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

[mkevinf]

Mr. Zimerman may have a point, but is it appropriate to make his point to an audience rather than in a press release? Lefty though I be, the feeling that someone outside the family is out of line criticizing the family while in their living room rises up within me.

I'm sure Mr. Zimerman's live performances are our loss. But there are CDs...and we'll always have Warsaw.

[ronove]

"Maybe he should thank the US military for bringing democracy to Poland. Without our military (and Ronald Reagan) he'd still be living behind the Iron Curtain and probably be making much less money with his talent. "

WHAT ? US military had NOTHING to do with ending the Iron Curtain. You just sit behind it for 50 years while milions of people suffered under communist dictatorship,which YOUR GOVERMENT WAS SUPORTING durning the WW2.
USA never fought for freedom and democracy. USA always waged war against something.
Against Hitler - while supporting Stalin who murdered 10 times more people.
Against communist in Korea,Vietnam,Latino America - supporting local,violent dictators hated by society.
You armed Al-Queda in the 80's so they coulkd fight against Russians.
You supported Hussein, because he was an enemy of Iranian extremists.
With every defeated enemy you create two new.
Your goverment's foreign policy is as gracefull as an elephant in porcelain shop.

"OK Mr. Zimmerman - My life will not be affected by you not coming back to America. For some reason you think I care, I don't."

Yeah,you don't care what people think about you. Very smart. But please stop complaining about the whole world hating you for "no reason". If you would be so kind to listen what other people say and think, you would know why people in some desert villages scream "death to America" and burn your flag.

[Ryan]

em... did Poland ask for help from the USA...?

[Ryan]

The recital was pure magic. I was emotionally moved many times by Zimerman's playing... I'd definitely see him again.

[Adrian Masters]

T all those who claim to have been the liberators of europe during worldwar 2: there were NO american soldiers in what later became eatern europe!
Anyone believing any stories of the opposite are lying as much as thsoe who claim to have been there as GI!

IF there had been GIs in eastern europe there would not have been any russian soldier, would there? History knowledge is something that is missing out on most americans, get a better education system, and learn your history, before screaming about honor and dignity!

And then those GIs who liberated western europe... ever heard of all the rapes and murders that took place by the so famous GIs? How many children nowadays are searching for their american fathers, who raped young children, breeded with young girls, victims of a dark system, and who were turned over to into the equally even and filthy hands of the so famous GIs!

And what about the hegemony of America over western europe? Who did create the cold war? Were did the neutron bomb come from? Who bombed the complete civilian city of Dresden? Who did not bomb the concentrationcamps in 1940 while knowing what went on there? Who did bring the nazi-scientitst to America, for the development of the atom bomb? Who threw the first atom bomb? Who is responsible for My Ly in vietnam? Who supported and armed the Shaj of Persia and dropped him when he realised that he was abused?
Who is responsible for the worldwide financial crisis we are in now?

America!

So, americans stop claiming to be the best, you're the worst!

[James]

I'm not sure what concert Mr. Swed attended but maybe 10 or 12 people walked out because of the remarks (several walked out after the Bacewicz piece but before Zimerman spoke... I'm assuming they were there for the Brahms which didn't happen and/or weren't interested in the Szymanowski).

And then two people yelled for him to play, one yelled back... nobody booed and there was some clapping.

And then because of the incredible playing of the Szymanowski piece there was a rousing ovation. I heard several people lamenting his remarks on the way out but was pleased that the audience separated that from the performnace and gave him his due for his incredible playing and emotion.

[Mike S]

Kudos, Zimmerman! I have always felt we spend entirely too much wealth on our military paranoia complex. Interestingly you ruffled a number of feathers - mostly people who "don't care what you think." LOL. Hilarious how many Americans can't stand a bit of dissent without attacking the messenger - and with so little introspection. Onward Lemming Soldiers!

[Tehachapian]

Some Americans cannot tolerate criticism, particularly that which is spot on. And some Americans are so xenophobic that they think they do not need to be exposed to other cultures. These are "fellow" Americans I choose to keep out of my address book.

[samuel j. savitz]

It represents the height of audacity for someone from the territory that housed Auschwitz, among other camps, to criticize the military that participated in the release of the survivors of those killing facilities. Has Mr. Zimerman ever publicly voiced his outrage of his country’s WW II behavior? If not, his voice of outrage of his hosts was cowardly.

[Paul]

"to the american citizens: there were not "polish nazi death camp" as your journalists wrote. but still there is guantanamo, cuba."

Yes, and, in the high desert of Calfornia, there exists a place called Manzanar. A president whose visage is in every American's pocket put 100,000 persons of Japanese descent into camps like that around the western United States. Now, how about building a monument to W, and putting his face on a coin?

[tom]

write a book
who cares about your opinion

[Delta Sierra]

Americans need to learn to take a little criticism, examine it for constructive content. This knee-jerk "we are perfect don't you dare say a word against us" is immature. I've lived a lot of places, and have never seen so many defensive people. You sound frightened. What of?

[Jim P.]

