A good bench is more important than a good piano.
People usually don’t believe me when I say I spend much more time finding a suitable sitting than a piano before a performance. However, this is perfectly true. But that said, I’m not the only pianist claiming the bench is more important than the piano. When I was 14, I heard Samson François saying “I’d rather sit well at a bad piano, than sit poorly at a good one.” Of course he said this in a documentary film, I’m not old enough to have known him. I share his point of view now, but at this time, I just said to myself “What is this crazy guy talking about?”. Well, 16 years later, I deeply apologize to Samson Francois : he was not crazy, just much more experienced than me. What a surprise, isn’t it? But we all know how teenagers are, and I was not an exception!
Earlier this week, I was sitting on the terrace of a café, slowly drinking a cup of the black coffee I needed and enjoying the sun. The older man at the table next to me was alone too and started to chat with me. After a few minutes, he asked me what is my job. I thus answered I am a pianist and he instantly expressed his surprise saying, I quote, “I thought you work in a bank or insurance company, something like that. You don’t look like a pianist at all“. I didn’t take offense, even if I admit I hated him for a few seconds and thought that a guy working in one of these fields would certainly not be sitting on a terrace in the middle of a weekday afternoon. Anyway, it was not the first time someone told me this and I started a great thinking session about what is a musician supposed to look like and who I am.
Programming is a vast topic and lots of people wrote about it. Truth is I’m still experimenting, that’s not an easy task and there is no ready-made recipe. Over the years, I learnt a few things from my mistakes, and here are my 5 top advices about programming.
The link between body and music is complex and inseparable. The perception and interpretation of musical works are carried out by the body. Any pianist can tell you: playing the piano involves the entire body and we often push it to the limits. We overuse our body, but what do we give in return? 
Loneliness is an issue that quite often comes up in discussion with people who know and follow me. I work alone, I play alone, I like being alone most of the time, but isn’t the feeling of loneliness heavy and suffocating? It is true that I don’t meet my friends very often, I am not a big fan of mass meetings and that I avoid crowded places. But in another hand, I like chatting over the phone and mailing them.
Concert evening, in the dressing-room. Tonight, I’ll be playing a recital methodically prepared during the last weeks. Final moments before appearing on stage. Someone is knocking at the door. A glance in the mirror,last check for the presence of our good-luck stuffs and other necessities. It’s time to go. A few more moments to wait backstage, and suddenly the stage manager asks if I’m ready, opens the door, and motions to me to go on stage.
Samson François is one of the pianists from the past I especially like. He remains a constant in my musical landscape. He fascinates me, very classy, even if sometimes it is too much… Finally, a quote from Marguerite Long about Samson François: “When he plays well, no one plays better than him!”