Do you have a favorite classical artist who managed to mess up a favorite piece you "usually" enjoy?

Well...it just happened to me actually. I went to a Bronfman concert on Sunday, and he played Tchaikovsky's 1st piano concerto. It was fine - not my favourite rendition of the piece, but in some ways it was amazing to see/hear what he could do with his fingers.

Then, he played Schumann's Arabesque for an encore. At first I was quite pleasantly surprised, because I had played the piece before and thought it would be interesting to see how an artist performs it. But I swear, I wanted to run up to the stage, kick his foot off the damper pedal and scream "don't you know that this thing has a melody? Where did it go?". The opening section (which comes back a total of 3 times) was grossly overpedalled to the point where you couldn't hear anything except a cloud of sound. Good job that it's supposed to be pianissimo too - makes it even worse. For those of you who know the piece, you'll know that it's in Rondo form. The first 'interlude' section was rushed through like he had to run off for another engagement asap, the second 'interlude' section made little impression (for unknown reasons). Fortunately he redeemed himself somewhat with a beautifully-played coda. It wasn't overpedalled, and the projection of the melody was excellent without being too loud. I WONDER WHY HE DECIDED TO GO MAD ON THE PEDAL FOR THE REST OF THE PIECE, when he clearly could play with very sophisticated, refined pedalling. It was one of the worst renditions of the piece I've ever heard, with the exception of little 'prodigies' who perform the piece like an etude just because the notes are easy to play and they don't have the required musical maturity to make it come alive. Argh. I just wanted the piece to end asap because it was painful to listen to a sonic cloud which has no definition whatsoever.

I can't believe I'm saying this but Lang Lang. He played a magnificent rendition of Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. After the piece was over, he decided to play the Prelude in C# Minor for his encore.

He treated it like it was a Hannon technical exercise! The opening had no use of dynamics. He blew through the fast part as quickly as possible, trying to show off his chops, despite the fact that he had just aced one of the more difficult pieces of piano music ever written. It had no heart, it had no soul. It was like he was playing only the notes on the paper, never once thinking of the music.

Good question! I once heard Birgit Nilsson singing "I Could Have Danced All Night" from the movie/musical "My Fair Lady". Now, I love Birgit to death but for Heaven's sake, what was she thinking? She was a Wagnerian soprano, for Christ's sake, whereas the song is probably more appropriate for someone with a sweet lyric/coloratura voice. She just sounded too "heavy" for the song. I hate to say this but she butchered the piece. Oh well, but I still love her, though.

I remember a grossly overweight Jane Eaglen, in the Teatro Colon of Buenos Aires, on a really bad night, maybe having a cold or suffering from the weather, singing the Ride of the Walkyries as an encore because, well, that's her showpiece.

It was painful to hear. And to watch.

I find this usually happens when a classical artist tries to sing something "non-classical". Renata Scotto singing "Somewhere over the Rainbow" springs to mind...

Now, I had the good fortune to hear the legendary Eileen Farrell sing as part of her "American Popular Song" class at Indiana University. Now SHE could really sing that stuff! (And her Wagner was pretty good, too!)

Martha Argerich, in her debut concert album on DG, plays the Prokofiev Toccata. The whole thing is fantastic...and just her style. However, the very last gesture is such a weak little...AAGGHH! It doesn't fit. It sounds like she gives up on the last few notes. Weird.

I saw poor Leyla Gencer crack her way through Lucrezia Borgia when I was a teen. Also I have a CD of Rostropovich playing Bach and he sniffs at the beginning of each phrase--makes me cringe!