‘I feel that the whole conception of performance these days is too heavy, loud and blatant. I prefer less power, but instead, more delicacy and ethereal refinement of tone.’ That was pianist Walter Gieseking interviewed). Period sound apart, Gieseking often feels like a startlingly ‘modern’ pianist – subtlety prioritised over showmanship, detail over general effect, in command of a palette of shimmering colours, light and shadow that hints at his life-long fascination with butterflies.
