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| Polish Perfectionist Pianist Prefers Perfect Peace |
| 2009-04-30 |
| Via RedState LA Times article about a Polish perfectionist pianist who is quitting touring the US with his music because of US foreign policy. Imminently Fiskable material, but here is my question: Why try to tell journalists in the US Zimmerman's decision wasn't political when it clearly was political? Polish pianist Krystian Zimerman, who is widely admired for his virtuosic performances and who famously tours with his own custom-altered Steinway, created a furor at Disney Hall on Sunday night when he stopped his recital to announce that this would be his last American appearance -- in protest of the nation's military policies overseas. Good for him. Put your money where your mouth is, dude. In a low voice that could not be heard throughout the auditorium, Zimerman, universally considered among the world's finest pianists, made reference to Guantanamo Bay and U.S. military policies toward Poland. Yeah, Gawd forbid Poland doesn't get overrun by Russia or nuked by Iran. And let us not forget the incredible inhumane insanity of "three hots and a cot" "Get your hands off my country," he said. Such brilliance! Then he turned to the piano and played Szymanowski's "Variations on a Polish Folk Theme" with such passion and intensity that the stunned audience gave him multiple ovations. He got an ovation because he finally STFU about politics and played some music. If I wanted to hear about politics at a music concert I would have beat it out of him Earlier, about 30 or 40 people in the audience had walked out after Zimerman's declaration, some shouting obscenities. You lost some fans, dude. Mebbe you should keep it down until the concert is finished, or better yet outside selling tickets before the concert even begins. The way you did it makes you sound just like a showman: there's a sucker born every minute,and 30 walked out on you. "Yes," the pianist, known in Poland as "King Krystian the Glorious," answered, "some people, when they hear the word military, start marching." Brilliant! |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #8 ...Well, give the guy this: he is apparently acting in accordance with his beliefs, and had the stones to say it to our faces. Even if you don't agree with him, he's got that going for him. What I want to know is why now? Bambi's president, everybody is supposed to love us, remember? Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2009-04-30 19:12 |
| #7 Problem with rocks being thrown, they can be thrown back at you. Use something that cannot be returned, such as high velocity hot lead. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2009-04-30 17:30 |
| #6 Personally, if I'm going to throw something at someone, I prefer hand grenades. If I don't want to hurt anyone else but the idiot I'm throwing at, I throw rocks. Rotten or semi-overripe fruit may splatter and make a mess, but a fist-sized rock on the noggin can on occasion knock some sense into the head of an otherwise intolerable mental midget. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2009-04-30 14:52 |
| #5 No, no ed - for throwing at concerts, you want *slightly* overripe fruit. Too overripe, and it'll come apart in your hands on the backswing, but not overripe enough, and it won't have any splatter radius. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2009-04-30 12:23 |
| #4 Such courage! He saved his blast for the last concert (or so it was reported) in the USA. |
| Posted by: balthazar 2009-04-30 11:21 |
| #3 Geez. Never heard of him, never got to see him. Oh well... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-04-30 09:45 |
| #2 This is why I like to bring ripe fruit to concerts. |
| Posted by: ed 2009-04-30 09:33 |
| #1 Somebody get the President on the horn. Obama can apologize to this guy too. |
| Posted by: Excalibur 2009-04-30 09:20 |