When you do as many interviews as professional musicians do, you tend to get many of the same questions, (Who's your favorite composer?), and your answers begin to be recited, rather than extemporaneous.It's unavoidable for those who travel to hundreds of cities, each with an eager Arts columnist, Public Radio announcer, or both waiting to speak with you.I expected much the same as I prepared for my interview with him, at least until I read some of his blog entries.Anyone whose blog is subtitled “the glamorous life and thoughts of a concert pianist” tells me his tongue is planted firmly in cheek. (That, and a blog post entitled “Joshua Bell Tour Trauma: Meatball Edition”).
Jeremy Denk is thoughtful and reflective, both in his interviews and his performance.It would be very simple to “phone it in” when you do multiple performances of the same pieces…but as our conversation progressed, it quickly became evident that Denk is not one to play a piece of music just to earn a paycheck.He recently subbed for an ailing Maurizio Pollini at Carnegie Hall (his debut in that venue), just a couple of weeks after filling in for an ailing Martha Argerich with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1.When asked about that performance, he said if he had been asked to play something with which he was not very familiar or had not played in a long time, he would most likely have turned down the gig, rather than go into such high-profile venues less than fully prepared.
In the Carnegie Hall performance, he coupled the Bach Goldberg Variations with the Concord Sonata by Charles Ives.At first, they seemed to be two pieces which did not really fit together, but Denk’s thoughtful, reflective description of how he decided to pair Bach and Ives in recital left me wondering why I had never thought to present them together on the radio.During that part of our conversation, I also began to see Charles Ives from Denk’s perspective, which gave me an entirely new appreciation for that oft-ignored composer.
I hope you’ll take the time to listen to our conversation...and that it’s as much fun for you as it was for me.
BL interviews Jeremy Denk
The (Glamorous) World of Jeremy Denk, by Boyce Lancaster
Jeremy Denk is thoughtful and reflective, both in his interviews and his performance. It would be very simple to “phone it in” when you do multiple performances of the same pieces…but as our conversation progressed, it quickly became evident that Denk is not one to play a piece of music just to earn a paycheck. He recently subbed for an ailing Maurizio Pollini at Carnegie Hall (his debut in that venue), just a couple of weeks after filling in for an ailing Martha Argerich with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1. When asked about that performance, he said if he had been asked to play something with which he was not very familiar or had not played in a long time, he would most likely have turned down the gig, rather than go into such high-profile venues less than fully prepared.
In the Carnegie Hall performance, he coupled the Bach Goldberg Variations with the Concord Sonata by Charles Ives. At first, they seemed to be two pieces which did not really fit together, but Denk’s thoughtful, reflective description of how he decided to pair Bach and Ives in recital left me wondering why I had never thought to present them together on the radio. During that part of our conversation, I also began to see Charles Ives from Denk’s perspective, which gave me an entirely new appreciation for that oft-ignored composer.
I hope you’ll take the time to listen to our conversation...and that it’s as much fun for you as it was for me.
Part I of the interview is here, Part II -- here.