Mr Graffman passed away on December 27. My apologies for only now posting this notice.
Sad news – Gary Graffman has died aged 97. Tchaikovsky Piano Concertos 2 & 3/Ormandy. Prokofiev Piano Concerto 3/Szell. Chopin The Four Ballades. Beethoven Opus 111.
Indeed, Gary Graffman RIP. I was a big fan of his playing and loved his autobiography “I Should Be Practicing” which contains he funniest musical anecdote ever published. Hint: It’s his NZ experience with Russian pianist Eugene Mallinin. First time I read this, I couldn’t stop laughing for half an hour.
As to his pianism, I’ve always loved his Tchaikovsky 1 – one of the very few versions that actually makes real music with this piece. Now time to get back to those recordings. A great man, a great life and a great inning. We should all get to 97 in full command of our senses. And this time, also, I agree fully with DH – do not tarnish this man’s reputation for one incident that may reflect a different cultural milieu.
Do not miss this autobiography! What a mensch.
For clarification, DH is Dave Hurwitz,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lQlbd7JcNg