<<  -- 5 --  Bill Newman    A SINGING INSTRUMENT

Earlier in his career Tirimo won a prize for his Liszt playing. I asked his views on the music.

'His music is still hard done by. There is an enormous amount of warmth and poetry, but unfortunately it is so often badly performed, cheapened and played too fast. Schumann too -- one has to live and love his music, both at the same time.

'There are still things wrong with music education. We have to work hard to understand ourselves. If I was in charge of an institution I would introduce philosophy and psychology classes on self-analysis -- what makes us tick, what are our aims -- applause? Am I purely selfish, or must I do something about these motives? How many students think along these lines? Public performance is very revealing.'

When you start playing it sets the mood for what follows. 'One should do as much preparation as possible, but when you go on to the platform and perform there must be the feeling that you are recreating the piece afresh. If you now asked me to play Schubert's A minor Sonata as I performed it a few evenings ago it would not be the same. My recording of this work would not be the same as a live performance. It depends on circumstances and invariably would contain minute differences of interpretation.'

'Recording is a special challenge. Both Schnabel and Clifford Curzon hated it, for when the microphone isn't there you feel much freer. In Schubert's Sonata in G, the third movement Trio, I did not get what I wanted the first or second time but eventually managed it. This is the great benefit of recording, and I was happy. There are advantages!'