A maestro’s masterful musical interpretations
Print Edition
SHANGHAI audiences love Andras Schiff. When the 63-year-old British pianist first visited Shanghai in 2013, the audience demanded no less than 10 encores. On his second visit, an equally enthusiastic audience heard Schiff and the NDR Radiophilharmonie perform Beethoven’s concerto “Emperor,” his “Bagatelle Op. 126” and Schubert’s “Impromptus No. 2” at the Shanghai Symphony Hall.
Schiff is very appreciative of Shanghai audiences. “Audiences here are so enthusiastic,” he says, speaking of his 2013 concert. “I’ve never played as many encores as I did in Shanghai — I could have played 20, but I got tired! It’s so different in the UK, where audiences are more passive. I want a reaction from my audience, otherwise why play? My last experience in Shanghai was wonderful. That’s why I wanted to come back as soon as possible.”
Born to a Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary, Schiff is the only child of two Holocaust survivors. He began piano lessons at five at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, and later studied with Gyorgy Kurtag, who was a great influence.
“In my first lesson with Kurtag, he covered tone quality, harmony, articulation and counterpoint for Three Part Invention by Bach in E major, and I learned that music is not just a matter of life and death. It’s much more important than that,” says Schiff.
Schiff is one of the most renowned interpreters of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann both in live performance and recordings. A passionate advocate for the composers and the music he loves, he is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Grammy Award, the Mozart Medal, and the Royal Academy of Music Bach Prize. Schiff has also been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to music.
Yet this gifted musician waited until he turned 50 before playing the 32 Beethoven sonatas, and only moved on to Beethoven’s final piano work — the Diabelli — after performing 20 complete cycles of the composer’s sonatas.
Schiff talked with Shanghai Daily recently about composers, music and life.
Q: What are your thoughts on Beethoven’s “Emperor?”
A: It is a wonderful work. Beethoven is one of the greatest humans that has ever lived, and not just for his music. This is particularly true of the period when “Emperor” was composed. He was going through a particularly difficult time then, battling ill health and deafness. The piece has a strong sense of struggle, yet it is a very positive piece of music — to me, it is a victory of the human spirit over all these difficulties, a piece with great depth and great poetry, not just heroism.
Q: Did you do any particular preparation for the piece?
A: Yes, I studied it very seriously. When I study any piece, I return to the original manuscripts. Interpretation, for me, is always done with the utmost respect for the composer and for the music itself. I am merely the composer’s servant in presenting the music live — I’m not the composer.
Q: You were very cautious about playing Beethoven’s works. Why is that?
A: Beethoven is recognized as a great composer, but his work is difficult — not in terms of the skill required, but in terms of the philosophy that lies behind it. I only understood Beethoven when I was 50. I played the “Emperor” concerto when I was 20, and I played it very badly. I knew what the message was, but I needed life experience to interpret it correctly. Some of Beethoven’s early works may be suitable for young people, but middle and late Beethoven are not for children. There is a great deal of deep philosophy in these works, and you don’t want a child to give you a lecture on philosophy.
Q: You mention Bach repeatedly as one of your favorite composers. How does Bach figure in your musical career?
A: Bach is the center of my life. Today, as I do every day, I started my day with Bach in the morning. I play one hour of anything by Bach, and then I feel fine. His works give me perfect satisfaction on every level: spiritual, emotional, and intellectual.
I think I understand his works better with age. That’s why I re-recorded Bach’s works 20 years after I first recorded them. The message is the same, but age gives you the big picture. When you’re young, you are often occupied with the small details. They are important. But with the advantage of experience with life and music, you get the big picture along with the details.
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