Biggest Jerk Pianist

[thalberg]

Which famous pianist do you think was the biggest jerk in real life?

(I'll vote perhaps Gould because he was arrogant and weird and sued Steinway for one of their employees tapping him on the shoulder.)

[daniloperusina]

Pogorelich for his first visit to the Steinway basement NY, entering, not even looking at their chief concert technician Franz Moor, and dropping his jacket on the floor, meaning 'pick it up..servant'

[opus10no2]

[mikey6]

Kissin seems like an arrogant prig, but dunno, could be........because......he can't..........talk.......at a .....normal......rate......

[invictious]

(I'll vote perhaps Gould because he was arrogant and weird and sued Steinway for one of their employees tapping him on the shoulder.)

He WHAT? Tell me about it

'lawl' at opus

[ramseytheii]

Who is this?  I think this picture is intended for people with dirty-sock fetish.  Such a thing exists!  A lot of male pop stars are trained to interact with the media in such a way that suggests neither hetero- nor homo-sexualism; that way they attract the most people as fans.  I think this picture is going a bit too far in trying to attract new fans amongst foot fetishists...?

Walter Ramsey

[thalberg]

He WHAT? Tell me about it

'lawl' at opus

Well, I've heard two versions of the story.  One is that a Steinway employee shook his hand.  The other is that the Steinway employee patted him on the shoulder.  It's in Franz Mohr's book ,"My Life With The Great Pianists."  Anyway, it was just a litttle pat--couldn't hurt a fly.  Gould claimed the employee had 'hurt' him, and sued, and WON, for something like $300,000 dollars (this was more than thirty years ago).  Steinway was mad at him.

Because they were mad at him, they didn't rebuild his piano properly years later, and he was devastated and played Yamahas for the end of his life.  I don't know why he chose Yamahas--I hate them.  Why not Bluthners or Steingrabers or Bechsteins or Masons?  So many better choices.

[thalberg]

Another funny one about Gould.

Barbra Streisand loved Gould, and he was a fan of hers.  Once she walked in on one of his recording sessions--Beethoven Emperor with Stokowski I think--and said she just wanted to say hi.  The two had never met.  He just stared at her in silence.  She finally said "I'm Barbra Streisand."  And he just said, "I know."

Hmph.....no wonder he never dated.

[daniloperusina]

And one more:

Gould was filming with Menuhin. They were supposed to play Shoenberg, and have 'impromptu discussions' about the piece while they were rehearsing. Only thing was that Gould was neuroticly obsessed about being in control, so he had made an exact script, including Menuhin's answers. Menuhin, tounge-in-cheek, decided to pull a prank and during the filming made a completely different answer, whereupon Gould's face make the most horrible twists of panic.

[jabbz]

Remember, Gould probably had autism or anyothersuch variant. This is even more probably considering the extent of the man genius. I personally don't much like DaWhale, or Lang Lang, but thats just me.

[ramseytheii]

Remember, Gould probably had autism or anyothersuch variant. This is even more probably considering the extent of the man genius. I personally don't much like DaWhale, or Lang Lang, but thats just me.

I can't ever see the description of jerk fitting a person who donated his entire estate, including decades of royalties, to the Humane Society.  Over-sensitive perhaps, in regards to the Steinway lawsuit.  And isn't Lang Lang one of the most friendly pianists?

I haven't yet met a famous pianist, who if they seem unpleasant, only puts on an outer shell of curmudgeondom, because they are approached by so many insipid people.

Walter Ramsey

[jabbz]

I imagine Lang Lang is probably very friendly, but I think musically he's a jerk. Amazing fingers however!

Gould was definitely over sensitive, but as you said, very generous.

[etudes]

I imagine Lang Lang is probably very friendly, but I think musically he's a jerk. Amazing fingers however!

Gould was definitely over sensitive, but as you said, very generous.

da DONGAH is very friendly....I can tell that,met him at several occasions and he was always friendly  even he was tired like pigs after prokofiev 3rd concerto

[jacobwynn]

Leonard Bernstein

A really horrible arrogant insulting (pardon-my-french).

[jakev2.0]

Gould was obsessive about his health. He apparently injured his spine as a child, and his parents were protective of him. The whole thing about him having Asperger's is completely  unproven/unprovable. Gould was a good soul.

[soliloquy]

Who is this?  I think this picture is intended for people with dirty-sock fetish.  Such a thing exists!  A lot of male pop stars are trained to interact with the media in such a way that suggests neither hetero- nor homo-sexualism; that way they attract the most people as fans.  I think this picture is going a bit too far in trying to attract new fans amongst foot fetishists...?

Walter Ramsey

It's mei-ting sun, and yes he's a douche.  Gotta look at Leslie Howard and Cyprien Katsaris for biggest *** pianists.

[houseofblackleaves]

lol.

I just saw Mei-Ting live at a music festival in Minneapolis not too long ago.  You can HEAR the arrogance in his playing!  It's SO GREAT.

Regardless, I think that being a ego-maniac is better than being a stiff-ego-maniac that spends his/her time enslaving government officials, conspiring against Aflak and prowling the streets eating children.

XD

[gerry]

lol.

Regardless, I think that being a ego-maniac is better than being a stiff-ego-maniac that spends his/her time enslaving government officials, conspiring against Aflak and prowling the streets eating children.

XD

 

[jakev2.0]

Keith Jarrett is a very unpleasant human being.

[pmz310]

I say Vladimir Horowitz haha

[communist]

mark f**sman

[mattgreenecomposer]

Ive heard Yefim Bronfman is a real douche, but man that guy can play!

[quasimodo]

I've heard Andras Schiff was a total ass...
He's also the pianist I dislike the most in Bach.

[learner of liszt]

Richard Kastle. End of story.

[healdie]

[quote author=thalberg link=topic=26169.msg298614#msg298614 date=1185659422

(I'll vote perhaps Gould because he was arrogant and weird and sued Steinway for one of their employees tapping him on the shoulder.)
[/quote]

I have Aspergers Syndrome and i am often considered by those around me to be selfish, arrogant and wierd and cannot abide poeple touching me it makes me physically angry, i was considered strange as a child when at nursery i would not let my mother hug me and when she did i would scream
i still won't

so if Gould di have Aspergers this could be a result of that