Quotes

Quote 223 of 521

TJ: You caution your students to not become overly involved in the
beauty of the music, to not lose control their emotions. Why?

BG: I have to be careful how I explain this to my students. Of course,
you must be emotionally involved in the music, but there is a limit.
You don't want to start crying while you play. If you show that much
emotion, you take it away from your audience. Your goal is to get the
audience members to feel these emotions, not for you to distract them
with your own display of feelings. There have been times when I have
been extremely successful in creating a beautiful phrase, and I have
seen people take out a handkerchief to wipe a tear away, which is a
tremendous compliment. But it's enormously difficult to be overly
expressive if you let your own emotions go, since you also lose
technical control. You tend to lose your audience too, since they can
be repelled by such displays.

Conversation with Bernard Greenhouse,
		   http://www.cello.org/Newsletter/Articles/greenhouse.htm

Tags: audiencemembers handkerchief compliment emotions emotion bg feelings phrase music