Thomas Wirth

When interpretations are at peace with themselves and lyrical miniatures are allowed to blossom

© Thomas Wirth, Fränkische Landeszeitung, 9. April 2002

Piano recitals given by students of Peter Feuchtwanger are different. For Feuchtwanger´s students play differently. How? [...] Feuchtwanger´s students can quickly be identified, at least the most long-standing amongst them. It is as if their playing emanates from a focus of calm and peace; often one feels that their interpretations are swimming on temporality, floating on time like a raft. To stay in picture, one has to imagine time as a long, calm river. If I´m not mistaken, Peter Feuchtwanger´s ideal is a quiet but intensely formulated refusal of all kinds of piano boxing and keyboard racing. Far too often people play far too loud, is the professor´s motto. Flowing songfulness, noble sound and wakeful calm are more important to him (and the free naturalness of physical movements). Feuchtwanger´s students don´t defy the piano, they gently coax ist own sounds from it. [...] One can easily imagine, though, that Feuchtwanger´s piano ideal demands a measure of self-denial from sanguine or choleric temperaments and extrovert or energetically belligerent personalities. But their expressive possibilities will in the end be enriched.