‘It was very scary’ - Maria João Pires on THAT viral wrong concerto! | Classic FM

[@jbbevan]

Over 60 years ago, Rubinstein came to Salt Lake City to play a concerto with the Utah Symphony & Abravanel. They were in rehearsal, only. The orchestra started and Rubinstein entered appropriately and they ran through the entire first movement without a break. At the end of the movement Rubinstein asked if he could say something....well, of course. He related that his contract had indicated that he would be playing thee Beethoven 1st concerto....but the orchestra played the Brahms 1st concerto which he had not prepared for this performance which, in the Salt Lake Tabernacle would be an audience of 6,500 people. Fortunately, Rubinstein's 2nd favorite composer after Chopin was Brahms so when the performance came the next evening, nobody knew what had happened. I only knew because my teacher played in the viola section and related the story.

[@da96103]

"And therefore I would like to ask for payment for the Brahms 1st concerto practice that I accompanied as the soloist."

[@suremate]

Rubinstein was one of those pianists with a freak memory. The Brahms D minor was also his favourite concerto so it doesn’t surprise me that he could play without issues.

[@EspeonVI]

Astonishing! Rubinstein is truly a legend!

[@lyolevrich]

it's not about memory I think...it's about to be a Giant!!🤭🤭@@suremate

[@jbbevan]

@@EspeonVI By his recordings Rubinstein taught me most of the piano repertoire that I know. There are other pianists I love, but Artur had one of the broadest repertoires and, compared to his contemporary, Horowitz, his concerto repertoire was much broader. When I was 2 years old my Dad had a 78 of him playing the Ritual Fire Dance...which may be the first piano piece I ever heard (1946).

[@ananascimento8434]

From a Portuguese woman who is a fan of classical music (though still have a LOT to learn), this is not a surprise. Maria João Pires is a national treasure. Thank you for your unique talent, professionalism and devotion to Art.

[@williamevans9426]

Dona Maria Pires is an incredible - and an extraordinarily modest - pianist! Brava!

[@mrs.m4002]

It was, literally, a waking version of the nightmare we've all had: the test for which you've never studied, the speech for which you have no words, the performance for which you have no costume. After going through this experience, what can you be afraid of anymore???

[@BaroquePearl419]

I literally just had that dream last night 😮😮😮

[@arodvaz1528]

If something like that happens to you, remember that you are not a blank slate. You have experiences and memories and you must draw from them to make up for what you don't have. It takes courage but it isn't impossible.

[@heidialina]

Exactly!

[@seanonel]

Whenever I listen to Classic FM here in the UK, this hostess (sadly I don't know her name, but her voice is instantly recognisable) always sounds as if she's smiling with every sentence she speaks. It's a joy to listen to...

[@brankajosilo-perry8889]

Joanna Gosling

[@williamevans9426]

Joanna Gosling?

[@pianoronald]

What a lovely lady Maria is!

[@shamsshams20261]

She was brilliant and the conductor was instrumental in giving her that moment of security and positivity. Thank you for this enterview.

[@candidacarino669]

It was not the concerto she was expecting to play. But Pires miraculously played it (Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20) without missing a single note. She played it with sheer, breathtaking musicianship ❤❤❤❤❤! Thank you to @ Classic FM for sharing ❤😊.

[@heron6462]

What I'd like to know is how they worked out which repeats to play in the first movement once the concerto had started!

[@danawinsor1380]

@@heron6462 I was intriqued by your comment so I had to look up the score on IMSLP. As it turns out, there are no repeats in either the 1st or 3rd movements, however there are a couple of repeats in the 2nd movement.

[@heron6462]

@@danawinsor1380 Well, that was lucky! I sometimes page-turn at concerts and it's very important to arrange these kinds of details in advance.

[@danawinsor1380]

@@heron6462 Most people don't realize how difficult page turning can be! Turning the page at precisely the right moment means one must constantly follow the score. The keyboardist should not have to indicate when to turn, although there are times when it is necessary.

[@marianalaeger435]

Maria is an extraordinary person in herself, and that was very visible at this funny event. A gift for us who let the chance of fear stop us from doing it.

[@chivalrouslee]

" I accepted" so simple yet wise.

