10/18/08

Pwned!

Beyond mere description of the event, Mark Swed adds his own brand of cynicism, which I think speaks volumes about the state of classical music. Here, on AndrĂ¡s Schiff:

Schiff's intimate playing can be nervous-making. He has had a hard time in Disney in the past. He creates such an atmosphere of attention that any little thing can be a disturbance...

Now, I’m not so sure that “nervous-making” is really a thing, but Swed’s point is clear. In fact, it sounds like Schiff’s on-stage presence is rather transcendental.

...and listeners can get so wrapped up in his sound that they forget themselves, drop canes and the like.

Damn. Pwned, old people! And also, pwned, young people who don’t go to concerts and miss awesome performances by awesome performers like Schiff!

If only he said, “they forget themselves, become incontinent and the like...” That would’ve been super cool times like a trillion.
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2 comments:

Sator Arepo said...

E, there was so, so much more wrong with that article that you didn't even touch!

Empiricus said...

I hoped not to sound snarky; I really liked this comment. I actually thought the piece was quite good, aside from a few minor points here and there.