Krystian Zimerman's shocking Disney Hall debut

LA Times ^ | April 27, 2009 | Mark Swed

[dfwgator]

Midler got her start playing in gay bars in the early 1970s. Her nickname was ‘Bathhouse Betty’.

Her piano player back then was Barry Manilow.

[lizol]

“Get your hands off of my country,”

He meant Poland?????

What a nutjob!

Dont mind this clown, guys.

[Kozak]

Moia sraka prekrasnaya.

[Unlikely Hero]

Apparently Scriabin has some competition for craziest pianest ever.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

they don’t know how their bread and butter even gets to their plates.

But Katie bar the door if said bread and butter isn't exactly they way they feel it should be. The tantrum will be long and loud.

People like that are a waste of talent and breath.

[Borges]

I wonder how much of this is grandstanding. Zimerman recently said this would be his last U.S. tour because lugging his piano overseas was too much trouble.

[kayemmbee]

I wouldn’t be so quick to broad-stroke those assumptions... I happen to know (because I’m married to him) that the original post-er is not only a talented musician/artist, but also a card-carrying NRA member, and dedicated, freedom-loving fiscal and social conservative…

[isom35]

Richard Clayderman could kick this guy’s butt.

[DoughtyOne]

That’s an interesting observation. It’s also possible, he may be trying to get a lot of free publicity. I’m sure he’ll be even more of a darling for the lefties now.

Considering how people retire and unretire these days (even if it is just the part requiring travel to the US), it’s hard to take any of them serious.

[jammer]

The remarkable thing in the article wasn’t the announcement. It was the story of the moronic TSA destroying the Steinway because they didn’t like the smell of the glue.

[dirtymac]

It would still be under Nazi control. What a blithering idiot.

[ggrrrrr23456]

Yes - I thought that was a bit of a shocker too... thing is, TSA wouldn't have been hyper-sensitive to these sorts of things had 9/11 never occurred.

lol - I wonder who did the glue sniffing? Dogs? Humans? It would be interesting to find the original report on that antidote, if it's available.

[dirtymac]

He likes the money of capitalism from the U.S.
Just give him money so he can stay with his boyfriends.

[JimRed]

He probably got a seventeen minute standing O.

[longtermmemmory]

He was probably expecting GWBush to still be president.

He is just late to the party. (they will fix it in propaganda central editing)

[Dr.Zoidberg]

I dunno, emperor bammy isn’t exactly playing well across the water.

It is possible this pretentious boor didn’t know who was president, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

[QQQQ]

Bravo!!!;-))

[ItsForTheChildren]

Zimerman has had problems in the United States in recent years. He travels with his own Steinway piano, which he has altered himself. But shortly after 9/11, the instrument was confiscated at JFK Airport when he landed in New York to give a recital at Carnegie Hall. Thinking the glue smelled funny, the TSA decided to take no chances and destroyed the instrument. Since then he has shipped his pianos in parts, which he reassembles by hand after he lands. He also drives the truck himself when he carries his instrument from city to city over land, as he did after playing a recital in Berkeley on Friday.

You know, some people take this "artist" sh!t just a little too far.

[CougarGA7]

Whatever. There are plenty of very good pianists out there so I think we will survive without you.

[Norman Bates]

Pollini is a communist? Dang, and I got his autograph.