The Tokyo Concert Experience

  You could tell Zimerman meant business the moment he walked on stage wearing a tailcoat and a bow tie. I don’t remember when was the last time I saw a soloist wearing that somewhat cliched but cool attire in a concert. I guess it was not out of character for him. He’s known for quirks like touring with his own piano -this being one of the reasons he haven’t performed in the US in over 15 years; according to Wikipedia tight security checks destroyed two of his Steinways. Besides those anecdotal circumstances, he’s definitely in the shortlist of the best living pianists in the planet. He was Karajan’s and Bernstein’s favorite exponent of the instrument. Lutoslawski’s Piano Concerto was dedicated to him. He entered the world stage in 1975 by winning the Chopin competition! Unlike in America, Zimerman comes quite often to Japan. This year he played ten dates in this country. One of them, luckily for me, near where I live. I’ve been meaning to see him for years and I wouldn’t let thi...