Comrade Krystian Zimerman's Disney Hall Lecture: “Get your hands off of my country”

Opera Chic is seldom interested in what rich celebrities (especially the tax exiles who merrily settled in Switzerland or Monte Carlo) have to say about their audiences personal ethics or, heaven forbid, their politics.

She, for example, would consider quite appalling to learn that a prominent American pianist had interrupted a recital in Warsaw to ask the older members of the audience if they were part of the crowds cheering as the Jewish ghetto burned, orwhether or not they're baffled by the fact that only a few thousand Jews still feel safe enough to live in Poland (there were more than 3 million of them living in Poland in 1939, 90% of whom had been murdered by 1945, and survivors had actually been lynched after their return from the camps -- reminding Poles of this historical fact might land you in jail, by the way, and the local Catholic clergy will call you a liar); asking the audience if they're part of the one million Poles who faithfully tune in to Radio Maryia's racist sermons  would be in equally bad taste, just like polling the Polish audience to figure out how many of them collaborated with the Polish Communist regime during its long rule over the country -- to sum it up, one is free to play in the countries one wants, and manners are manners, everywhere you go.

Not to mention, no one cares what performing artists think about stuff.

It would be equally appalling to learn, for example, that a concert pianist had shamefully cracked jokes about gold teeth and safety deposit boxes during a Swiss recital, for example. wtf?

It is therefore quite surprising to read that Krystian Zimerman, who had already said that he'd boycott the US for political reasons (and more power to him for following his principles, one is free to boycott whomever one wants), nevertheless traveled to the States to play -- but chose to give a little lecture to a L.A. audience.

Reports Mark Swed in the Los Angeles Times:

Before playing the final work on his recital, Karol Szymanowski’s "Variations on a Polish Folk Theme," Zimerman sat silently at the piano for a moment, almost began to play, but then turned to the audience. In a quiet but angry voice that did not project well, he indicated that he could no longer play in a country whose military wants to control the whole world. 

“Get your hands off of my country,” he said.  He also made reference to the U.S. military detention camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.  

About 30 or 40 people in the audience walked out, some shouting obscenities.  “Yes,” he answered, “some people when they hear the word military start marching.”

Now, this being L.A. and not, say, the beautiful State of Texas, the audience's reaction doesn't seem to have been bad at all, with quite a lot of cheers (in San Francisco he'd have been elected Mayor the next day); but the plea to "get your hands off of my country" -- is Zimerman Iraqi, by the way? Because we sure as hell haven't invaded Switzerland -- should probably have been sent, via mail, to President Obama and not yelled to the powerless audience of a classical music concert.

But it all boils down to one fact, and it's not even about manners: for all of Zimerman's talent, and his years of study, and his work, people pay him because they just want to hear him play, not talk -- if that makes him feel like a trained monkey, that's his problem, and he should do what Glenn Gould, a much better pianist and a much better man, did in his time: retire to the recording studio and give up public performances. Gould didn't lecture his paying audiences about Polar bears, either -- he did that on the radio. Daniel Barenboim, a much more serious man than Zimerman, has created an orchestra where Jews play with Arabs, devotes a lot of money and time and effort to his causes -- whatever you think of the man -- and writes books that are actual best-sellers.

Zimerman should find himself a book publisher, if he can. Or start broadcasting a talk radio show on Radio Mariya about the evils of America.

But onstage, he should really shut up and play his American piano.

Comments

[Johnny B Good]

The attention given to performers, talented or otherwise, as opinion-makers never fails to astonish me. Why the political opinion or hang-ups of someone who can repeat the words or notes that someone else wrote should be considered by the press or by themselves as being more interesting or relevant than that of the local fishmonger's escapes me.

Mr Zimerman is totally entitled to his own opinion on the world's geo-politics, however naïve, bigoted and ill-grounded it may be, but a concert is no place for political tirades, and he only does himself and the music he performs a disservice. One can only hope that he invests his music-making with more intellectual rigor than his political thinking.

[Marshie]

WTF. Who's doing anything against Switzerland or Poland? Clearly, an unfortunate psychotic episode.

[Frank-Walter]

Zimerman plays a German Steinway. Sorry ;-)

[Paolo M.]

BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHH!!!

[B. B. Bruckner]

He doesn't like America but he sure likes American paychecks...

[Rodarte]

First of all, dear OC, your writing and phrase is sublime. That out of the way, Zimerman is a total wacko. Freedom of speech is one thing, but there's a difference between having criticism of a country's foreign policy coupled with past errors and being a crackpot. This man is the latter.

