Krystian Zimerman's shocking Disney Hall debut

Poland's Krystian Zimerman, widely regarded as one of the finest pianists in the world, created a furor Sunday night in his debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall when he announced this would be his last performance in America because of the nation's military policies overseas.

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.”

Others remained but booed or yelled for him to shut up and play the piano.  But many more cheered.  Zimerman responded by saying that America has far finer things to export than the military, and he thanked those who support democracy.

For the first half of the recital, Zimerman had played a Bach Partita and Beethoven’s last piano sonata, Opus 111, with firm determination.  After intermission he made a last minute substitution, exchanging late Brahms works for a 1953 sonata by Polish composer Grazyna Bacewicz.  The Szymanowski variations, which closed the program, was played with an astonishing ferocity that brought nothing but tumultuous cheers.  There was no encore.

The pianist was not available after the concert for further comment.

Zimerman has had problems in the United States in recent years.  He travels with his own Steinway piano, which he has altered himself.  But shortly after 9/11, the instrument was confiscated at JFK Airport when he landed in New York to give a recital at Carnegie Hall.  Thinking the glue smelled funny, the TSA decided to take no chances and destroyed the instrument.  Since then he has shipped his pianos in parts, which he reassembles by hand after he lands.  He also drives the truck himself when he carries his instrument from city to city over land, as he did after playing a recital in Berkeley on Friday.

MONDAY UPDATE: Review: Krystian Zimerman's controversial appearance at Disney Hall 

TUESDAY UPDATE: What led to Krystian Zimerman's surprising comments, walkouts

-- Mark Swed

Photo: Krystian Zimerman in 2005. Credit: Kasslara.

Comments

[Sylvester]

Mr. Amara
Who need the missile in Poland...there is no enemy for Poland
Iran or Korea are no enemy for Poland...but for USA
It is better to flight the war on somebody's territory
Really the missile are for Russia
This is Proverb: America is very dangerous for enemy
but very treacherous for friends
Sly

[Rhoda]

I was at Krystian Zimerman's concert. I was very distressed by his comments. His anger was so intense. I felt extremely sad. I have always appreciated how music has the power to raise our spirits and bring people together. I believe it is an avenue towards peace in the world. I wish he would use his incredible talent towards that end.

[Ellisa]

And he seems to be a very smart guy....
Maybe he should give up all his concert tours in the Western World and go to entertain people in the Middle East! The question is: can camels carry his piano?

[Ray in Cleveland]

I am saddened that Zimerman chooses to be blind as to the status of the USA and its military in relation to the world. As another pointed out, his 'country' would be occupied and under an iron fist of tyranny if not for what this country did in WWII, has he forgotten this minor fact of history ? He has always been one of my top favorite pianists, and I have seen him about 4 times in person, there is none like him. But it is beyond my ability to understand why he makes such uninformed and misguided comments.
Where would all you pacifists and cowards be if not for this country ? Living under one of your stinking precious socialist dictators.

[Pavel]

Many Americans have no clue, how large is the world! When 20 years ago I came, USA was a country "proud to be part of". Now I fight with myself not to say "shame".

We “steal” oil from Middle East. We force our strange values on Arabs. We use one standard for internal affairs and another for the "how to rob natural resources countries".

I travel a lot. It is unpleasant to hear how many people around the world hate our policy. We are not partners anymore. We preach democracy, we invade with army. Yes war ended in 1945. When America will realize that? We don’t use an army to pass legislation at home. We shouldn’t use an army abroad!

Zimmerman is an international class pianist. When he got pissed off, we should be concern too.

[Barbara]

Methinks Americans are rather sensitive about someone speaking their piece about peace.

I doubt cultural embargoes would make much difference in the US because so few think of culture as more than yogurt. However, this man can say as he wishes as can anyone else in a "free speech" country. Of course, "free speech" and North America are becoming incompatible if mentioned in the same sentence thanks to the ADL and JDL and their ilk.