[@butterbee_bb]

What Maria described is called mindfulness. It’s the choice of actively being in the moment, being aware of your surroundings, and being a non-judgmental observer of yourself. I’ve learned about it in therapy and it has helped me get through a lot, and it’s awesome to see an example of it working in real life. Loved the interview, thank you for sharing

[@dlozada1]

Remembering a full concerto after not having played a note of it in 10 months - no average-memories pianist will be able to do that. I wish they would this question to most of the worlds top pianist to confirm the exceptionality of this achievement by Maria Joao Pires.

[@dot8209]

perhaps she meant average memory for a world-class concert pianist

[@trevorguy63]

I wish the host asked Pires about her thoughts during the performance, not just the before and the after. Were there memory slips? Was she able to recover well? Did she try to do anything in particular using her analytical memory or did she just leave it to muscle memory? Were there any exchanges between her and the conductor between the movements? These would have been great questions.

[@balisaani]

She played the piece perfectly, so there was no need to ask those great questions.

[@sungminblades9963]

I saw her performance in person, I have seen many wonderful pianist. But she touches our heart most. Speechless.❤

[@joyceyang6976]

So much wisdom in Maria’s words, she’s amazing, thank you~ 👍👏💕

[@plebcrabslayer]

The start of the concerto plods on so morosely that not only does it accentuate her feelings of panic and anxiety and fear, but the two combine to bring out of her one of the most poignantly resolute and perfect phrases ever recorded on the piano.

[@prometheusrex1]

I guess maybe. But my hunch is that a blind comparative test of aficionados of the Mozart D Minor Concerto played by numerous artists would not show that this particular recording was somehow "one of the most poignantly resolute and perfect phrases ever recorded on the piano." No, it would simply show that she played the phrases as well as any other, and not that her performance was superlative or miraculous as you claim.

[@connypiano5038]

What a wonderful person, what a great artist!

[@jamesboswell9324]

A delightful conversation.with one of my very favourite musicians.

[@lawrencemartin1113]

What a totally lovely lady. Such a talent and so wonderfully down to earth and eloquent. I loved your interview. Great questions and empathy. Oh, and a fab cardigan btw!! 😊Thank you.

[@lucesainte-marie9017]

What a radiant interview. Thank you.

[@elsaesteves]

I can't even imagine 😮😮😮 you get to a concert hall with 2.000 people looking at you and then the orchestra starts playing something you're not prepared to... 😮 it's stressful enough playing the right concerto 😳 imagine the horror of playing the 'wrong' one, the one you didn't rehearse 😮... anyway I've heard you live many times in Lisbon, you excelled at every single performance. Your Chopin is sublime, the 3rd sonata rendition is an absolute perfection ❤ 🌷🌷

[@esheana8255]

So inspired by this! Thanks for posting!!

[@VinylBliss]

Just incredible, so inspiring. A true professional backed up with extreme talent.

[@auntjess]

Thanks for sharing this interview! Most of us are terrified to perform on stage (for anything!), and for an amazing professional pianist who is so experience with performing still also share she still feels she is not a stage person and still feel the stress of performing is so encouraging for us too that it is constant practice even to get used to the stage... Thank you for being so open, vulnerable and amazing! This is such a great masterclass!

[@joyanngoddard2033]

A brilliant interview which explains so much about the connection between the body and the mind in performance and the way focus works when performing. I am sure ballet dancers would resonate with all she said about the connection with yourself in performance as well as with the audience. Thank you for posting this.

[@catiarodrigues8492]

Accept, and the fear will go away. Then, you re-gain you power.

[@JessMartinSydney]

Thank you for this interview! ❤❤❤

[@jonrutherford6852]

When I saw the viral video, my heart went out to Ms. Pires and she instantly became a hero in my estimation. In the '50s I played two or three obligatory piano recitals and did not enjoy one moment of public performance. I also massacred a Bartók piece, which embarrasses me to this day. I can't begin to imagine what this fine artist felt, but I have a vague idea. Brava, Maria João Pires!

[@eytonshalomsandiego]

i cant play a children's piece in public without making mistakes out of nerves, its always great to hear these top top professionals like MJP describing the challenges of being on stage....even though she describes it as of responsibility, not the stage or crowd.

[@cloudrouju526]

I love Maria. She is so genuine and academic! She embodies the essence of classical music. I really wish she lives nearby for my daughter to take lessons from! She may not be the most well known pianist but she's definitely one of the best, and hands down my personal most favor! I just love her!

