One thing is sure, Pogo not only leaves me breathless but also very irritated, just because I feel the playing is so very bizarre and contrary to how I would imagine a “valid” interpretation of a certain piece. I don’t mind idiosyncratic performances and I always try to learn from other pianist’s interpretations, but in his case I think he’s often distorting a certain style…going beyond the boundary of good taste – though it’s impossible to give a definition of what’s “good” and “bad” taste…
An interpretation doesn’t always have to be “agreeable”, but what Pogo does in the last decades is for me totally unacceptable…
I don’t know Pogorelich personally, but wasn’t his marriage with his teacher Kezeradze a purely platonic one? Could suppressed homosexuality be part of his mental “problems”?
As for Sokolov, I heard him several times “live” in smaller venues in Holland, also in the Concertgebouw. Scriabin, Schumann, Beethoven, Bach, it was always highly professional and pianistically on the highest level. But I had the feeling that traveling the globe with playing mainly one recital program the whole year was killing a lot of his spontaneity and creativity, so that his playing, as good as it was, lacked a certain freshness. As if he was overly indulged in or obsessed with playing perfect details.
Btw those Bach parts of the A minor English Suite are from a recent concert? Pretty amazing articulation, clarity & tempo, seems to be inspired by Gould? Not my taste at all, but at the very least respectable IMO.
Sokolov and Pogorelich form a unique case in that both of their wives were considerably older than they were. MILF lovers.
I can admit to a personal understanding of this as I’ve also dated hot MILFs, have lived with them, and have had to financially take care of one as she got older as well. If you overstay–that is, if you form a relationship rather than take the popularised one-off porn approach–the age difference can put an enormous strain on your life. I mean it really becomes an existential question at some points, and the mental pressure is considerable as you’ve effectively–through choice and compulsion (it is love after all)–expedited your first-hand familiarity with mortality. I can assure you that it will change you in some irreparable manner.
For Sokolov, to complicate things further, he also had some family connection tied into his marriage. I would have to look up the details as I don’t recall precisely offhand. I do however recall the effect it made when that cunt Lebrecht decided to publish his libel of assumptions. It took a handful of emails to him, replete with a silly amount of swearing (something that does not come across meaningfully without vocalisation), before he stopped his nonsense.
It could be, but it also could be that he loved her yet didn’t feel compelled to cum down her throat. I don’t want to make assumptions about anyone’s sexuality. I’ve been on the receiving end of that and I can tell you that what people assume as a possibility is often the exact opposite of how it really is. We can all think of two dozen living male pianists who we’d assume to be either homosexual or have it suppressed. But does that either inform you of anything, or many any difference? It’s like those people on Youtube who come up to me and ask, ‘Where was this recorded and when’? And I’m always like, ‘Does it make any difference to how you appreciate the performance, or are you just trying to fulfil some non-related compulsion?’ I’ve met Ivo and have had a long conversation with him, and I can tell you that he is sexually alert, which is basically the most you can assume about someone unless you meet him or her at a brothel or a gay bar*.
*and even then it’s not for certain, as I used to attend a gay bar in Amsterdam every Saturday for the outrageous bingo session, where everyone would get pissed and would partake in a kind of orgy of sound in sexualising the Dutch numbers as they were called out by a 6’5" drag queen. It was one of my favourite events in the city and I am neither gay nor do I have it suppressed.
I have met a lot of gay people and some of them even became my friends. In the artworld and in the musical world, there has always been a high percentage of homosexuals. More than often the most talented pianists are gay.
From what I saw from interviews and concert performances etc, Pogo seems to me the typical gay person but you are right, looks & appearances can be deceiving…
Talking about suppressed sexuality: a good friend, a Dutch piano pedagogue (yes, he was gay too!), who recently died at a very old age, knew Lili Kraus very well and she often visited him to chat about other pianists. She told the story about Claudio Arrau, that the man was soooooo unhappy, soooo troubled because he was secretly gay…who knew? If Lili was speaking the truth… I mean, I never expected that, he had a wife and three kids…
Not that it makes a damn difference…I admire Arrau’s pianism no matter what.
I’m pretty sure Arrau got arrested in a “gay sting” in Australia back in the day.
I’ve never seen this mentioned in any official biography though.
It makes me sad that he would have been so unhappy so I hope it wasn’t true.
Blessed is he who has his first sight of da MILF Queendom.
I’m happy for you that you are experiencing such bliss. Women tend to get hornier as they enter their late 30s and into their 40s, so stay strong. That is one reason why some of us hit da insatiable MILFs. The true lust ages well.
Yes I agree with you. I’ve had relations both with younger and older. Either way, over time, shifts in mentality and character and all that happen no matter the age difference. Shifts in personality and manner tend to have more significant impact and receive stronger expression in women, IMO.
As for pianists who were punished for their sexuality (or expression thereof), my man Naum Shtarkman got done for something like 8 years in prison by the Soviets just for how he swung. With Soviet data you never know if 8 was 2 or 5–same with Lotar-Shevchenko–but the point is that he was persecuted & imprisoned for how he lived (or tried to). He went on to marry & father AFAIK.
I think Debargues recent success is well deserved. Right from the start at the Tchaikovsky Comp. I was fascinated by this guy’s playing, and I think that all the fuss and hype created after that didn’t affect his playing in a negative way. I heard some beautiful, pure Fauré on YT.