"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. "

Good God, no *wonder* he's P****d at Amarica! We certainly lead the world in stupidity in the name of security since the end of most of the Communist states. What the bleep did they *expect* glue to smell like? Roses? Billions of dollars and we get the Three Stooges Agency.

While it was an odd forum for his opinions and I have no doubt he will have no problems cashing the check for the money he made here, those who would scream him down for daring to criticise us had better think again about how this country works. If we don't defend people's right to have an opinion different from us how are we any better than the Taliban? Especially for opinions we disagree with. Blind, unthinking "patriotism" is not patriotic at all. Being skeptical of every action the government takes is far more patriotic (and wiser.)

The only places where there is no dissent are dictatorships and theocracies. Walk out politely if you cannot stand the opinions but to shout vulgarities and heckle makes us no better than the thugs of the Chinese Cultural Revolution in the 60's who so very effectively dealt with people who criticised the people's government.

[Thomas]

ENOUGH with all this "hypocrisy" nonsense. Zimmerman was paid to play the piano--which he did. He decided to (briefly) express political opinions about American militarism--which BECAUSE this is America, he is allowed to do. Members of the audience ALSO expressed their dissent OR approval, which BECAUSE this is America, they are allowed to do. You people who DISAPPROVE of freedom of speech, maybe you should go find yourself a nice dictatorship which aligns with your views. Presumably you are the same people who like Rush Limbaugh "earning" 38 Million Dollars a year spreading hatred, sexism, racism, class warfare, zenophobia, et al. He is your symbol of American Free Enterprise and the Triumph of Capitalism no doubt.

(And can SOME of you posters PLEASE learn simple SUBJECT VERB AGREEMENT when venting your ire--you're starting to make W. sound positively eloquent with his "Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning.")

[Mark]

Zimerman is a great pianist. It's good to see him taking a stand when so many public figures won't.

To those who say, "he takes our money, then insults us," I assure you that Zimerman doesn't need our money. Considering how he feels about our country's imperialism, he is probably making a huge sacrifice in deigning to play here in the first place. Just as the NY Philharmonic traveled to N Korea to make a political statement through music, Zimerman has made his political statement. I don't fault him for trying to bring some culture and art to our country, and I don't fault him for saying he's had enough of the dark side of what America stands for in the world.

Our country will be worse off without his visits. He, on the other hand, will do just fine.

[Bob Simpson]

Bravo! The USA has committed many terrible crimes as part of our imperial foreign policy. Sadly, many of our citizens are either ignorant of or actually support this criminal behavior.

We need more voices like Krystian Zimerman's raised around the globe to wake up our own population to reality.

Bob S.

[witek]

BRAVO mr Kristiam!!!

demokracy is coming to the USA!!!
L. Cohen

[Johnny Texas]

OK, I think it is important to all parties that I shine some light on the above event from last Sunday. First of all, we, the group of people that walked out, we came from Texas on a trip to Disneyland because we really wanted to see Mickey and stuff ourselves with a good burger and ol' good american french fries and get a hat and a XXXL t-shirt to cover our hayseed bellies, but, the American-made bus broke and in lieu of the intellectually filled excursion to the land of Duck, we were taken to see this Polish weird guy who does not want to support our troops and said all that crazy stuff, thats illegal in America, because we like our censored and sanitized television and we also do not like our children to see any of our brave soldiers coming back home with missing limbs or dead, because it does not look cool. Like when they say on teevee how many died that's OK, because our children will not know how to count until college so now it is not too scary. And we cowboys are cool and everything must look nice and dandy. Not like in Poland where all girls are skinny and scantly dressed in nice French fashion and on public Polish TV you can see breasts!! That's awful! It is unamerican!! at least you never get to see this in Texas or when you go to Costco to get a load of good American meat for breakfast. We cannot allow this, We also do not like when someone is taking openly about politics. We Americans like better a nice car chase on the news and a touching story about a found dog. When once I went to Warsaw, they talked to much about everything in the media and thats very confusing! We cowboys like it simple and when it gets to complicated it is not for us and we just leave it to smart people like ENRON, or George Bush. Yeeha! And it is OK for Americans to want it all, because we deserve it and don't ask me why, OK? I am only surprised that that crazy Polish man did not say this in Spanish, because now they are more Mexicans in California than white cowboys, so more people could maybe walked out from this funny building. BTW it is good that in America there are not so many funny buildings like this because they are not made from 2x4s. Like in Poland where everything is made of stone to last, and we prefer our homes because we like Hollywood movies and our homes are made like movie sets. Yes siree! So that crazy building is no good and that is also why we walked out of it! Yeeha! I only don't understand why now so many people in Poland drive them Bentleys and Mercedes and BMWs and Ferraris and I lost my job on the ranch?

[Stan The Polish Guy]

Please,ban him from enetering the USA.He is a disgrace to Poland.

[Timber]

A. He needs to read the newspaper some time. We have a new government. He still may not like what it does, but I think it deserves a chance.

B. I'd be pissed, too, if the TSA had smashed my piano.

C. But carrying around all that anger isn't good for one's health.