[@ZotVanBelgie-jn7oz]

I've seen it ... yeah this was absolutely incredible ... can we just all acknowledge what a hero Maria Joao Pires was back then. There is no way in the world I could have done this. There is an other reason imo why this was so amazing. The piano concerto's from Mozart are THE most well balanced compositions EVER, it's all about balance and then for Maria this peace and balance was totally gone , a total shock ... so she created and transformed chaos again into balance. respect

[@ChericeGraham]

Amazing! Despite what another commenter claimed, nothing by Mozart is "easy" because it is so balanced and transparent.

[@I-talk-about-tough-topics]

Oh!!! I attended a concert by her in Amsterdam, but that was in the 1980s. I was so fortunate.

[@I-talk-about-tough-topics]

I just found the longer bit of video, where she actually starts playing. ❤ That's mastery. That's excelling at and loving what you do. (And yet, us ordinary folks keep getting told to find and stick with dreadful dreary office jobs and will never know what it's like to enjoy mastery and enjoy what you do )

[@freshname]

What a wise person she is!

[@wagabondpickles6183]

You look well, Maria! ❤ We missed you in Eindhoven this year and were worried for you when you cancelled. Keep making music and come back soon 😊

[@alexkuamoo3874]

She thinks she has an average memory and that she is not brave?!?! She seems superhuman to me, I hope she knows how extraordinary she is.

[@richardshelton7020]

Delightful interview ❤

[@francoriva55]

We love you Maria . From Bellagio Italy, near to Liszt' s house , 1837.. Franco

[@djperry211]

Well done Joanna. Great interview on a very sensitive issue. Come back on the BBC! Their loss.

[@elysantos5297]

This pianist is so beautiful in all senses ❤❤

[@tvanya]

Oh I love you. I am 97, and you remind me of my mother playing and me under the piano, putting my head up between the boards to hear more.

[@garriemcneill3246]

Amazing Musician! I’ve had the pleasure of listening to Maria Perform in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Hope you come back to Scotland soon 🙌👏❤

[@eytonshalomsandiego]

one of my fav 4, 3 living, Radu Lupu , MJP, Beatrice Berrut, Alexandra Dovgan

[@mikaparedes1128]

Just amazing. Shes a legend. What a really truly amazing one and only virtuous Marie!

[@jkbc]

10 months is a very long time to memorize a complicated music arrangement. I forgot what happened yesterday

[@Villanelle007]

Best comment 😂

[@Macvriendin]

For educational purpose: KV (Köchelverzeichnis) is the catalogue of Mozarts compositions made by Mister Ludwig von Köchel

[@Lucabythesea]

Thank you!

[@howard5992]

which we pronounce in English as similar to "Ker-kel"

[@shillanassi]

This was lovely. ❤ Thank you.

[@fredborges9797]

Maria João, você é um lindo ser humano! O lindo não se faz somente ou puramente pela sua estética,mas pela sua ética, pela sua moral, e estes elementos é que fazem uma das maiores intérpretes de todos os tempos! Num mundo tão hostil, necessitamos de aceitação, de flexibilidade, dinâmicas da vida, a vida é mais bela pois existe em você Maria João a contemplação, a admiração, a beleza da música!

[@encarnamendezseara9719]

Totalmente de acuerdo.

[@rotsteineva]

That moment was EPIC!

[@Pooter-it4yg]

Pires: I was expecting the K488 and heard the orchestra starting the K466. How do you say that in English? Interviewer: You mean the Mozart Concerto... Well, er yes... Note please - performers from all countries refer to Mozart concertos by Kochel numbers, Beethoven sonatas by opus numbers, Schubert pieces by Deutsch numbers and so on. And as PIres says, concert performers rarely "learn" common repertoire pieces for performances, they prepare by refreshing their memory of pieces they already know. Not that it wouldn't have been a shock, but thankfully the K466 is pretty easy and automatic under the hands.

[@suryahitam3588]

To be fair, there are two possibilities. Either the interviewer actually has zero interest in classical music and got the job some other way, let's hope not, or she just did not know before the interview which concerto Pires had thought she was going to be playing. I did not find it that easy to understand Ms Pires English when she telling the interviewer about the concerts. So it could have been a simple misunderstanding on the interviewer's part.

[@Pooter-it4yg]

@@suryahitam3588 Fari enough but knowledge indicates interest and you'd expect a bit more of both from an interviewer from a prestigious publication. This felt a bit like someone asking where Magnus Carlson decides to put his horses...

