http://www.publicradio.org/columns/performancetoday/fredlines/archive/2009/06/the_finals_session_two_youth_w.shtml

I heard Arthur Rubinstein only once live in concert: Houston, spring 1976, during his last tour (at age 89).
But last night I swear I heard him again, channeled into the Bass Hall by Nobuyuki Tsujii (age 20), the phenomenon of this competition.
In an earlier post I mentioned that I don't think it's a bad thing for an artist to develop his/her interpretive views based on great performers
of the past; after all, we don't create art in a vacuum, and there's much truth in tradition.
We don't have to slavishly adhere to it, and there's always room for fresh insights,
but we should be aware of our roots, and respect them.
I often sum up this philosophy with what I thought was a facetious hypothesis: If you can really, truly sound like Rubinstein by listening to recordings,
I'm not gonna complain! Well, to my mind, Mr. Tsujii has accomplished something amazingly close to just that.
(Of course it's just a facile convenience to say that he emulates Rubinstein to the exclusion of all others; I'm certain that he listens to and assimilates qualities of many wonderful pianists.)
But there it is: what I heard in this Chopin E minor Concerto was an elegant old-style performance,
a virtual reincarnation of the spirit of an earlier time, delivered without affectation, posturing, prettification or apology.
Like I said yesterday, it's a rare achievement to just Get It Right. This one did, and I'm in awe.
(Did I mention his, um, handicap? I didn't? Oh well, never mind...)