Artur Schnabel
Artur Schnabel
Artur Schnabelwas an Austrian classical pianist, who also composed and taught. Schnabel was known for his intellectual seriousness as a musician, avoiding pure technical bravura. Among the 20th century's most respected and most important pianists, his playing displayed marked vitality, profundity and spirituality in the Austro-German classics, particularly the works of Beethoven and Schubert. His performances of these compositions have often been hailed as models of interpretative penetration. His best-known recording is of the complete Beethoven piano sonatas; recorded between...
NationalityPolish
ProfessionPianist
Date of Birth17 April 1882
CountryPoland
Artur Schnabel quotes about
Applause is a receipt, not a note of demand.
I practice in my head.
I know two kinds of audiences only--one coughing, and one not coughing.
Practice in tranquility.
I dont think I handle the notes much differently from other pianists. But the pauses between the notes--ah, there is where the artistry lies!!
The sonatas of Mozart are unique; they are too easy for children, and too difficult for artists.
The notes I handle no better than many pianists. But the pauses between the notes - ah, that is where the art resides.
I always make sure that the lid over the keyboard is open before I start to play.
I am attracted only to music which I consider to be better than it can be performed. Therefore I feel (rightly or wrongly) that unless a piece of music presents a problem to me, a never-ending problem, it doesn't interest me too much.
Mozart is a garden, Schubert is a forest in light and shade, but Beethoven is a mountain range,
Mozart is the most inaccessible of the great masters.
It is not music's function to express rational necessities.
Sunshine can burn you, food can poison you, words can condemn you, pictures can insult you; music cannot punish - only bless.
Children are given Mozart because of the small quantity of the notes; grown-ups avoid Mozart because of the great quality of the notes.