New York - Day 3: The Hammerklavier

Barenboim said yesterday that in contrast to Beethoven's Symphonies, which are a very public display of redemptive joy (at least the later ones), the Sonatas are more like an evolutionary introspective diary - and that they should be treated in such fashion; solitarily cerebral and emotionally alone. Well, if that's all it takes, I'm doing a lot of that, which conveniently also provides an excellent excuse for the fact that I'm actually a loser.

In response to the question directed at Barenboim of why he consciously chose to do a non-chronological approach to the cycle, his answer was amazing. A chronological approch, obviously, would give a listener a macroscopic vision of a entire evolutionary process - in short, from classical to romantic. Barenboim replied that he thought it was more important to display that evolution, to go through the journey, every single night. Interesting.

Tonight was definitely a perfect example. Barenboim misses a lot of notes, but usually it's only because he refuses to compromise drama with caution, which is respectable. Claude Frank always said there are two ways of approaching difficult passages:
1. Go for it and make it.
2. Go for it and miss it.
3. Use caution and make it.
4. Use caution and miss it.
Basically, if you're gonna miss the note, at least go for it. If not, you just look like a pansy.