Why are 20th century pianists so...different?

[rubinsteinmad]

Why does it seem that so many pianists would be frowned upon by our society?
I mean, so many of the great pianists of the 20th century were LGBT or adulterers.

Does the piano play a role in this?

[dcstudio]

so many female performers are adulteresses?  to whom are you referring exactly? lol   and all LBGTs are pretty much frowned on by society...whether or not they play the piano is not even a variable.

we are obsessive crazy people who sit in a room sometimes 12 hours a day and plunk away on the piano.   We are sometimes socially inept because we get along better with dead composers than living beings.  We can be financial retards... The fact that we can play usually makes society a bit more forgiving of our shortcomings though... at least that's been my experience.

[rubinsteinmad]

I was referring to Martha Argerich..
(I wouldnt consider her an adulterer, but Jesus told the Pharisees that people who remarry after divorce are adulterers.)

[swagmaster420x]

This trend also occurs with singers/actors/actresses (I can't think of a single one who has been married that hasn't also divorced). Also gays dominate show biz

Because to be an interpretative artist often involves taking certain liberties (in the process certain prescribed "moral" boundaries may be crossed)

[rubinsteinmad]

Rubinstein was an adulterer...

[dcstudio]

I was referring to Martha Argerich..
(I wouldnt consider her an adulterer, but Jesus told the Pharisees that people who remarry after divorce are adulterers.)

I really don't get what you are asking here...   that definition of adultery is archaic.

your question is about why great pianists of the 20th century would not be accepted by our society.

So unless you live in one of those religious compounds where you can't cut your hair and you have to make your own shoes--re-marrying after divorce does not really qualify as adultery in modern society.  

 Tiger Woods and President Clinton, are pretty strong arguments for society being very forgiving of philanderers or adulterers.. and these guys don't even play.

Liberace... though he never actually said.. "Good Evening... I'm Liberace and I'm gay.."  -- geez...  he really didn't have to..  that was pretty obvious...   and society LOVED him...  it was only the classical piano community that gave him no respect...  

your question really seems to be why are pianists "weird"....   to which I reply..  "that's just the way it is." 

[yewtree]

 


I am not aware that great pianists are frowned upon.

To me, if a world class pianist produces great works , then he is worthy of our admiration regardless of his personal life.