[@herbiecactus6687]

Maria was simply hesitant to try to pronounce "Köchel" and the interviewer misunderstood.

[@scottw6704]

Yes this was really awkward and her attempt to help merely came out condescending...'yes, I'm referring to the Mozart piece' (wow, I helped her through that tough question!)

[@JessMartinSydney]

Either are so different in temperament. Massive contrast in the concerto.

[@jacquieviegas6082]

I think she underestimates her memory. All musicians who can memorize an entire concerto have exceptional memory!

[@SE013]

I think you underestimate how much work goes into retaining that memory. If only you knew how much Martha Argerich practices even though she looks absolutely effortless performing!

[@hxyjdn]

We want to see the full performance!

[@danielgloverpiano7693]

It’s on KZbin. I’ve seen it.

[@hxyjdn]

@@danielgloverpiano7693 But I can't find it, do you have link?

[@hxyjdn]

@@danielgloverpiano7693Do you still remember the title? Thank you very much!

[@danielgloverpiano7693]

@@hxyjdn i am looking for you; and haven’t found it yet; sorry. I will keep researching. It may have been taken down if it’s copyright protected.

[@daniellu4692]

absolutely NEED to get interviewers who know about classical music. Had to skip all the parts of her talking as she undermined all of what Pires articulated.

[@kael9664]

agree, I'm not even a musician but played piano and flute for many years and her lack of basic knowledge was annoying. there was a disconnect.

[@rightchordleadership]

Everyone’s a critic 🙄

[@jgregveneklasen2657]

@@rightchordleadership yes, but the interviewer was inept, too, appearing to have a lot of difficulty with Pires’ accent, so missing many of the subtleties of her comments. For a host of a classical music show, this was surprising.

[@daniellu4692]

@@rightchordleadership this is a comment section INTENDED to display viewers' opinions, so yes, I am expressing some criticism. Maybe our sentiments will help this channel provide a better viewing experience for yourself as well.

[@herbiecactus6687]

@@daniellu4692 I hope they know better than to read the comments....

[@enricomarconi8358]

she's a great musician I love her playing!

[@scepticalchymist]

I cannot imagine how it must have been to play a whole piece of music after thinking one could not do it, but once I had to give a reading of a text but the last part was from memory and I did it before a dozen times and this day I forgot the last part, at least I thought I did, and I knew I forgot it all the time during the reading, and I saw the end of the text coming closer all the time, and it stressed me out more and more, and then, when the last words were read and I had to deliver...the memory worked again...and no one noticed anything. But definitely I felt terribly exhausted after that experience.

[@James_Bowie]

Maria's a _real_ hero! 👍👍👍

[@eytonshalomsandiego]

She is average, or so she claims! One of a dozen reasons why we love her so much...

[@encarnamendezseara9719]

She is not an average pianist, just the opposite, and that is the reason why the interview is so great and what she said very moving.

[@TheChipMcDonald]

Not a concerto, but I was called on stage with a big introduction in a Beatles tribute band and the set order was a song off - and the band counted off a song I'd never played before. 2,000 seat theater, I relied on reflex and instinct to figure it out on the spot. I couldn't do that again, it's like a traumatic experience that burned out my trust to be able to do that on the spot again. I got through it, but I don't remember what the song was, I couldn't recall it the next day. The only thing worse would be the literal "onstage wearing just underwear nightmare".

[@afritimm]

Glenn Gould once performed the Beethoven 5th on one day’ notice, not having played it for 4 years. He did it by heart.

[@tost9000]

He really was a great vocalist. Didn't know there is a choir part in the 5th....

[@smike9884]

@@tost9000 There's definitely a piano part in the 5th piano concerto though.

[@afritimm]

@@tost9000 He was famous for his loud humming. I find it kind of charming.

[@catladyfromky4142]

@smike9884 Yeah, I think there are a couple of those little piano parts in that concerto. LOL

[@kanjuro8926]

I still have nightmares about my childhood auditions, so playing a real concert 11 months after the last rehearsal I don't even want to think of it !

[@_lifeofian]

My favorite interpretation of the moonlight sonata is by Pires.

[@scottw6704]

1:46 slightly awkward...Maria is trying to say she got mixed up on the different Koechel numbers of Mozart concerti and the interviewer says, helpfully..."yes, the Mozart concerto..." Bless her heart.

