It’s not just a question of learning the notes. It’s also knowing whether to race ahead or drag one’s feet, march steadily or sway deliciously. It’s knowing how to tease out the dramatic, the delicate, the confident, the fearful, the wit – and how to navigate the emotional journey from first note to last.
Musician, artist and writer Ruth Waterman explores the options by playing some of Beethoven’s miraculous Bagatelles for piano, showing how a performer attempts to reach the heart of the music.
Included in the book The Great Violinists, Ruth Waterman spent her long career as a solo violinist interpreting the works of the great composers for audiences around the world, including at the Royal Festival Hall and Carnegie Hall’s International Artists series, while pondering the challenging process of bringing music to life. This led to her giving concert talks throughout the UK and abroad, from Germany to South Africa, Russia to Israel, as well as presenting programmes about music and the art of listening on BBC Radio 3 and New York Radio (WNYC).