Kevin Sutton:

> Professional soloists at the level of Ms. Hahn are more than capable of
> smiling when they perform.  Being a virtuoso is her JOB.  It's why she
> can command 40 K per performance.  Mr. Lamb is perhaps not a professional
> on the level of Ms. Hahn, and so he can't smile when he performs.  I
> would wager that he smiles when he performs the job for which he has
> been properly educated and trained.

With all due respect to Kevin, who cares whether she smiles, frowns, or
grimaces, as long as she plays well and does justice to the music?  She's a
musician, not a freakin' actor or an opera singer (or for that matter a
singer at all).  I realize some need visual cues when they listen to music
in order to feel *anything* (how do they listen to recordings?).  Horowitz
and Heifetz were pretty much deadpan when they played.  I wouldn't call
either unmusical or unexciting.  Byron Janis soulfully mugged his way
through everything, to such an extent that I, at least, found it
distracting.  I never watched his face.  I listened instead and was
rewarded.

Steve Schwartz

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