Maurizio Pollini R.I.P.

The great Pianist died over the weekend, age 82.  One of my biggest regrets during the Pandemic was a cancellation of a concert where he was scheduled to play the last 3 Beethoven Sonatas.

  He had a wide repertoire, and championed a lot of modern music, but for me it will always be his Chopin.  His recording of the Etudes on DG was electrifying, a mixture of beautiful poetry and overwhelming power.  Op. 25/12 in particular with the almost buzz saw intensity of the left hand harmony always gets me out of my seat even after half a century of familiarity