"Intimacy is so important in music" • Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes • Living the Classical Life: Ep. 97

[@quaver1239]

Thank you very much, Zsolt Bognár. Leif Ove Andsnes is just as I thought he would be - thoughtful, reserved, modest - and, of course, a brilliant, generous musician.

[@richterkleiber]

Thank you so much-it was such a pleasure to meet and speak with him-I was inspired by his honesty and openness. Thanks for your feedback and for watching!

[@mickizurcher]

Your whole line of questioning not just with this musician but in all of your videos is very much my cup of tea and the production values that you’re now accomplishing are stunning and Norway has been a fantasy of mine for many many years even aside from music so this is just perfection for me!🎯😍

[@richterkleiber]

@@mickizurcher Your words truly make this incredible effort worth it--I'm really grateful to you not only for always being there with us but for sharing your encouragement along the say. I want to say THANK YOU

[@Living-the-Classical-Life]

Thanks for watching!

[@mickizurcher]

The thing is is that even if you can learn something in a year and a half to where you feel like you could perform publicly you keep playing that piece for another year and it’s a different piece and you play it in five years you’re a different person and it’s a different piece, so it does it keeps changing and we chase it. As long as we don’t chastise ourselves it’s ok. it’s also very good to hear that he puts pieces down, we need to hear that from people the first time I got to the point where I couldn’t get any further with the revolutionary étude, I couldn’t let it go because I had never Heard of that concept nor let anything go before because I didn’t trust myself and it was a revelation to let some things go and it brings me to tears even to talk about it! The revolutionary étude was the first Chopin I really ever studied after a 50 year break I started taking lessons again and playing scales and found a teacher who didn’t want to listen to the scales he said just pick up an étude try the revolutionary étude and I took off. I regret not having any kind of support when I studied as a young person because I feel like I could’ve become a professional in this field and now my approach is almost frantic because I feel the pressure of my age and of time. Thank you For this beautiful interview!

[@richterkleiber]

Thanks so much for sharing this--very moving--everything you describes resonates, and is really the reason I try to share these stories with anybody who watches~

[@gretareinarsson7461]

Brilliant interview with one of the greatest pianist of his generation and our times. I’ve followed him since his first recording and love every single one - on different levels though. I connect very deeply with love of nature of his country. Coming from a different nordic country - Iceland - I feel that there is a special power in the north.

[@Living-the-Classical-Life]

We are so grateful to hear from you and that you connected on such a deep level with this episode!! Thank you so so much!

[@cndeboo]

Fascinating interview with an amazing artist. Great job by Zsolt as well, who shows great respect for his guests and asks very interesting questions.

[@Living-the-Classical-Life]

Deeply touched by your words-and grateful for your support-zsolt ✨🙏

[@m.a.3322]

Another absolutely incredible interview - thank you so much for this!

[@Living-the-Classical-Life]

Truly grateful for all your incredible support!! -zsolt

[@CharlesProoth]

I am glad that he understands that playing a little more slowly gives me a little more time to listen and appreciate the music. I wish that more pianists were as wise.

[@Living-the-Classical-Life]

That was a great moment, wasn't it? I so appreciated some of the more deliberate tempi of pianists like Richter for example, because they gave us time to listen and let it sink in. Thanks for watching! -zsolt

[@CharlesProoth]

@@Living-the-Classical-Life I sent you a message in Facebook.

[@veramckenna8365]

Wonderful interview.. A Nature lover and a musician is such beautiful connection.

[@mijuka]

Mr. Zsolt Bognar - Thank you so much for this wonderful interview with Lief Ove Andsnes, one of my favorite pianists. I enjoyed watching it. I feel privileged and glad I am going to attend Rosendal Music Festival in August 2024. It will be a life experience for me.

[@Janaceks_Dad]

Love your interviewing style...it's a gift...I would have love to hear you interview Martha and Alicia (too late now).

[@Living-the-Classical-Life]

Thanks so much for this meaningful and touching feedback! Martha-we’ve been speaking with her about the idea; so far scheduling has been the tricky thing. Alicia-that would have been a dream… I heard her in my hometown of Urbana Illinois in 1996 ✨ -zsolt

[@Janaceks_Dad]

@Classical-Life By 1996, de Larrocha's best playing was behind her as age settled in...I just adore her above everyone. But I hope you do get to interview Argerich; caught in the right moment I think you're style of interviewing artists would get her to open up...for example, I'd love to know the real reason she refuses to play solo recitals...what I've read makes no sense

[@kuwatetsu]

Thank you

[@veramckenna8365]

I ❤️ the 🎶 that you make.

