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Listening to experts

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October 10, 2009, 07:24
BobHale
Listening to experts
I was listening to radio three today (a fairly highbrow Classical music station) and was struck by the gibberish (to me) nature of the commentary from the two classical buffs reviewing the CD. Lot's of it was pompous nonsense (again to me) of the "pay especial attention to the modernistic interpretation" variety.
One phrase amused me particularly. After playing a recording of a Schubert piano piece they commented about the pianist "I felt that I was listening to her fingers rather than to Schubert". I have no idea what he meant. Was he perhaps expecting her to play it with her nose?

Such is the peril of listening to experts talking to each other.


"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
October 10, 2009, 10:18
Richard English
quote:
Such is the peril of listening to experts talking to each other.

Indeed. And not only when they are talking about the musical arts.


Richard English
October 10, 2009, 21:34
Kalleh
quote:
"I felt that I was listening to her fingers rather than to Schubert".
I wonder, too, what he meant. Was it an insult, do you think, for the pianist? Or, instead, was a compliment?
October 11, 2009, 00:47
Richard English
quote:
I wonder, too, what he meant. Was it an insult, do you think, for the pianist? Or, instead, was a compliment?

I think he meant he was listening to and evaluating her technique rather than the music.

This is a trap that all experts can fall into; when I am receiving training I can find myself assessing the trainer's technique rather than absorbing the learning.


Richard English