<<  -- 7 --  Bill Newman    TOTAL DEDICATION AND ACCORD

BN: Recordings can result in postmortems.
HD: You must realize there is a big difference in listening to your own playing in performance, then re-hearing the same thing when it is played back. After sessions, we found we couldn't bear to listen for one month; and had no desire to edit until 2-3 months had elapsed.
BN: Duo-pianists Nettle and Markham told me that the same thing happened after their Gershwin recording. The intricacy of the fingerwork, cross rhythms, accents and ensemble caused much concern, particularly with David Nettle, the last pupil of the late Cyril Smith who instilled self-criticism with a purpose into all his students.
HD: Cyril Smith maintained that he always practised six hours a day, and if -- at the end of the year -- he could play to perfection by 25 per cent, he was more than happy. (Quoted from his book Duet for 4 Hands.)

HD: Then there is the non-intellectual pianist, like Shura Cherkassky, who professed no knowledge or awareness that a number of Liszt arrangements were from arias and choruses in grand opera. In some instances -- i e Albeniz' Tango, Chopin's Fourth Ballade -- being non-intellectual showed off his marvellous playing to distinct advantage.
BN: He had this sense of entertaining his audiences, abandoning the serious side of music to reveal the charm and essence of what many regard as trivia.
HD: And there is a place for it. It is only listening to the second rate that one can begin to appreciate the first rate. And it is only because of humour that we have tragedy. Shakespeare knew that. I am always amazed, and somewhat horrified when most often you have a wonderful pianist who sits down and performs Beethoven or Chopin quite marvellously, and the audience applauds nicely. Then he comes back and romps his way through some flashy virtuoso number, and they all stand up and cheer madly, shouting their heads off. I find this very depressing. It is as if the listeners have been worked into a frenzy, without appreciating the really good qualities of the rest of the programme. We too have our rabble rousers. Billy Mayerl's Marigold, which they absolutely love.

HD: We found that all our producers left the BBC.
IB: They all died.
BN: But now there is room for every kind of music.
HD: The feedback is enormous, and it all requires representation.

BN: Do I sense you are both rather old fashioned in your attititudes?
HD: I am, but Isobel is more up to date! I spend my day shouting at the radio. John Humphries being rude and arrogant to the people we voted into office. Treats them like fair game, and it sets a standard of bad manners in conversation and discussion. And when I listen to somebody who just carries on speaking, like the Deputy Prime Minister, who is very good at it -- I want to hit him over the head and say 'shut up'! The Chancellor of the Exchequer, the same, but at least he insists on getting himself heard. The worst interviewer of the lot is Desert Island Discs' Sue Lawley. The best is Michael Berkeley with his Private Passions.

IB: You don't understand about radio! They have a carefully alloted time to get their points across, and have to keep to it. Otherwise they would go rambling off like you do!

HD: They can ramble interestingly about a number of topics, but have no proper agenda. More often they peter out before getting into their stride.

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