23 JEAN-PHILIPPE COLLARD Is Busoni faithful to the spirit of the baroque? For me, these are two completely different approaches. I didn’t even think about it — it doesn’t interest me. There’s no real connection between the development of these major works for piano and the baroque style. Perhaps in Busoni’s transcription, there’s a kind of unassailable passport to modern instruments. You don’t feel, even for a second, burdened by the modernity of today’s piano. The first time I heard the Toccata in C, it was György Cziffra (1921-1994). I was blown away. I think of Bach taking his quill and writing ‘C–E–G–B–F,’ followed by those rests — it’s enough to make your jaw drop ! Might this represent a sort of crowning moment in your discography? I can barely overcome the emotion I felt — and still feel — with this music. The joy of being a pianist, of crafting sound, blossomed in me so deeply that it feels like a circle has closed. I no longer have a way in. I tried working on some Schubert after Bach, telling myself that maybe it could be an end after the end. But I can’t bring myself to see it that way. This programme is part of the fulfillment of my pianistic knowledge. It is on another level. What more could I possibly seek?
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