# Playing the composer's cadenza



## Aurelian (Sep 9, 2011)

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...and-hlne-grimaud-split-over-solo-2331389.html

Grimaud wanted to play Busoni's cadenza for Mozart's 19th Piano Concerto, but Abbado wanted her to play Mozart's.

What do you think?


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

I would be seriously pissed off at the place of those poor geezers who bought tickets - Mitsuko Uchida instead of Grimaud? But it's natural, artistic disagreement - it happens and there is noone to blame, if they both belived that they had the right idea of how it should be done?

Surprised to read that Abbado is 78-year-old already, I thought he was bit younger


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## Taneyev (Jan 19, 2009)

And what the hell had Abbado to opine what cadenza should she play? She's the one who play, and has all the right to play what she want. When Abbado played that concert, he could play what he want. IMO it's a very stupid and arbitrary pretention.


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## Ravellian (Aug 17, 2009)

I wish everybody would improvise Mozart's concerto cadenzas in the classical style, as it's _supposed_ to be done.

And play on a fortepiano.

And wear a wig.


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## Rasa (Apr 23, 2009)

I feel it's entirely up to the soloist. 

But then again, it's entirely up to the artistic director which soloists he wants to work with. I can only comment that it's wrong to go back on commitments.


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

I'm with our Argentine buddy here...I think it's okay for a conductor to suggest what he/she feels would be best suited or even what they prefer but it should ultimately be the performer's choice as to which cadenza to play...I couldn't open the link so I don't know exactly what happened with that but I know if I had some conductor breathing down my neck to play one instead of the other...come time to it, I'd play a completely different cadenza altogether...play some jazz breakdown or something and make sure the orchestra has the proper cue to come back together and close it off. 

Oh, and like Ravellian up there...I'd wear a wig.


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## World Violist (May 31, 2007)

I don't think playing the composer's cadenza is necessary unless the composer wrote the cadenza for a specific reason, i.e. the Sibelius or Mendelssohn violin concerti, in which the cadenzas by the composers serve a structural purpose. I once saw Joshua Bell on a Mostly Mozart TV broadcast perform the Mendelssohn concerto, in which he made his own cadenza, and it was truly horrible purely because it undermined the entire feel of the piece.

Mozart, Brahms, Haydn, etc...I couldn't care less whose cadenza they play. It must be up to the performer, because THAT was the composer's intention. And that's the end of the issue, as far as I'm concerned.


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## Orange Soda King (Sep 14, 2010)

In that case, I don't care about which cadenza is played. What aggravates me is that she is the performer.


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## Rasa (Apr 23, 2009)

Orange Soda King said:


> In that case, I don't care about which cadenza is played. What aggravates me is that she is the performer.


I've seen here live twice now, last year in a solo recital and last week in Brahms 1, and she is the best I've heard. Her performances are truly magical each time.


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## Taneyev (Jan 19, 2009)

I heard once Schnitke cadenza for LvB v.c. It's the most awful **** I ever heard. He mix fragments of different pieces, some jazz and more. Any relation with the concerto is an accident. Only reasons I can think of for such a crap are: 1) he hate the work; 2) he hate violinists, 3) he was drunk, 4) he was mad.


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