of Biss' recordings so far... the only recording made by anyone interviewed in that article which is truly truly indispensable to me is Andsnes' recording of schubert D958, the best I've ever heard of that sonata. Hamelin is great obv but has yet to really explode my brain. I always like reading Denk's writing.)