[Justin]

I liked him before this but now I love him. He cares about more than just his art and is using his fame as a voice for something he believes in. He is a true artist and we are lucky to have him with us in this world. And yes, I am a White American and I truely love my country. Not in a nationalistic sense but as a true patriot who wants the best for us and the rest of the world not us over the rest of the world. Thank god at least he has the balls to think critically and not just hide in his art and academia.

[Irene]

It is so sad to read the comments denigrating the great artist. Many of you don't even know that the Bush Administration decide to put "the shield" on the Polish soil, and more than 75% of Poland population are against it. Mr.Zimerman made a point, "Hands off of my country", - having in mind the rockets the USA wants to bring to his country.
That's first.
Second, I can't believe that the Americans who are so proud of the First Amendment, get to incensed when somebody else is using it!
Please, respect the maestro's right to a free speech!

[jesper Hansen]

I think he is doing the right thing to tell you have it is !

[jesper Hansen]

I think zimerman is telling you some thing that is very true !

[Stefan]

Mr. Zimmerman's statements should not be twisted into a Polish versus US issue. There is no doubt that the people and government of each have helped the other since the american colonies. Poles were in Jamestown and have had a stake in this country since the beginning and throughout its history. Many Poles died for this country just as there were americans who died for Poland. Mr. Zimmerman did not represent the views of all Polish people who have diverse opinions on various subjects.
Apparently, Mr. Zimmerman did object to Bush administration policy before and stated he would not come back to the US until Bush was out of office.. Personally, I wish he would elaborate on what happened recently to cause him to make his statements now. Otherwise his message, whatever it is, is going to be lost on a lot of people.
Mr. Zimmerman was not the only person who benefited from the concert. Those who paid obviously went for the music and derived some pleasure from Mr. Zimmerma/s playing. The fact that he took the money does not make him a hypocrite. There were even those in the audience who liked what he said. It was their money too.
What I would like to also point out is there are not many countries besides the US that considers itself the best which simultaneously categorizes other countries as less than best which is unnecessary. Can't we just settle for - I love my country - without saying - my country is better than yours! Does everyone who believes that the US could be better than it is have to be compelled to leave and have to be branded as an ingrate?
Artists who are really good are different from the rest of us average people, and thereby are often considered weird. They pay attention to details that no one else does which makes them better or more original than others. There should be no surprise in that. I actually expect most artists and celebrities to be weird no matter what country they come from. Any opinions on Michael Jackson? Does what he say or the way he acts represent all Americans?

[John]

He is one of the finest concert pianists in history and I am ashamed that our country treated him like this. He is owed an apology.

[Anna]

Conckusions that can be drawn from this litany of posts:

- Freedom of speech is a concept most Americans supoort mainly when it fits their agenda;

- Most Americans are fed a falsified, Amercentric version of history. This coupled with the fact that they are not taught to think analytically at school produces the hilarious "unloved Yankee" syndrome we are witnessing here;

- Most Americans have no idea how the cultural capital functions and what are the economic factors in trransferring it. Otherwise, they wouldn't use expressions such as "our money". But hey, most Americans think credit cards justify careless spending, so yeah, no surprise here.

- Most Americans seem to think hate speech against Poles is cool again and makes them better Americans. I've got newsflash for you: most of us, Poles, don't give a flying crap about what you think about us.

- Most Americans are not even capable of producing a single correct sentence in terms of grammar, spelling, syntax and lexicon, not to mention simple logic. You must have been too busy cultivating your star-spangled patriotism.

Possible remedies:

- radical curricular changes in the educational programs for teaching English, history, geography, sociology, political sciences, etc.;

- obligatory trips for Americans to other parts of the world, including obligatory contacts with the "unwashed", "ungrateful" local savages.

Greetings from the country which adopted the first truly democratic constitution in Europe, nearly at the same time US did. Oh, you didn't know this, either?

[Michal Jastrzebski]

Mr."HISTORIAN" - I am afraid you write utter nonsense and you claim to be historian. It is not the US military policy that handed Poland to Soviets in 1945, it is Mr. Joseph Stalin that wanted Poland so badly that he simply took it. There was no one to stop him at that time. So if you are looking for people responsible for what happened in 1945 - search east of the river Bug. Mr Zimerman's actions were disgraceful. As a Pole I am ashamed of his naivete but what do you expect of an 'artist'.

