Inon's Salon

A more philosophical reply would be that a beautifully played note or phrase would seem to have 'implications'- the sense that the music 'speaks', makes sense to us. We, the listeners, become aware of deeper meaning behind and beyond the notes.

Sometimes we hear a piece, or phrase, or note, that seems as if it was always meant to be exactly that way; that the music has been there all along, and somebody, be it a composer or performer, just fiddled with the knob, got the right frequency, and there it was. It's that awareness of timelessness and depth that brings to mind the cosmic element. At least this is my interpretation; I invite the keen listener, or astronomer, to come up with his own!

Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No2, it's a beautiful romantic concerto. But there's a lot of scales up and down, don't you think some of it is a bit pointless?

Inon: This is one of my favorite concertos. I never tire of hearing it.

It contains such an expansive range of emotions- the first movement is tremendously moving and contains some of the most gorgeous melodies Saint-Saëns ever wrote. It alternates between melancholy and passion, nostalgia and drama. The second movement is humorous and light-hearted, and the last is an exciting and virtuosic romp in the style of a Tarantella dance. The scales and virtuosity in the piece never seem superfluous; they add to the fun, color and excitement.

When I was a small child my mother would sometimes sing the main theme from the first movement when she was doing something around the house. To this day I still hear her voice in my mind when I play it..

If you hit shuffle on your iPod, what comes next? Is there music there that you'd be ashamed to admit you listen to it?

Inon: I have a very large and varied collection of music, so the shuffle button could easily take me in very different directions. For example, on the train yesterday my iPod took me from a late Beethoven quartet through Radiohead, Bobby Darin, Thelonious Monk, Schubert and Nina Simone, if I remember correctly. I agree with Alex Ross from the New Yorker that the function is one that should, and does, change the way we hear music. (Listen to This'). It’s good to remember sometimes that good music is good music regardless of genre, and should sometimes be heard in an unexpected context, like the art in the Tate Gallery in London, which is not arranged by date, but by association.

I guess my guilty listening, the one which I don't readily admit, is Pop music. I don't sit down to listen to it, but it’s very difficult to run or to go the gym listening to Schubert! I guess it’s like watching a trashy show on television or eating a Mars bar- you know its not particularly good but you can't help but enjoy it every once in a while!

It's your first performance in SF that we could find. What took you so long?

Inon: Yes, this is my first performance in San Francisco. I love the city and performed in the area last summer, at the Music@Menlo Festival in Menlo Park, but never in San Francisco itself. [Ed. note: This year's edition of Music@ Menlo just started!]

To make up for it, I am coming to SF twice in six months. On December 11th Alisa Weilerstein and I will perform an interesting program, a mix of duo and solo works that spans about 180 years. The 'bookends' of the program are the last Beethoven cello sonata and the Chopin cello sonata. In between Alisa will play solo pieces by Kodaly and Golijov and I will play a solo piece by Chopin. We are 'warming up' in Carnegie Hall two days before, so we should be ready by the time we get to SF…

What's the piece that's not on your repertoire that you'd really want to learn?

Inon: Pianists are lucky. There is such an endless number of great pieces for piano that it’s only ever possible to scratch the surface. This is also why it's very difficult to reply to this question- there are so many pieces I would still like to learn. One that springs to mind right now is the Brahms second piano concerto. I've always wanted to play it; it represents an enormous musical and pianistic challenge. I would also love to learn the Goldberg Variations, though it might take me a while…

You started piano at 4yo, but at which point did you go: man, this music is powerful! Is it a composer, or a teacher, what convinced you to perform for a career?

Inon: When I was growing up I was not a very disciplined or studious kid. I was not very methodical in my training. But what I did do is play… a lot. I read piece after piece and I played works that were much too difficult for me, but which I loved. I played by ear. There was no strict piano teacher who hit me over the wrist when I played a wrong note- I always associated piano and music with fun. As a, I grew up loving music and loving the instrument.

I can't say that there was ever a ‘eureka’ moment; it was always somehow clear to me. It never occurred to me that I might not be a pianist. It seems very naïve now, when I think about it…

Is it easier to interact with a conductor of your generation like James Gaffigan, or with a more established, more senior maestro? You have played with James before, right?

Inon: I have had wonderful and less-than-wonderful experiences with both types of conductors. Ultimately what really matters is the musical connection between the soloist, the conductor and the orchestra… how much they listen to each other.

That said, I do like working with conductors of my generation; there is more of an immediate personal connection, and it’s easier to feel at ease with one another. Most likely, we both will know many of the same people, and will have shared similar experiences in our career and development.

Of course, it helps when that conductor is someone like James. We played a Mozart concerto together with the Houston Symphony last year. It was such a great experience- I was so impressed with his energy and passion (and so was the orchestra).

There was an incident that really stuck in my mind: In the second movement of the that Mozart concerto (k:482) there is a wonderful moment in which the piano, the violin and the viola sections play an intimate trio for a few bars. It occurred to me during the first rehearsal that it may sound even more intimate with just the leaders of the sections and myself playing- a brief moment of chamber music. When I came to James after the rehearsal and was about to explain my idea, I saw that James had already scribbled in pencil, next to the violin and viola sections, the word "solo?”

I immediately thought, "This is a guy I have to play with again.” And I'm so pleased to be doing so... hopefully not for the last time!