Sometimes I wonder. If it had been a little less improvised,
with a slightly more suitable soundtrack, would it have gone better?
Our last day, I mean, or maybe the first—I’m not so sure anymore.
I guess it all came down to the fact that, somewhere between
a jar of grated horseradish and a jar of honey, we forgot
that turning on the turntable makes absolutely no sense
if we never place a record on the platter.
While watching the film Clara by Akash Sherman today, I heard a fragment of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata on the soundtrack, and I felt like listening to the whole piece. Later, in the evening, I chose a random performance, but the first movement was played so flatly and emotionlessly, like a chore, that I quickly turned it off. It was just painful to listen to. Beethoven was probably turning in his grave, speaking figuratively. However, I did not give up and found a recording of Claudio Arrau’s concert from 1970, during which he played this sonata. You could hear the difference immediately. It’s hard to believe that both pianists had the same score in front of their eyes. But this should come as no surprise, given that Arrau is considered one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century.
hidden pilcrow 