[A Real Cad]

"Hands off my country"? Was he high?

[Ementale]

I agree with what you say meaning that performers should just play and shut up. They've trained their whole lives behind an instrument with rarely enough time to digest the thorny politics and quotient policies of international relations. I'm not trying to generalize musicians, but rarely do they have the intellectual basis or peers to put forth valid opinions.

Just because they travel frequently and see a large portion of the world, by excuse of their jobs, doesn't mean that they're more qualified or more informed of world politics than your average plebian.

It's the same when Hollywood celebrities start flapping their gums. Rarely do they make sense, and they always come off as a bit crazy.

Zimerman, just shut up and play like it says in your contract!

[woodenhouse]

As stated, lucky for him he was playing on the "Left Coast" and not in some small Texas concert hall where they'd go after him with flaming pitchforks.

[isabella]

I love this guy! Come to New York, Zimerman!

[Uptown Alto]

I'm curious: Doesn't he have an agent? I wonder if they'll issue an apology or a statement?

[Thanks but no, thanks]

Here in the US we hear Ax, Kissin, Barenboim, Pollini, Perahia all the time, and so many others. Sokolov is the one I'd love to hear more; if Mr Zimerman does not like us, we can quite easily do without him.

[Kevin Edmund Youkilis 4 MVP]

Someone tell him we're closing down Gitmo.

[Ritalin is one hell of a drug]

You all shouldn't make fun of an Aspie.

[ellie]

Is her referring to the recent events between the U.S. government and UBS? In which case he feels the Obama regime is infringing on Swiss solidarity.
That being said, why now? And why in the context of a recital? Very strange behavior.

[Daniel Shipton]

I'm amazed at this. You claim to be a lover of great music, but also claim that great musicians only have the right to make pleasing sounds for your own benefit. What would really do the world a lot of good would not be for Zimmerman to retire to a recording studio but for you to retire to your CD/itunes collection. Philistine!!

[Hal]

Yes, ellie, your supposition is the only one that makes sense. He seems to be angry that the US is trying to stop amoral rich Americans from hiding their wealth in secret Swiss bank accounts. Secret accounts are the backbone of Swiss banking and if they are penetrated, poof! there goes the Swiss banking industry. Maybe he put most of his earnings in UBS stock?

[Hal]

Not only is Poland, perhaps, still somewhat Nazi in outlook, it is also clearly the most homophobic nation in Europe. A recent dustup over a "gay" elephant is instructive:

The past few years have seen gay rights legislation proposed, then ignored and shot down, inside Poland. But establishing marriage and anti-discrimination law there is just about human beings. But what about banning discrimination against animals? Namely, elephants.

Meet Ninio, a gay elephant who recently moved into the Poznan Zoo, which spent more than $11 million building a new structure to house the pachyderms. But city councilman Michal Grzes was expecting the money would fetch a "herd" of elephants — something that Ninio, who spends his time with other boy elephants, isn't likely to help produce.

"We didn't pay 37 million zlotys for the largest elephant house in Europe to have a gay elephant live there," he says. "We were supposed to have a herd, but as Ninio prefers male friends over females how will he produce offspring?"

Except Grzes might've jumped the gun: Ninio is only 10 years old, says the Poznan Zoo's chief, and thus just a tween in elephant years. He'll hit sexual maturity at 14, and maybe then he'll start swinging the other way. Or both ways?

[furst]

Ah ... yes ... the closing of Gitmo has been a veritable bonanza for the good 'ol US of A. All of our newly contented allies are doing cartwheels to increase their co-operation with us on issue after issue.

Poland has many reason to be pleased with the U.S. what with the greatly increased military aid, letting all those Poles come to the U.S. without extra red tape under Bush, the considerate appreciation for their alliance by the Junior Senator from KEYFMVP's Massachusetts, sticking by our commitment on missile defense with our New Beloved Leader ... oh ... wait... never mind.

Still, Poland is a democratic country thanks to the spirit of its people but at least in part to the willingness (former willingness?) of the U.S. to stand up for freedom. If Kristian Zimmerman does not like his country's policies he is perfectly at liberty to try to change it via Poland's electoral system.

[Alexandra]

He's just another millionaire lefty crank, introduce him to Rosie O' Donnell.

[Jessica]

If artists don't speak out, who will?

