By the way jim you are absolutely right about practice...
All great musician practice, only a few one practise in their own way by playing
out of their comfort zone, improvizing like Szigeti and Miles Davis...
Some never practice but play each evening like Chet Baker who play minimalistic
like if it was his last few words...
Ervin Nyiregyhazi play all day long from a very young age...In his mature years he practice no more and even did not own a piano for decades...
No artist is the same...
But generally we must practice an art, save some few angel who are born with it...
I want to thank you very much to speak your mind, this is the RAREST quality possible and i admire your frank and direct speaking...
I wish you and to all the best christmast possible in this impossible world
When I read of the past greats not practicing all I can think of is what a lot of missed opportunities to be even greater than what they were because of lack of practice. Milstein was an inveterate practicer who always said I owe it to my public to be at the top of my game because the people in the cheap seats have paid a lot of money ( to them ) to come and hear me. Heifetz was exactly the same , he also practiced a lot , even as an old man. When Segovia said the immortal words that John Williams was touched by the hand of God , Williams said he may have said that but he also told me to practice as if there was no time left in the world.