[@nickhickson8738]

Probably doesn't realise there are 27 of them!

[@JessMartinSydney]

Yes, which one? 20 or 23 🙄 The interviewer wasn’t that knowledgeable.

[@nicolafiorillo4048]

"Yes, it was the piano concerto you were expecting" absolutely correct statement

[@feroxfatto]

Aside from the shared experience of being a classical music performer there is the drama of that particular piece which heightens the entire experience. The key of d minor is the most ominous and tragic of the keys. And Mozart’s concerto has built in this ominous consternation and anxiety in the opening. It was like a soundtrack for the specific moment and all of its panic. It is rife with the metaphor in humanity. I have never heard that opening played with more solemnity, surrender and life force. It activates the listener’s empathy and support for Ms. Pires to an almost unbearable level. It is a true communal moment.

[@rjkbuny]

The host herself also seems really lovely.

[@hamsterdiving7593]

Wow. My only waking nightmare was going to my graphic design class in college not realizing that the midterm was that day. I got the date wrong, and was not prepared. That pales totally in comparison to this... 😳

[@HarFin123]

She’s so modest. And she was very beautiful back then.

[@sterlinglewis5700]

She still is.

[@mendezviolin]

Shoutout to the unsung hero: the long opening tutti that allowed Maria to masterfully get in the zone! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@contraitaly7800]

She must have recognised the terrifying situation immediately, the 466 concert is one of two Mozart concerts in a minor key.

[@wheresmycoffeeineededit3639]

What a legend

[@kellypaws]

What an amazing lady.

[@saravieira90]

She is NOT average but because she thinks she is it makes her extraordinary :)

[@MayimHastings]

What a beautiful, empowering soul Maria is! I really needed this message today, thank you! 🤍🙏🕊

[@AT-ox9np]

This is literally the nightmare l have whenever l am stressed.

[@shirleyw8720]

I used to work as a lawyer, and I have a recurring nightmare about being about to start in court but not having prepared the case 😱

[@Forestier1]

So you’re a concert pianist?

[@da__lang]

I've had this nightmare, too.

[@josefschiltz2192]

That's just extraordinary.

[@yiyisun4607]

The great Maria Joao Pires, the empress of the piano. She can do anything on the piano.

[@eugenievanzyl]

You are a beautiful person - inside out!

[@richpatrizi3607]

This happened to Lili Kraus in a concert with the Reading Symphony. Part way through she stopped the conductor to examine the score. She simply said “Don’t lose the magic!” Then she briefly examined the score, sat down and played the rest of the Mozart concerto without issue. It was amazing.

[@vic.antonella]

It's not the same about the conductor attitude and the soloist situation , that question is a bit irrelevant.... Of course the conductor was confident about him, but it was really unsettling (to say the least) for Maria.... Not everyone could've done it and pretend nothing's happening... I admire her so much more now ❤

[@jerrybobteasdale]

What a charming woman.

[@christopherhug4633]

She had me until she said "I have a normal memory" - I think that's incorrect! Fantastic pianist and performer, with a fantastic memory.

[@ronl7131]

Wonderful Artist & interview. A real pro. If performance is easy, everyone could do it. Lovely Woman Artist

[@susank7388]

Would love to know where the cardigan came from!

[@jgesselberty]

Big mistake to simply identify the work by KV numbers. The number of the concerto and key signature would have helped this lady.

[@traceyedson9652]

Such a call from the orchestra’s administrator would have been made in a bit of a panic itself.

[@EduardoBrunoMViana]

What a lesson 😍

[@jonb4020]

Thank you for the interview - most interesting. Perhaps you could also provide a link to the video of the performance, if possible?. 🙂

[@sandramosley2801]

You will find a video on the KZbin account Kees de Jong, entitled “Maria Joao Peres expecting another Mozart concerto”. I felt panicked 😮 just watching it, even though I knew she eventually managed very well.

[@jonb4020]

@@sandramosley2801 Thank you Sandra!. Kind regards from Yorkshire. 😊

[@Scrungge]

Amazing lady

[@danielgloverpiano7693]

She should now travel with an iPad. You can have your entire repertoire at your fingertips, and she could have used her score on the spot. I would have stopped the orchestra and gone offstage and gotten my iPad in that situation. It would have saved the day. I found it odd that she didn’t even have the score of 488 in the piano while rehearsing. I always use my score in rehearsals because conductors stop and start at certain rehearsal letters or number. Maybe since it was a live audience there was no intention to stop and start?