[MB]

The point is that if he wasn't the kind of guy who feels impelled against propriety to say things like this, then he probably wouldn't be the kind of guy who could play Chopin better than anyone, ever.

[B. B. Bruckner]

Better than anyone ever? You're talking Lipatti.

[TuttoZlatan]

It's an aftereffect of the dollar devaluation; he'll be back when the euro goes down...

[Philip]

Jessica's comment says it all.

[Miguel]

If this gentleman wants Poland out of NATO he should lobby his own politicians, we really couldn't care less. I mean, it's Poland... Actually, the USA did just fine when they were part of the Warsaw Pact.

[SingingFriar]

I have no problem with artists speaking out, and actually welcome such behavior. I think the issue is the context and the situation.

[Penn]

Jessica's comment does NOT say it all. And yes, MB, batsh!* crazy minds are sometimes a pre-requisite for supreme artistry (Zimmerman's good, but I wouldn't call him supreme, and he's no no no no no Dinu Lipatti when it comes to Chopin). His admittedly great, but not legendary, level of artistry doesn't justify his crackpottery.

Furthermore, OC never said artists can't speak out for social justice. Of course, where would we be without Harold Pinter or J.M. Coetzee or Art Spiegelman or Francisco Goya or Miriam Makeba (or, on the flip side, good old Dick Wagner, for that matter)...The difference between them and Zimerman is that their art IS their politics, and when someone goes to his plays or reads his books or his graphic novels or sees his paintings or listens to her South African freedom songs, they know what to expect. Their artistic politics is a given, it is what they sell.

They don't perform a bait-and-switch, promising their audience pleasure and then indicting them for governmental policies they personally had nothing to do with. This is where Zimerman is wrong in this. His audience paid for music, not a political rant. Hopefully the former counterbalanced the latter.

This is not bitterness--I'm only in college so I don't think I'm allowed to be bitter, yet :)--coming from a Philadelphian who had a ticket to hear him play at the Kimmel Center before he canceled. I got my refund. But I would have been offended if he had pulled this out on an audience I was in, despite however much I may agree with him on certain things. Because the relationship between a performer and a paying audience is supposed to be not one of lecture or of condescension, but one of mutual intellectual and artistic honesty, trust, and respect. Those other artists that I mentioned--they got that. Zimerman, it would seem, does not.

[Coloratura Tempura]

Will.i.am he ain't

[ellie]

Shipton: to whom is this addressed, and since when is someone considered a philistine when they question the appropriateness of interrupting a recital to make poltical commentary?
There's nothing wrong with artists getting political, but there is a time and place for everything. Not to mention, like Miguel said, his strategy is not very effective. What are people in the audience going to do with it?

[-Ed.]

I would have demanded a refund had I been in the audience.

[Daniel]

Since this is moderated my post will probably not get through so I intend it mostly for the moderator. It is really amazing how cut off you Americans are from the reality. Judging from the posts here you guys do not have a clue about the US crimes and influence on the rest of the world. But after all with your propaganda system and censorship, this is not so strange. For starters I suggest reading the comprehensive and serious study titled "Why do People Hate USA". Just read it, it is a scientific work, unlike the posts here. It is available at Amazon. Have a nice evening.

[Rob Gordon]

I was at the concert last night. I thought he was more than entitled to speak his piece. In fact I admired his courage in speaking directly to an American audience, people who are in a position to work to change the policies he objects to.

Also, I can report that he played fabulously well and the audience absolutely got their money's worth. He was especially on fire in the final piece, by Szymanowski, which he played immediately after speaking.

If you read Mark Swed's piece for the LA Times blog, you will learn that a few years ago he had his piano, a customized Hamburg Steinway, confiscated and destroyed at JFK Airport because the feds thought it "smelled funny". I'm sure in his mind the USA is just one big lump of misery, and I'm grateful that he was willing to honor his contracts and perform here one last time. Our loss.

[Rob Gordon]

Just a follow-up to my last comment: if I had been able to speak to him, I would have asked him what changes would be required to bring him back to the US. Would it be sufficient to close Guantanamo and remove the ABM missile sites and CIA black prisons from Poland? Or does Dick Cheney actually have to be in prison? Whatever it takes, is my view.

[ellie]

Daniel: I think many of the posters here are well aware of the hatred that is directed toward U.S. politics and thus Americans in general. Your ignorance is, however, painfully revealed in the claim that a book about hatred could be a scientific work. It may be a very palpable phenomenon, but not astrophysics. This is reality. Please take a deep breath. And elevate your own intellectual abilities to the same level that you so vehemently demand of others.

