"Native advantage" in repertoire (e.g. Polish pianist playing Chopin)

[wnlqxod]

Whether it be a Polish pianist playing Chopin, an Italian pianist playing Scarlatti, or a Russian pianist playing Tchaikovsky or Rachmaninoff (just some examples ...),
do you believe that there exists "native advantage"?

On one hand, there is an undeniable authenticity about someone playing music written by a composer from the same country. On this note, Willhelm Kempff (i.e. NOT FREDDY KEMPF) playing Beethoven sounds very... "authentic". I can practically SEE Germany when he plays Beethoven.
(Yeah, I know, Beethoven technically has Dutch heritage, but the Netherlands is Germanic too, so let's move on. On this note, I acknowledge that Poland and Russia are both a predominantly Slavic area with some differences, kinda like how Ireland and Scotland are both Gaelic with some differences)

On another hand, mastery in music seems to truly transcend boundaries. I like Lisitsa the Ukranian's reckless, virtuostic Liszt. The Lim brothers are good too. Perahia the Jewish American also excels in many areas IMO.

I will admit, you need to take the pianist's education into account. For example, Claudio Arrau, while being a Latin American, received most of his musical education in Germany. The Lim brothers have Russian training.

[worov]

There is already a thread on this :

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php?topic=50396.0

[j_menz]

On one hand, there is an undeniable authenticity about someone playing music written by a composer from the same country.

Why only nationality? What about gender, sexuality, age, period, culture, education, social status.......

You're making too much of one element even if there is some merit in your basic premise. I'm not sure that there is, but your doing your case no favours.

[thalbergmad]

I must have an advantage with Sorabji, Finnissy and Ferneyhough then.

Thal

[j_menz]

I must have an advantage with Sorabji, Finnissy and Ferneyhough then.

Thal

Be grateful. Just image what they sound like to those of us not so advantaged.

[ppianista]

...do you believe that there exists "native advantage"?

This may be true for those composers who had the ambition to incorparate their "national character" into their music. This ambition usually finds expression in the use of folk music. And of course someone who is familiar with this kind of music will have an advantage in understanding and producing its specific tone and rhythm.

But apart from this, music is mostly an international language. Chopin e.g. didn't learn exclusively from Polish music, he also learned from Beethoven, Bach and other contemporary composers. So did Bartok, who used elements of Hungarian folk music abundantly indeed.

Personally, I don't really believe in a thing like a "national character" oder "spirit". It's more a question of local tradition and education.

So, though being German, I feel closer to Chopin than to Schubert or even to Schumann (whom I love). But on the other hand I have to confess that I find Mussorgsky very strange. I tried to study his "Pictures" once but couldn't get in touch with them; somehow there remains an emptiness between the notes that I can't fill up with my emotion or imagination. With Tchaikovsky it's different; I see many "schumannesque" traits in his piano music.

[thalbergmad]

Be grateful. Just image what they sound like to those of us not so advantaged.

Probably the same.

Thal