Falling In Love

Falling In Love

In music, don’t fall in love with a particular note, however perfectly played. Don’t fall in love with any particular piece, however beautiful, with the feeling that this is enough. Don’t fall in love with a musician, however skilful. Don’t fall in love with a particular composer or composers, however wonderful. Fall in love with the source of the inspiration that is struggling to express itself through the imperfect channel; it is imperfect, however technically adept the musician or the composer may be.

John Lill, the virtuoso pianist, remarked in a BBC interview in 1999: ‘After a concert, if people come to me and say: ‘What a wonderful pianist you are,’ I say: ‘Thank you very much,’ but I reckon I have failed.’ But, if they say to me: ‘What wonderful music that was – what wonderful pieces,’ then I reckon I have at least partially fulfilled my role.

© 1999 Trevor Leggett