Re: Competition.

[Karl Berry <karl@FREEFRIENDS.ORG>]

Thanks for the nice message, Cristalle.  I just have one small thing to
add to the original comment from Nessie Russell:

    young musicians will use competitions as a way to jump-start their careers

Although that may be true to a certain extent, I have the feeling that
it's overrated.  There are sooo many competitions, and generally they
recur every year, and thus there are lots and lots and lots of
winners.  Far more than the market for piano virtuosos can absorb.  And
so even the "winners" rarely benefit.

Perhaps this is too cynical, but I think who really benefits is the
school or jury or whoever it is that hosts the competition and declares
the "winner", thereby saying "we are so important, we get to declare the
best up-and-coming pianist".  Anyway ...

I can understand why people continue to enter them, though.  For all
their faults, at an individual level a pianist might say "well, I might
win, and if I win, I might get a recording contract, so why not try?".
Tragedy of the commons, etc., etc.

I continue to be happy that GG eschewed them so strongly, at any rate.


On a happier note, I've been watching The Alchemist DVD (Bruno M's films
with GG in the early 70's).  Doing it slowly, so as to prolong the fun :).
They are wonderful.  I saw pieces of them when Bruno came to my area a
few years ago to give a lecture, and it's great to see them again in
their entirety.

karl