The Ill-Tempered Clavier.

The article focuses on the contrasting legacies of two recently deceased pianists, Maurizio Pollini and Byron Janis, highlighting their distinct musical styles, repertoires, and public personas. Pollini, an Italian pianist known for his intellectual rigor and modernist repertoire, is described as admired but emotionally distant by the author, who also notes a perceived lack of emotionally moving Italian pianists and piano composers compared to Italy's rich operatic tradition. In contrast, Byron Janis, a Polish-American pianist, is remembered for his warmth, approachability, and expressive performances, though his career was curtailed by psoriatic arthritis. The article reflects on personal experiences of pianistic performances that deeply moved the author and invites readers to share their own memorable encounters with piano music.