Best known for his intimate, almost translucent interpretations of Debussy and Ravel, Gieseking’s style has long divided listeners. Some dismiss his playing as emotionally distant or overly plain (me). But others say it’s a refusal to overstate (almost me).
Like, take his Debussy as an example—most pianist lean into impressionism drama. Eg., the master of which:
Gieseking’s moonlight is like, wind whisper through water. He lets those notes hang like breath and his pedaling is nearly, invisible. There’s no excess ornament, no indulgence (to me),
Compare to another vertex in the space—Grigory Sokolov—say, his performance of Mozart’s Sonata Facile. Sokolov turns a student piece into a palace, coloring every phrase with microscopic nuance and tension:
And Gieseking just refuses to speak other than the score. Idk is that emptiness, or elegance. But certainly enjoyablely interesting to listen to especially when one is tired of all the fancy:
Maybe that’s the point. Gieseking doesn’t offer answers. He offers silence between notes that makes you lean forward.