People hate him since he is not a very nice person and his ego is huge as well.
Hmmm, I think this is the type of argument where there would have to be a long disclaimer by anyone to justify his opinion!
It's easy to conceive superficial hate for a person who has some outstanding quality, but from the scraps of information I have had, he seems to be a very VERY shy person, who is actually rather humble about his playing, for instance, not boasting about technique, but saying how he still lacks the courage for Bach. I absolutely adore his young interpretation of Chopin, and here's a link to something more recent wich shows him in a very good light:
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I have read a type of biography about him too, and it seems to me that he got a condensed "life" in his first twelve years, and now does too much playing to actually be able to express emotions with relevant experience of life. He reads a lot of literature and takes solitary walks, and from there you can't really gain a first-hand knowledge of feelings in certain situations. It would certainly do him good to get out of his sheltered atmosphere for a few months at least, but then he wouldn't be left in peace either. He could very possibly have Asperger syndrome, a type of "genius" autism, which leads him to develop such amazing technique, but I think that most mental illness is just an extended form of extreme psycological characteristics.
It is certainly easy to say he is arrogant because he displays his technique without reserve, but then, that is after all (almost unfortunately!) what most audiences want! Pianists with real "greatness" come from a background where they have lived a life in another composer's skin almost, or at leasr have gained information on how they lived. I think he does this well with Chopin, but as to other composers, he seem rather restricted. In my view one truly great pianist is Badura-Skoda, because he is now able to transmit his understanding to others. In that sense it is right to say that Kissin is "ordinary", because he can't relate to people on another level than the musical. It is the only domain on which he receives understanding, and I believe this is where others get angry at his monopolisation of it! The fact that so many good musicians are around who don't get credit because of a technique which is not awe-inspiring in virtuosity and remarkable flexibility is a very good demonstration of this.
So much said, he is a great entertainer, and certainly knows how to impress with his flying fingers, his weird hair, his funny speech..... I admire him for the qualities he has, but don't envy him because he has achievements particularly in that area. Most people lead our lives in a completely different way, and it is not for us to judge the way another person perceives the world from our restricted point of view. I know that I have other areas of interest that can compensate, in a certain way, for the fact that I don't play with world-renowned orchestras at the age of 16!
I hope some of you will take the time to read this, over to you guys...
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Topic: evgeny kissin (Read 5902 times)