Don Satz writes:

>>At this point, I'd like to veer off and reflect a little on romanticized
>>piano music.  One of its key elements is a highly overt emotional
>>intensity.  When I hear or see these extreme displays, my immediate
>>question is, "Why is this happening?".  There could be very good reasons
>>for the overt intensity, and I'm looking for its foundation.  In so many
>>performances of romanticized piano music, I don't hear any foundation for
>>the intensity.  It makes no sense and just seems like histrionics for the
>>hell of it.

John Smyth replies to Don:

>It doesn't have to make sense.
>
>No one is denying the frivolity of excess; but how hard is it to
>understand why performers or listeners might want to occasionally partake
>of this incidental, if sometimes short-lived thrill.  Whether it be your
>good-natured poke at the latest Volodos release, a compilation album, or
>your dismissal of an artist whose performances you feel are too
>self-serving, why do you so actively seek to distance yourself from such
>a harmless thing? Why does there have to be a validating foundation for
>tittilation; for extreme displays?

To me, it does have to make sense.  Especially with Romantic music, I
expect to be convinced by the flow of emotions in the music.  (I realize
that there has been a lot of debate in the 20th century about whether
music can express emotions.  Stravinsky flat out said that it can't).
Unconvincing music is kind of like unconvincing acting:  we stop believing
in the character portrayed by the bad acting.  To continue with the
analogy, actors and musicians need "motivation".  To the actor, this means
understanding underlying causes behind the actors actions.  To the
musician, this means understanding where the composer was coming from
(sorry to be vague here).  I guess a bad piece of music is in some ways
like a bad script.

I'm more critical of music which is supposed to be deep and serious.
For example, I have a lot of trouble being convinced by Brahms' 4th (which
is a very serious work, and at least tries to be deep).  Where do all the
emotions come from? The 2nd movement is like a parade of heavy emotions
that don't seem to have any purpose or connection to each other.  (I know
I'll get in trouble for this.  Bring it on!:-).  Here are some examples of
deep and serious music which is convincing to me:  Beethoven late String
Quartets, Mahler's 6th and 9th Symphonies, Barber's Adagio for Strings,
Brahms' late piano music (opp.  116, 116, 118, 119), Bach Chaconne from the
3rd Violin Partita.

Mike Leghorn