[iajwdkmadp]

Congratulations, Zimerman.

[Michal Jastrzebski]

Zimmerman is an idiot. How many members of US military are there in Poland: 5, 10, 20? This tiny group is somehow controlling Poland, right? Mr.Zimerman lost any perspective on history if he forgot events like WWII or Soviet era in Poland. As another Pole I am ashamed of his actions and stupidity. TSA destroyed his piano - yes he should be outraged about it but this doesn't give him license to say nonsensical things. I don't think his great predecessor Paderewski would approve of his actions.

[Richard Baker]

Apart from the comment which began by saying they agreed with Zimerman's politics, the people so anxious to throw mud at him just make his anti-American stance look intelligent. As if most of them would ever attend a classical concert in the first place! This kind of "love it or leave it" arrogance just doesn't play well overseas, some people would be amazed to learn. And how, exactly, does the US military get credit for the Soviet Union leaving Poland? It's a rhetorical question - don't answer; anyone misguided enough to post in the first place needs no encouragement to keep getting it wrong.

[Stefan]

The problem with Yalta was that Roosevelt agreed ( as opposed to not coming to an agreement) to give Eastern Europe to the Soviet sphere of influence. He did not have to do that. Should the Soviets have taken Eastern Europe he could have then done nothing or at least objected without starting another war. As a consequence of the agreement american troops avoided entering Eastern Europe or retreated once Soviet troops arrived thereby allowing The Soviets to take over. Another consequence, rather shameful for the US and relatively unkown is that US troops forcefully returned displaced Polish nationals to the Soviets knowing that they faced possible imprisonment, torture or death at their hands.

[Maffy]

dude! lets play piano make money then use our position to make a well placed remark about past Amerigun ignorance and military aggression. Poland is such a different world Americans have NO idea of the suffering and poverty there, oh so hurt by a pianists remarks, maybe hurt cos theyre true?

[HISTORIAN]

MR. MICHAL JASTRZEBSKI:
IT IS YOU WHO WRITE UTTER NONSENSE. ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH
THE YALTA CONFERENCE? ARE YOU AWARE OF GENERAL PATTON'S
"ACCIDENT" AFTER HAVING ADVOCATED A MOVE AGAINST THE SOVIETS
WHEN NAZI GERMANY WAS DEFEATED? WHAT ABOUT THE BILLIONS OF
DOLLARS IN "AID" THE SOVIETS RECEIVED AFTER THEY BECAME A U.S. ALLY? "MR. STALIN" DID NOT SIMPLY TAKE POLAND BECAUSE HE WANTED IT. ARRANGEMENTS FOR POLAND'S FATE WERE ALREADY BEING MADE WHEN PM SIKORSKI'S PLANE WENT DOWN NEAR GIBRALTAR. [THERE WAS ALSO A MAP THAT WAS CIRCULATED IN THE U.S. BEFORE THE END OF WORLD WAR II THAT POSTULATED A SOVIET
DOMINANCE OF POLAND AND EAST-CENTRAL EUROPE.]
"MR. STALIN" BROUGHT ALMOST TOTAL DESTRUCTION ON THE USSR
AS HE "FELL SILENT" FOR TWO WEEKS IN JUNE 1941 WHEN "OPERATION BARBAROSSA" DROVE DEEP INTO SOVIET TERRITORY. WITHOUT "WESTERN" AND ESPECIALLY AMERICAN AID, HITLER WOULD HAVE TURNED THE USSR INTO AN EXTENSION OF THE THOUSAND YEAR REICH.
MR. JASTRZEBSKI, YOU CERTAINLY DO GREAT SERVICE TO THE "GENIUS" OF STALIN AND HIS PSYCHOTIC TOTALITARIAN RULE.
P.S. WHY DON'T YOU READ THE WORK OF THE AMERICAN DIPLOMAT
LANE ["I SAW POLAND BETRAYED"]?