Introducing Michael Johnson: Music Aficionado and Artist
Interview with pianist Stewart Goodyear: creativity crossover
Michael Johnson, who lives in Bordeaux, France, begins here on Substack with this interview of the brilliant pianist Stewart Goodyear.
As my readers know, I believe creativity crosses boundaries and remakes the world.
Before I introduce Michael, let’s hear Stewart Goodyear in an informal performance:
Michael Johnson is a music critic who worked as a reporter and editor in New York, Moscow, Paris and London. He covered European technology for Business Week for five years, and served nine years as chief editor of International Management magazine and was chief editor of the French technology weekly 01 Informatique. He also spent four years as Moscow correspondent of The Associated Press. He’s fluent in English, French, and Russian. He’s the author of five books. His portraits of pianists and conductors, in French and English, is available on Amazon.fr, and I’ll review the book in an upcoming post.
Here is his interview with Stewart Goodyear:
Canadian-born pianist Stewart Goodyear made his French debut recently as a headliner at the “Summertime Illuminations” piano festival near Limoges. Goodyear is a good example of the under-appreciated, little-known virtuoso talent.
He has a healthy discography and an active record of performance and composing in North America, but has been slow to take off in Europe, particularly in France. He submitted to our interview after performing his solo piano piece “Panorama”. The audience, visibly stunned, gave him a standing ovation and demanded three encores.
In our interview, Goodyear discusses his much-debated ten-hour marathon recital of all the 32 Beethoven piano sonatas in one go, dubbed the “sonathaton”. Purists challenge the concept as a mere attention-getter. Goodyear strenuously disagrees. “They need to take the plunge and experience the cycle in one day themselves and then after that, state their opinion,” he says. “Being immersed in that sound world for the whole day is a very different experience as opposed to a sample or two.”
At the festival, Goodyear rocked the audience with his“Panorama”, a muscular, punchy personal statement suited to the Shigeru Kawai concert grand piano that was trucked in from Germany. The Shigeru Kawai helped provide a new and different experience – the absence of the Steinway typical of most other festivals.
Below is an excerpt of our conversation.
How did you become so involved with Beethoven?
It started with my initial response to a box set of Beethoven LPs in my childhood. These sonatas terrified me, made me laugh, moved me emotionally. And today I try to keep that freshness. That’s what I hope to give to the audience. I’m not exaggerating when I say there is a very strong “pull” when I play Beethoven. It’s always a very intense experience.
Aren’t you becoming the Beethoven 32 guy?
Oh no.
What do you want to be known as?
As “Stewart Goodyear, composer and pianist”.
Many pianists need physical strength to play big pieces. Seeing you play onstage, I wondered when your stamina would give out.
I am careful to pace myself in programming. I start with low-key Orlando and J.P. Sweelinck and I go on from there to my “Panorama”. What I need for energy is the audience and atmosphere so I don’t get tired.
What’s the background for this marathon?
I have done it six times. First time was in Koerner Hall. That’s where my Beethoven journey began, so it was very meaningful experience.
What are you getting and what are you giving in these ten-hour recitals? Why does your public love it?
I divide the event into three parts with breaks for lunch and dinner. Everyone has a choice of attending one of the parts, or two, or three. A majority of the audience wants to take in the entire event. It concludes at around 2 a.m.
How do you keep going for ten hours?
During the breaks, I have zen moments. I sleep the day before and I almost force myself to not touch the piano. So when I start the recital I have a lot of energy.
We normal people have trouble understanding how a pianist can retain all this repertoire. What’s your secret ?
I have a photographic memory. In my mind, I can “see” the printed score I am playing.
Do you also see Beethoven staring angrily at a blank piece of paper every morning?
I can only imagine this. He was such a compelling personality. In my analysis, I can see so many different sides to Beethoven – there’s a fun side, a tragic side, an intense side, etc.
***
Love this and are here free? First, be sure to check out Michael Johnson and then
or
Love,
,
I admire the stamina of anyone who attends all three sessions.
Very inspiring!