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Introduction
11
thepriceforthisislikewisehigh;namely,thelossoftheinter-subjective
structureofinsight.AttemptstodescribetheGessence’ofanyartisticperfor-
manceinatextfrequentlyboildowntotheobserver’scollectedimpressions
andtotheutopianendeavourtoreproduceanephemeraleventbymeans
ofaverbalaccount,whichintheformertimeswasthedomainofpersons
ofletters,not–ofscholars.Inshort,whateverultra-moderntheorieswemay
usetopropupourlineofargument,wealwaysfindourselvesreturning–
albeitinaroundaboutway–totheRomanticdiscourse.
Theperformanceofamusicalworkcanonlybepreservedintheform
ofarecordingoratextualaccount.However,neitherofthesemediacanpre-
servewhatBenjamincallsGeventaura’orinfact(eveninaudio-visualversion)–
theextra-musicalqualitieswhicharepartandparcelofsuchaperformance.
Professionalrecordingsareengineeredasaruleinawaythatdoesnotreflect
theperformancecontext,whichmightdistortGpurereception’asanidealthe-
oretical-musicologicalconstruct.Thememoryofamusicperformanceisthere-
foreofnecessityimperfectandparadoxicalinapeculiarfashion.Describing
someone’sperformanceisdifficultevenifwehearditandsawitinperson.
How,then,shouldonegiveanaccountoftheearlyperformancesofthethen
youngartistswhoarenowintheeveningoftheirlives,orhavelongbeendead?
TheChopinCompetitionasanobjectofresearchwhoseaimistowrite
itssynthetichistory–provestobeevenmoreproblematicbecauseitspans
alongperiodoftime.AGcompetition’isnotthesameasaGconcert’–anonly
apparentlytrivialremark.Thepointisnotnaivelytoattemptadescription
ofGhowitreallywas’oreven,perhapslessnaively,toreproducethebroad
spectrumofemotionsexpressedbyartists,jurors,critics,andotherlisteners
inthecompetitivecontext.WearenotgoingtowriteGahistoryofbodiesand
emotions’orGahistoryofsensualexperience’relatedtotheCompetition.
DidIvoPogorelićostentatiouslychewgumduringhisperformancesmerely
toprovokethejurors,orbecauseitreallyhelpedhimfocusontheinstru-
ment?Anddidhereallychewgumatall?Shouldwebelievewitnesseswho
claimthathechangedChopin’snotatedscoreonpurposeandwasthere-
foredisqualified,orperhapsthosewhoclaimthathereproducedfaithfully
everysinglenote,butsubmittedChopin’smusictooverlydaringdynamic
andagogicdeviations?Thislastquestionmaybetheeasiesttoanswerifwe
listentotherecordingscarefully,comparingthemtothescores(inthesame
editionsthatwereusedduringtheCompetitionin1980).QuestionNo.2
ishardertoaddresssincethecameramenstoodtoofarfromthepodiumto
closeuponpianists’faces(onlyinthelastfeweditions,thankstotelevision
andonlinestreaming,haveviewersbeenabletosavourtheperformers’every
involuntaryfacialexpression).Butifwelookhard,perhapsthisdoubtcan
alsoberesolved.Itisthefirstandpossiblymostinterestingofourquestions
thatwillforeverremainunanswered.
