Dear John,
It feels as if I took a master class myself. What a great collection of videos. I forwarded them to my cousin Oscar who is a conductor and he raved about your article and of course being able to sit in on Maestro Barenboim’s class.
What struck me was this idea of the young virtuoso, in any field, and the meaning & interpretation he or she might bring without, as you say, a life experience. We can see the subtleties readily in a mature artist – the simplicity of a mature passion. But what we’re left with in the younger artist is the flashy skill as if to impress that a certain tool set has been mastered. “See? I can do this!” Clearly there are more skills to come that only time and life can supply. Accomplishment “filled with the reflections of a lived life.”
In our world of cinema, I have seen recently the train wreck of a young cinematographer being so eager to use a new camera and be considered a virtuoso that he ignored some basic concepts and irreparably ruined a production of a short film. Time will heal that eagerness. An extreme example, of course, but how would a young and competent cinematographer deal with the issues presented in films such as Cries and Whispers, The Godfather, Mishima, The Last Picture Show?
Already 33 years in this business and, frankly, when seeing some of my favorite classic films again, comedy or drama, I’m still intimidated by the wonderful artistry I see. How would I have edited that film? I know the answer … and I fear I’m may not be ready. Oh, dear!
Thank you, John, for this very insightful piece.
Raul
