Well, Joe, once again you leave me scratching my head. I couldn't disagree more with you regarding your evaluation of Jana's Schumann performance, though you have every right to express your opinion. You're becoming quite an enigma to me

As indeed you are to me. What really is the point of your comment here? Just as I have a difficult time trying to discern your somewhat discursive points elsewhere, so do I here. Indeed, it's rather unusual for a commenter to do what you've done here. Does it threaten you that my position differs? It's odd that you would respond without even attacking the specific points I made. I'm not trying to be rude, but I have little interest in discussing music with people that are going to get all defensive about things and act like big shots. "You're an enigma to me." How utterly childish! The key word is the narcissistic "me." As if to say that I'm crazy not to see it your way. I notice that you're often speaking of yourself as a teacher and speaking with such condescension to me and others as if we're students and you're the teacher. Well I've done my time and I'm not the least bit impressed by people who assert and claim authority as I certainly do not do. I'm just a limited listener with strong opinions about what I want to hear, and frankly I don't give a rat's ass about whether you disagree with me or not.

Ok.

It was a matter of time before the two titanic musical minds of PS would clash. An accident waiting to happen so to speak

As a moderator, I'll try to hold a middle ground.
I side with Eddy in that Jana's rendition of the Abegg's is a masterful and very enjoyable one.
I side with Joe in that nothing is perfect, and that one can always find fault with anything.

Without wanting to take sides (seeing both sides of the coin) I'll say that whoever first loses his temper has lost the argument.

I'll say this: I do regret my post 4 above. I haven't had my medication in a week!

I suspect Joe hasn't had his, either

Hmm...not quite following this one, but I guess maybe it's a prompt to me to say "mea culpa."



This could perhaps be better qualified as a Breemer opinion? Frankly, I found it neither, but such is the way of things: differences of opinion. Just the way that you said it here makes it sound factual: it IS masterful and enjoyable. I do seem to remember not too long ago you called Hofmann's playing of the Chopin 1st Ballade "banal and ugly," so I guess maybe Jana's playing to you is more masterful and enjoyable than that of one who is generally considered (and the huge difference comes across, to MY ears, after five seconds of listening to either person's playing) one of the piano titans of all time.

Incidentally, I listened to Richter's playing of this set (and not that it's quite fair to make such a comparison with an unknown, but I only want to make my case) after listening to this one, and he got most of what I would want or expect from a performance of this piece, but what do I know anyway?

I finally listened to this and I must say this is a brilliant rendition of this challenging set. Bravo! I learned it about 15 years ago but didn't look back to it at all after that. So I cannot say that I (still) know this well, but accidently I hear it played live several times and even though I have to admit that the players were not renowned pros, all of them were boring and disappointing. The difficulty of this set (and most works of Schumann) lies rather in letting the spirit of music speak out, than in technical things, I think.
Even though I don't have a firm idea, how this set should be played, and I think Jana played it very well, I still believe Jana could profit from Joe's elaborated suggestions. Personally I'm glad there are some very critical minds on this forum

I was merely noting that you seemed to have lost your temper for a while there again. Wasn't even suggesting this is not allowed, just that I consider it losing the argument (insofar as there was one).

Yes it's an opinion, as is everything I say. As is everything ANYBODY says, unless it's actual fact backed up by Wikipedia. I've never understood what the big thing is about all these old pianists, except maybe that they often had a direct line with the composer, and why they were so much better than any pianist from our time. But we are in opposite corners of the universe on this, so let's not go into that again.

BTW I did not call Hoffman's playing ugly and banal. Just that he does some (to my layman's ears) ugly and banal things. A hair-splitting difference

My only beef with you here is you came in and moderated where it wasn't really necessary and then tried to make out as if the blame was equally shared or maybe even that it was more my fault (could be wrong about this, but that's how it seemed to me). I think that any outside observer should find this matter clear-cut. Eddy was CLEARLY wrong on this. He wrote a review of this playing, and then I did. I didn't try to undermine his opinion of it. He did do so to me and in a rather nasty way by saying "You're an enigma to me." I think that that behavior was rude and uncalled for, and I believe I had every right to be irritated about it.

Well maybe so. Eddy's not been here long enough to know that you get your heckles up more quickly than most here.
I'm sure he won't do it again
Now let it drop. No point in keeping arguing.

Wow, what's happened here???


I like critical minds, that's the way we learn something...
We all need to say our points of view openly.
Joe, I agree with your comment, that the dynamic in the theme is a bit too loud. The Steinway in the concert hall was pretty loud und I needed some time to
check that. That's the risk of the live performance!

@Joe: "Variation 2 I thought was the best" : I'm glad to hear it! This Variation was the most difficult for me. And I'm really happy about this comment

I like the Richter's playing of this set, but that's not me. As an artist I'm searching for an individuality and wanna make things on my way.
We have different opinions and that's wonderful. This is my point of view of this set.
Just one thing sounds to me a bit unprofessional and not so nice: "but the effect to me is a bit more of piano hammers and fog than of delicacy and
dancing grace"...
But that's maybe because of my bad English That's your opinion and I'm ok with this.

So, like Chris already said: "Now let it drop. No point in keeping arguing."
This wonderful Schumann's piece doesn't deserve it

So speaks a lady.

As the second time (after detecting the failure of the file) I must say the same thing with Richard again!!! How cool, Jana

This is true.