[@staffanolofsson8201]

Another of these fascinating "Living the Classical Life"! Period instruments or not, it is always interesting to come inside great musicians minds and thoughts about music.

[@Living-the-Classical-Life]

Really grateful to have your feedback--thanks for watching! -zsolt

[@skye6943]

I am so happy, your interviews are back on YT !

[@richterkleiber]

Thank you so much!! Yes, on this new channel with a new production company based in Munich. We are so glad to have your support!

[@WarinPartita6]

Wonderful​ interview.​ Thanks.​

[@richterkleiber]

So glad you enjoyed this one! There are some exciting releases coming up, each Friday~

[@Living-the-Classical-Life]

Thank you for watching!

[@jorgeazamora73]

Wonderful Episode, Zsolt! It is incredible how such intimate and open conversation happens. I greatly enjoyed it. I can still clearly remember his performance of Grieg concerto with Cleveland Orchestra in the fall of 1998. Interesting to realize this was at the beginning of the major carreer he has built.

[@Living-the-Classical-Life]

So wonderful to hear from you Jorge! I'm so so happy that you liked it--that performance you mentioned--ah that was two years before I came to Cleveland but later I heard his performance in Severance Hall of Rachmaninoff 3. Yes, the 90s would have been super early on in his development! He's such a great guy. Hope you're well! -zsolt

[@hermodnitter3902]

Thank you for this wonderful interview. I've had the pleasure of hearing several concert performances by Leif Ove, and I will never forget his Rach 4 with the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. His interpretation of that piece blew me away. Even several years later that feeling still lives inside me, and from that day the fourth concerto became one of my absolute favorites!

[@Living-the-Classical-Life]

Yes he's amazing--I wish I had heard his Rach 4--I love how honest and refined his playing is--thanks so much for watching and writing to us! -zsolt

[@hermodnitter3902]

@@Living-the-Classical-Life true, I feel he plays with clarity and openness (and I guess that is much the same words as refined and honest, as you put it), so we are in very much agreement there! It is also interesting to see how he develops with time, and I got to admit, the extremely energetic young Andsnes is also very interesting to listen to, for example his Chopin Sonata no.3 here on youtube is a must to watch, played when he was 21. One of the best I ever heard! Also, thanks for replying! :)

[@Living-the-Classical-Life]

@@hermodnitter3902 Looking forward to keeping in touch!

[@OsvaldoGold]

I’m so happy you are back with new episodes. What a great series.

[@Living-the-Classical-Life]

Your comment makes us so happy--it was a long period that we were away and we had to restructure, but we are convinced to take it to the next level in moving forward! Thanks so much for your supportive words--zsolt

[@wongwingsee]

Thank you for the beautiful interview! ♥️

[@richterkleiber]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@Living-the-Classical-Life]

Thanks for watching!

[@lowe7471]

My first ever classical music concert was with LOA and the St. Louis Symph. Orch. playing Rachmaninov 3 in 1998. Great, great concert and left an immediate impression. It is always interesting to hear these performers discuss self-doubt and then pushing through to the next level of accomplishment. Great interview.

[@Living-the-Classical-Life]

We are so grateful to have these words of feedback from you--this film was so much work to put together and they were long exhausting days for us including the travel, filming with the team, and the editing--yet it is words like yours that make this all worth doing--thank you. -Zsolt

[@mickizurcher]

Re: Fast learners? Yuja Wang.

[@Living-the-Classical-Life]

Indeed she's astonishingly fast with learning--I also have rarely witnessed anybody faster with absorbing notes than Daniil. Although I wish I had that ability myself, I do enjoy living with the notes longer since I'm slower--zsolt

[@johndean4765]

Sorry but yuja has not the emotional feel to play certain great classics even though she's a great talent.

[@mickizurcher]

It’s really hard to understand who he’s talking about for instance at 34:20 he’s talking about a musician who is it Andre? and some thing about playing spontaneous and I can’t get it

[@richterkleiber]

This is about the amazing Hungarian pianist Géza Anda--check out his Bartók concerti