[Daniel]

Closing Guantanamo and CIA prisons in Poland would not suffice. US is actively supporting undemocratic regimes all over the world. It is instigating conflicts and inflicting misery. It is pushing an economic and cultural model that is bad for most countries. It is actively supporting groups which destabilize countries, suppress minorities, alienate the poor. Examples are plenty. This is not a matter of two incidents. I would think the elite who listens to Chopin knows all this.

[Drew]

Very eloquent indeed, Opera Chic.

May I add that Zimerman was against Poland's Solidarity Movement in the late 1970's and early 1980's?

Instead of taking a principled stand with his fellow countrymen in favor of a democratic movement, he moved to Switzerland.

What a brave, brave guy!

Will Zimerman be offering moralistic lectures during his next round of appearances in Russia?

The guy has the political sophistication of a rag doll and the moral standing of a carrot.

[linn]

Christ could you imagine if they all started talking like this? If performers used the stage as their own personal soapboxes? It would be the end of classical music. I find that most musicians are simple people who happen to be cultured only for the fact that they travel more than a normal person. But frequent travel does not make one necessarily wiser.

[name]

Yalta

[Itchy Scratchy]

Maybe his room at the Beverly Hills Hotel was too noisy.

[Ariel]

Itis also surprising to read the opening paragraph, which has nothing to do with the matter at hand =except to flog the Poles for their
behaviour -the usual scapegoat - for Italian, French , Russsisan
never mind German behaviour towards those unfortunates .
The simple thing to do if one feels Mr Zimerman is out of
line is to stay home and not buy tickets to his concerts .and
Mr. Zimerman should likewise refrain from political stances
when giving a recital -perhaps he needs a break from so called
classical music -too much of it can wreck havoc with ones nerves
take Gould for an example .

[Warren]

Ementale, that's quite an enlightened sentiment you display (a little ways up in the comment thread). So musicians should just keep their heads down and play? They apparently have no basis for speaking out on issues of politics and foreign policy in your mind (just a bunch of trained puppets playing the notes put before them, I suppose). What an incredibly condescending, contemptuous attitude you have toward musicians and artists. And I suppose the alleged foreign affairs "experts" in our MSM, the Tom Friedmans and Charles Krauthammers adequately enlighten us about the goings-on in the world. Give me a break. The level of intellectual mediocrity among the mainstream foreign affairs commentariat in the US is breathtaking in its pathetic-ness. Give me a world-class musician or artist any day. Generally speaking, I'd wager they're much more globally intelligent and insightful.

[Constantine A. Papas]

KZ was lost in space and time. He thought he was at the Oscars!

[Hal]

I don't see why a book about hatred cannot be a scientific book. If it is based on properly random interviews, etc., it can clearly be a scientific book to the degree that sociology and opinion sampling are scientific (which most academics think they are).
Hatred and contempt or just dislike of the USA are very prevalent abroad, in my experience. The days when the USA was liked and admired have slipped away, especially under the late GOP regime.

[Rfoster]

Hmmm, guess there really was something to all those Polish jokes I heard as a kid, ;)

[Warren]

Rfoster, bigotry, yeah that's really sweet. Keep up the good work.

[furst]

Yes Daniel, the U.S. has all too often and quite consistently at present been far too inclined to indulge undemocratic regimes. The recent obsequies we have made to the increasingly emboldened leadership in North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, Syria and similarly ruled locales, and our willingness to, literally, bow down to the somewhat more benign but still hardly Jeffersonian Saudis are there for all to see. We can be quite certain that you and possibly the government of your country takes a much firmer stance with respect to these worthies.

[Gerry]

Here we have the usual hysterical American responses to criticism from a non-American.

Well, America, you have an appalling track record, from actively supporting murderous dictators in S. America, to invading foreign countries and killing thousands of their citizens.

At the present time discussions of the pros and cons of torture are all the rage in the US.

A high proportion of Americans think the Colbert show is for real. Don't expect sophistication in the US.

I applaud Mr Zimerman for his statement. He was right to condemn the US for wanting to go to Poland to install weaponry which puts the Poles at risk.

Americans, leave the rest of us out of your violent solutions. Murder and maim yourselves as much as you like within your own borders. You certainly do a good job of that. Don't export your tendencies.

[Yeahright]

I'm sure Krystian will show the same courage in China, they can't wait to hear him speak up for Tibet!

[Rfoster]

Gerry, from what fine country are you?