[@acousticsong-guitarco964]

A general rehearsal is like if you’d do it before a public. It’s the ultimate test to check all is OK. Secondly what saved the day was the fact she’s a great piano player and all came out well.

[@Amos_Oz]

I can't quite understand it all. Are such concerts played without prior rehearsal?

[@tomclarkson2826]

She said she was asked to perform just the dark before, there may not have been time or opportunity for a rehearsal.

[@Music_RTV]

It was the reharsal. She said it at the beginning. 1:02 A rehearsal open to the audience.

[@jessicalin1521]

Yes it was a general rehearsal that's supposed to happen before the concert series

[@herbiecactus6687]

Putting together comments here and elsewhere this was sort of a public lunchtime dress rehearsal. Sort of a concert, sort of not.

[@nightmisterio]

I once started singing the wrong song as a band was starting to play 😅

[@TheForceHungerGames]

What do we learn? That even professionals are bad at communication. Always check agreements in writing, even if it is in WhatsApp or email. As a 30-year experienced psychologist, I am amazed at how poorly people communicate. Speaking as well as in writing (especially marketing de non communication and deception and concealment of facts). Now we only talk about the young people. But the elderly are already terrible. So that's how serious the social and communication damage is among young people...

[@Hah_deyhhb]

I think if Mozart heard this he would burst in laughter😂

[@sanjosemike3137]

At his competition at the Tchaikovsky Competition, Pianist Tianxu An was expecting to play the Tchaikovsky First Concerto, but the orchestra started out with the Rachmaninoff Variations. He was (obviously shocked). He played the Rachmaninoff Variations, probably beautifully. Some people thought it was a "deliberate" sabotage. It was investigated and an orchestra employee caused it. This was inexcusable and he lost the competition to another artist. He was given a chance to repeat the performance but rejected that opportunity. I hope he has a wonderful career. I am a retired surgeon. If somebody changed the procedure, I was going to be doing on the spot it would be no problem. However, I don't think my skills as a pianist would be able to recover on a challenge like this. Sanjosemike (no longer in CA)

[@fabrizfabriz2512]

Obrigado.

[@techtirade5183]

I’m nervous enough playing my own music sometimes for shows.

[@mymanjosquin]

It helps that she is an extremely intelligent person.

[@SE013]

Who is this interviewer? I'm sorry but she is clueless and completely unqualified to do this interview. She does not seem to recognize that K488 and K466 are both Mozart's compositions, and seems to miss just about every single point that Pires carefully makes, such as the part about mental and muscle memory working together (the interviewer summarizes inaccurately that "it's there in the muscle memory"). Very frustrating, and Classic FM should get interviewers who actually love and know classical music to interview such a great artist, but nice to see how patient and delightful Pires is despite that.

[@rightchordleadership]

Everyone’s a critic 🙄 She did fine

[@heatherduke7703]

I also thought it was odd that she didn’t seem to understand that the pianist was saying she prepared the wrong Mozart concerto. Like she wasn’t familiar at all with the cataloguing system

[@KeisonMibute]

OMG Worst nightmare ever. Doing musicals was sight reading every night, but I’m in the pit… no one sees me.

[@pobinr]

Why didn't they play some of it?

[@ciararespect4296]

This reminds so much of my experience I was due to play the Prokofiev concerto number 2 I had sat down at the piano in Carnegie and the orchestra started playing Liszt piano concerto no1 😮 luckily I knew that concerto and started playing it The recital was a roaring success and nobody was none the wiser except myself 😂

[@chavruta2000]

This happened to me once, at a rehearsal though.

[@seansamuels7131]

I'd've dropped stone-cold dead with panic and embarrassment. Stoked out! 🤣She has nerves of pure titanium. Kudos to her!!

[@martinmysteres1384]

There's a lot of drama surrounding that performance but Pires knew that concerto by heart, obviously. Was she unsettled ? There is no question. But she is a professional pianist who had rehearsed and played that specific piece dozens, if not hundreds, of times. It took Vladimir Horowitz more than 30 years to forget his own transcription of The Star and Stripes Forever. Yet, when asked, out of the blue, he was still able to play some passages. 30 years !